The incumbent in this position receives guidelines and privileges from the Chief, Surgical service and Chief, Urology Section. The Health Tech assigns specific daily work, supervised and unsupervised. The duties are varied and complex, consisting of performing functions normally completed by LPNs, surgical scrub nurse/techs, laboratory technician.

Duties

The incumbent assists the physician in various non-surgical and surgical procedures. Ensures a sterile surgical field is established for this equipment/instruments and the procedure itself. Sets up, operates, and monitors specialized equipment such as cystoscopes, transrectal ultrasound probes, complex urodynamic equipment, etc. Recognizes changes in patient condition and takes appropriate actions in response to the situation. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies. Provides urology patient with the necessary information to inform them and their families of the care that is needed for their continued urological treatment. Assisting with suture ligatures, holding retractors, suctioning, inserting drains, etc. Removes or Changes sterile dressings, removal of drains, monitoring of catheters, and suture removal, inserting and changing indwelling catheters. Assists the urologist and/or resident during daily ward rounds to provide supportive therapy, counseling and guidance, health care teaching and urological care to patients. Utilizes medical terminology when interpreting requests and provide proper documentation for surgical procedures. Ensures that a sterile environment exists prior to the start of the case. Utilizes universal precautions to protect patients and staff from exposure to any infectious materials. Handles instruments, supplies and equipment during a variety of surgical procedures. Sets up sterile field with all required items (equipment, instruments, supplies and/or devices) for each procedure. Performs sharps, sponge, and instrument counts of surgical items before and after surgical procedures. Assists Urology team members to identify and implement performance improvement measures. Monitors proper functioning of instruments and equipment at the Urology clinic. Determines the effectiveness of sterilization, packing, storage, and shelf life. Assists with overall operation of the Urology Clinic. Follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Tour of duty subject to change by supervisor based on facility needs. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Urology)/PD03546A Physical Requirements: The work required does inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Pre-employment physical required
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details.
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/19/2024. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements. Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as Urologist and nursing staff. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods and techniques of the position to be filled. In addition to meeting the IOR above, candidates must demonstrate they meet the following grade requirement: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Health Technician (Urology). Specialized experience includes: Utilization of medical instruments, understanding of human anatomy, and physiology ; Handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during medical procedures; Performing proper cleaning techniques, handling and rotation of sterile supplies; Handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene; Using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Infection Control Medical Information Patient Care Technical Competence Physical requirement: This is a mentally and physically demanding position. The individual combines walking, stopping, standing, and sitting in the performance of the job. This position also requires patient lifting and positioning patients for urologic procedures. 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/. 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.

Education

There is no substitution education at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Biloxi VA Medical Center 400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi, MS 39531 US
• Name: JamieLee Adams
• Phone: 607-346-5286
• Email: [email protected]