This position is located within the Anesthesiology Service at the Durham VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Durham, NC. The primary duties of the Physiologist - Exercise position are to develop, implement, and coordinate exercise programs and administer medical tests, under physician supervision, to promote physical fitness.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position independently carries out highly specialized and diversified restorative physical fitness therapeutic care programs for older Veterans primarily but not exclusively aimed at maintaining or improving their fitness and physical functioning around the time of surgery. The major duties include but are not limited to: Develops, designs, and conducts an exercise program tailored to individual patients taking into consideration their age, health conditions, and physical functioning; Maintains, analyzes, and interprets program data for reports, program effectiveness, case load, and attendance; Selects and administers physical performance measures for Gerofit and other clinical and/or future research activities; Develops progressive physical fitness plans of care by designing and modifying treatment programs, developing goals, and using a multifaceted approach determined by the Veteran's physical and mental conditions; Schedules procedures including coordinating appointments with other services; Monitors Veterans' conditions and records responses to treatment in the medical record as indicated; Recognizes abnormalities and modifies treatment program accordingly and/or brings them to the attention of the referring provider; Maintains a safe working environment performing safety checks, cleaning, and stocking equipment, etc.; Explains the purpose of physical fitness services including evaluation techniques, interventions, and adjustments made to the plan of care; Uses interpersonal skills to instruct, educate, and motivate Veterans and communicate with families and medical staff, to ensure compliance with the stated therapeutic goals/desired outcomes; Reviews status reports and statistical data using advanced ACCESS, computer/website programming, and database analytics techniques to verify compliance with research reporting and administrative criteria; Performs other directly related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

Qualifications

English Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. ~AND~ To qualify for this position, all applicants must meet the Basic Education Requirement: Possess a Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university in one of the basic animal sciences or physiology; or a related discipline or field of science that included a least 24 semester hours in the basic animal sciences, of which 10 semester hours were in animal physiology. Courses such as anatomy; cytology; invertebrate and vertebrate zoology; embryology; entomology; animal, dairy, and poultry husbandry; nutrition; genetics; and physiology may be used to meet the 24-semester-hour requirement in the basic animal sciences. Courses in physiology, animal or human physiology, cellular physiology, or courses that were well oriented toward human physiology (e.g. some advanced courses in biochemistry) are qualifying as animal physiology courses. Course in related fields such as cytology and microbiology (including microbial physiology) may also be qualifying, provided the course work dealt directly with the application of scientific principles underlying physiology, or with the methodology and techniques applied in physiology work. NOTE: Copies of transcripts are required at the time of application. Education will not be credited without documentation. ~AND~ In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, to qualify at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this Physiologist - Exercise position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Qualifying experience includes developing, designing, and conducting exercise programs for patients; assessing, planning or implementing fitness programs that included exercise or physical activities; conducting exercise testing to develop individualized exercise plans; administering and interpreting physical performance tests and record responses to treatment; data collection and monitoring protocols for treatment program. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education: Successfully completed three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or equivalent doctoral degree that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described above). This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (as described above). This education must have been obtained at an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Knowledge ManagementOral CommunicationProject ManagementTechnical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work of this position involves a wide range of physical demands from sedentary work in a standard office setting to moderate to heavy physical demands which include the ability to lead exercise classes, move exercise equipment, and transfer patients in an emergency setting. On occasion, the incumbent will be required to lift over 50 pounds. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Contacts

• Address Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]