This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

This full-time, Dental Hygienist position is in Surgical services at the Providence VA Healthcare System, located at the Providence location. Employees at this level serve as full performance level staff dental hygienists, performing direct patient care under the general supervision of the dentist, and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members only for the most complex patients. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: patient medical assessment (e.g. medical/dental history, social history, vital signs, full periodontal assessment and charting) disease and treatment management recommendations denture care scaling and root planning radiographs/image interpretation patient education (e.g. post-procedure, tobacco cessation, caries and perio-disease prevention) behavior management management of stable medically compromised patients (including risk factors) instrument sharpening and inter service communication. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F06474 Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. This position is a LIUNA Bargaining Unit position. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Dental hygienist candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403. Education: Applicants must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited dental hygiene program. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved programs are: (1) Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). (2) [Education completed outside of the United States must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited United States programs and would enable the candidate to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, which is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Licensure: Applicants must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist with a full, current and unrestricted license in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Certification: P.L. 97-35, Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act Of 1981, requires persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75, Standards for the Accreditation of Educational Programs for and the Credentialing of Radiologic Personnel. To meet this requirement, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education and be certified as radiographers in their field. Accredited dental hygiene programs contain curriculum addressing radiologic procedures meets the requirement for certification as dental radiographers. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determination:GS-09: Must have at least one year of experience at the next lower grade (GS-08) level that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of hygiene procedures to explain the process and indication, complications and expected treatment outcomes for each. Knowledge of proper usage of dental radiography equipment, radiation safety, assessment of proper image capture and interpretation of films. Knowledge to select appropriate available fluoride products and indications/limitations for safe and proper application. Skill in detecting plaque and calculus, dental abnormalities/pathologies, assessing inflammation and providing safe instrumentation for each procedure. Skill in educating patients and caregivers on periodontal disease, wellness, health maintenance, oral hygiene practices, parafunctional habits, and effects of illness, addictions, medications and tobacco on the oral cavity. Ability to assess the patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities to administer safe patient care. Ability to assess the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health, recognize age-related changes in individual patients, adapt patient environment, and maximize patient's physical comfort. References: VA Handbook 5005/146 PART II APPENDIX G37 Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, sitting, kneeling, crawling, and bending are required. Pushing, pulling, and moderate lifting are functional requirements for this position as well. There will be duties that are inside and outside, where you may be exposed to fumes, smoke, water, or gases, working around machinery and moving objects, whether this is working closely with others or independently. The ability to distinguish shades of colors, have both near and far vision, and good depth perception will be in the pre-employment physical.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Providence Healthcare System 830 Chalkstone Avenue Providence, RI 02908 US
• Name: Courtney Kreshak
• Phone: 4012737100
• Email: [email protected]