This position is assigned to the Veterans Transportation Services (VTS) - Ambulance Service in Fort Harrison, MT. Duties include working in an emergency room, acute care or urgent care clinic, or other similar department performing basic and advanced life support procedures.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major Duties: Responds to on-site accidents and other emergencies involving injury and illnesses, sometimes encountering situations which may be life threatening. Determines and prioritizes appropriate medical treatment/procedures and need for additional assistance. Performs patient triage and take/records patient's vital signs as needed. Performs physical examinations and obtains patient history, assesses status of patient's neurological system, cardiovascular system, circulatory system, skeletal system, orthopedic system, motor and sensory skills, and level of consciousness. Determines, with due regard to the patient's condition, if and how the patient can be moved and to which medical facility the patient should be transported. Prioritizes treatments for patients having multiple problems and employs a variety of advanced emergency medicine techniques, methods, and equipment during transport to the appropriate medical facility. Performs invasive and non-invasive procedures on patients with life threatening and non-life-threatening conditions per established procedures or as authorized/directed by physicians. Responds to cardiac and respiratory emergencies, performs cardiac monitoring and defibrillation; maintains circulation controls bleeding and provides spinal management and immobilization. Provides fluid resuscitation by IV and manages trauma injuries, bleeding, and post-traumatic shock. Assists with children and administers medications as appropriate. Observes, records, and monitors patient's condition and effects of medication, and performs rapid sequence intubation according to established medical standards. Selects the most efficient route to and from sites, taking into consideration traffic patterns, health facility locations, etc. Operates the emergency transport vehicle and uses telephone and radio communications equipment and systems. Reads highway maps, program Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, read and follows instructions in order to locate and complete assigned tasks. Paramedics will perform other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

Requirements

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIRED: 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. This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factors for this position are: License: Possession of a valid and current unrestricted state driver's license. (Do NOT include a copy of your driver's license with your application package). If an interview is requested, you will then be required to provide your driver's license. (Do NOT upload your Driver's License) AND Certifications: (You must upload copy of certifications to receive consideration.) Possess and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider certification. Possess and maintain current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification. Possess a valid/current state-issued license/certification for eligibility for employment (Paramedic). AND you must obtain certification as a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic) within 18 months of employment as a condition of continued employment with VA (if you do not already possess this certification). In addition to the English Language Proficiency and Selective Placement Factors listed above, to qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet one of the following: Experience: At least (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-08) in the Federal service that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Medical Care Transportation Technician (Paramedic). Specialized experience includes knowledge of a majority of body systems, i.e., skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary, to perform patient examination; responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injury and/or illness which may be life-threatening and require basic life support procedures; experience providing transportation of patients to medical treatment facilities; using communication equipment and techniques to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers; knowledge of protocols and treatments used in the delivery of emergency care for persons injured in chemical, nuclear, biological, and hazardous materials incidents; and experience operating emergency or patient transport vehicles. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a master's degree or two (2) full years of graduate education that is directly related to the work of this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above to meet total qualification requirements. NOTE: Transcripts 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: Clinical Data Collection/DocumentationEmergency CareFirst ResponsePatient CareTransportation 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 involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients in a variety of situations. Generally, the work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined areas. Paramedics may be required to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective clothing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises. This most favorably compares to the 8-2 level where the work requires regular and recurring physical exertion. It may involve walking, frequent bending, reaching and stretching to set up and take apart equipment; lifting and positioning patients; and carrying, pushing, or pulling moderately heavy objects. Duties may require above average dexterity. 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 Montana VA Health Care System 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]