The Health Aide (Escort) assigned to the Transport Office in Voluntary Service, provides patient transportation and care within the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System (VASLCHCS). The incumbent demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide support appropriate to the age of the patients they are escorting.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Transports adult and geriatric patients to and from units, clinics, and facilities within VASLCHCS and the local community for treatment if a licensed practical nurse (LPN) is not required. Takes direction from the Health Technician (Health Aide Coordinator) regarding proper methods of transfer. Ensures that the equipment (wheelchairs, beds, gurneys are the appropriate size for the patient being transported. Observes the IV's during transport to ensure that they are still connected properly and that the patient hasn't pulled them out. If so, incumbent is to immediately notify the nursing staff. Ensures that the patient is properly covered at all times during transport to ensure modesty. Stays with the inpatients in the waiting areas until a provider or nurse comes to get them for their procedure. Carefully observes patients who are on IV's or oxygen and reports it to the Registered Nurse at destination. This includes observing oxygen tanks and replacing them with new tanks when they run low and observing IV's during transport and verbally reporting low IV's to nursing staff. The incumbent must know how to visually determine if the IV has become unattached from the patient, or if the IV bags are empty. Transports patients with severe physical and emotional conditions from psychiatric units to scheduled appointments with medical, surgical, and physical treatment and returns them to their respective ward. Encounters with all levels of physical and emotional patients and families are handled in a courteous and tactful manner and any customer service compliant is easily resolved. Carefully observes patients during transport for signs of distress. If signs of distress are shown the incumbent gets the immediate attention of the nursing staff or take them directly to the Emergency Room for evaluation. Provides transport assistance to outpatients arriving at the medical center for treatment. Demonstrates a courteous, caring, and respectful manner in all interactions. Demonstrates creativity and initiative in resolving customer problems expeditiously to endure a high level of customer satisfaction. Shares these experiences with peers to ensure maximum dissemination of information. Refers unresolved problems (with proposed alternative solutions) to his/her immediate supervisor in a timely manner. Plans and coordinates activities dealing with safe transportation of patients. The incumbent must properly plan for the day (i.e. make sure all of the wheelchairs and gurneys are collected and located in certain areas throughout the medical center for easy access). He/she collects data (i.e. size and/or type of wheelchair needed, will the patient need extra oxygen bottles, does the patient have luggage, prosthetic devices, prescriptions that need to be picked up) in order to be prepared to assist the patient with their transport needs. Transports specimens, records, medications, meal trays, and other patient support equipment and supplies between and to patient care units as needed. This entails walking from the ground floor to the 5th floor on an 80 acre campus to pick and deliver specimens, records, medications, meal trays, patient belongings, prosthetic devices, etc. on a daily basis. Utilizes appropriate assistive devices (i.e., lifts, transfer devices, other personnel) to promote safety of patients and personnel. Provides transport/escort services in a non-judgmental, non-discriminatory manner, respecting the values and beliefs of members of all cultures. Recognizes personal ethical issues and respects the values and beliefs of others while providing patient care. Explains to patient where they are being taken and why (i.e. XRay, MRI, Angio, etc). Utilizes the computer on a daily basis for various functions, i.e., reading and sending mailman messages (communication), requesting leave, entering appropriate patient information, etc. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Aid/PD07041A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/23/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-04 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-03. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General and/or Specialized Experience: You must have 6 months of general/specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-03 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: transports adult and geriatric patients to and from units, clinics, and facilities within VASLCHCS and the local community for treatment, observes the IV's during transport to ensure that they are still connected properly and that the patient hasn't pulled them out, transports specimens, records, medications, meal trays, and other patient support equipment and supplies between and to patient care units as needed, utilizes appropriate assistive devices (i.e., lifts, transfer devices, other personnel) to promote safety of patients and personnel, utilizes the computer on a daily basis for various functions, i.e., reading and sending mailman messages (communication), entering appropriate patient information, etc., and demonstrates a courteous, caring, and respectful manner in all interactions. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailComputer SkillsInterpersonal SkillsStamina Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: On a daily basis the position requires lifting, standing, pushing, walking, bending, stooping, and transferring as part of patient care administration. Must be emotionally stable and able to adjust to different types of personalities/behaviors using cheerfulness, compassion, courtesy, and empathy. Must be quick and dependable in taking emergency action. Performs duties in any area of VASLCHCS and local community facilities on any tour requiring normal safety precautions. Work requires continued walking, assisting patients when they arrive at the medical center (usually in wheelchairs, gurneys, stretchers, and beds). For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Damon Martin
• Phone: 801-582-1565 X2683
• Email: [email protected]