Health Technician Direct Care
North Chicago, IL - USA
Job Summary
The purpose of the position is to assist in the care and management of patients in the acute care setting and long-term care. The position provides clinical technical and direct patient care this capacity the incumbent must be skillful and flexible in establishing goals and setting priorities due to the fluctuating needs of the clinical staff.
Duties include but are not limited to:
- Admits and provides patient orientation to the room and unit
- Performs basic nursing skills including temperature pulse blood pressure respiration and oxygen saturation via pulse oximetry finger stick for glucose monitoring oral suctioning nasal swabs and discontinuation of peripheral IV catheter
- Performs bladder scanning records and reports results
- Performs hourly rounding on patients with a purpose (pain potty positioning proximity pump)
- Documents patient information on flow sheets in the Electronic Health Record and/or paper flow sheets
- Notifies ICU telemetry monitoring technician when admitting patient to telemetry
- Provides telemetry monitor identifies proper lead placement and attaches electrodes upon admission
- Performs standard 12-lead EKG using the multi-channel EKG machine
- Understands and can identify basic rhythms and arrhythmias and provides appropriate communication to RN
- Activates Code Blue and initiates CPR when indicated
- Irrigates and dresses wounds maintaining a clean and as appropriate sterile field
- Reinforces patient education provided by physician or RN on infection prevention and signs and symptoms of infection
- Collects patient laboratory specimens as ordered including performing phlebotomy (if blood samples ordered) by following the facility established process(es)
- Responds appropriately and sensitively to death and dying patients their families and loved ones
- Feeds patients orally including those who are at risk for aspiration after appropriate training
Work Schedule: Full Time PM Shift 3:00pm to 11:45pm OR Full-Time Night Shift 7:15pm to 7:45am
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician Direct Care/PD06675A
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
- To be considered for this position you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
- 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.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- Physical Requirements: The work involves periods of prolonged extensive or considerable standing/walking or sitting lifting positioning pushing and/or transferring patients. The position requires lifting supplies and equipment and considerable reaching stooping bending kneeling and crouching.
- Subject to background/security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 10/26/2026.
You may qualify based on your experience as described below:
- Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Health Technician (OA) position
There is no educational substitution at this grade level.
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: 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:
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e. physical or mental) covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position after notification of the adjudication of your request you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice your most recent performance rating and your most recent SF-50 noting current position grade level and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPMs Career Transition Resources website at should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Experience:
IC