The position serves as a Intermediate Care Technician located at the Bath VA Medical Center, in Bath NY, with the VA Finger Lakes Health Care System. The position performs Phlebotomy, specimen testing, storage, and shipping of specimens, as well as various clerical duties for the outpatient clinic.

Duties

Major Duties: Patient Screening: Duties include performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve completing clinical reminders, obtaining patient health history, chief complaints, medication history, and identification of health-related conditions that may impact the patient's health status. The incumbent will complete approved templates and tools, such as the outpatient intake form, normal result notes, and follow up treatment protocols established by the agency. Mental Health Services: The incumbent assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB). The incumbent performs duties focused on communication techniques required to complete the questioners and templates approved for use in any outpatient clinical setting, including active listening, restating, and mirroring. The incumbent will maintain a safe and therapeutic environment for the patient while promoting a sense of worth and dignity under the supervision of the licensed personnel. Clinical Tasks: The incumbent assists outpatient licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. The incumbent assists licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment, passing instruments and providing treatment during in-person or virtual visits. The incumbent operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. The incumbent is responsible for collecting a wide range of specimens and preparing them for transfer to processing. Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition. The incumbent must possess the knowledge to recognize life threatening situations and act to correct these emergent situations according to established national or local protocols. The incumbent initiates cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BLS) and use of automatic external defibrillator (AED) once certified and where appropriate according to American Heart Association (AHA) protocols and policies. Observes patient status and keeps licensed personnel informed of any change in condition. Clinical responsibilities include but are not limited to: - Vital signs. Examples: vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG). - Point-of-care (POC). Examples: Abbott hand-held blood analyzer (I-STAT), glucometer. - Equipment and surgical instrumentation set up . Examples: skin biopsies (excisional, shave, punch). - Treatments and interventions. Examples: Cryotherapy, incision and drainage, ambulation, and Foley coude' catheter insertion. - Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements. - Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens. - Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: gynecology exams. - Mental health care. Examples: Crisis intervention, performs behavioral/mental health screens, conducts interviews, and observes behavioral patients. - Preparation of lab specimens and transfer to the lab for processing: Examples: Labeling, placing in the proper bin or tube system. - Assisting with patient exams and screening, utilizing technology such as telehealth peripherals. Examples: primary care physical exams (heart, eye, ear, nose, throat (EENT); gait exams, and skin exams. Work Schedule: M - F, varied hours 0700-1530, 0800-1630, 0600-1430. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Position Description/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/PD99968A Physical Requirements: The work involves extended periods of bending, standing and walking. Generally, the work requires recurring physical exertion with assisting patients.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/22/2024. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Obtain and document patients' vital signs and setting up and using electronic thermometers, vital sign measurement equipment, and pulse oximetry; Perform venipuncture to obtain serum blood samples according to policy and procedures; Assisting with preparation of patients designated for admission including separation, securing and inventory of clothing/valuables; Perform sterile dressing changes, ace bandage application, suture removal, and application of heat/cold; Assisting with teaching patients self-care at home. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed one (1) year of GRADUATE level education that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position and is directly related to the work of the position. 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the graduate level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Patient CareSpecimen CollectionTechnical Competence 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. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Bath VA Medical Center 76 Veterans Avenue Bath, NY 14810 US
• Name: Douglas Gonzalez-Delgado
• Phone: (813) 897-5403
• Email: [email protected]