Health Technician

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Supports professional licensed providers both nurses and physicians in designated clinical area using diagnostic and therapeutic medical instruments and equipment to perform non-invasive Electrocardiograms Spirometry tests Visual Acuity Screenings and Bladder Scans according to established procedures.
• Performs Point of Care (POC) testing using glucometer and I-Stat devices and CLIA-waived testing as authorized according to established unit procedures.
• Documents treatments procedures and/or telemetry identification conducted by the incumbent in the electronic medical record.
• Prepares and sets up equipment etc. for procedures performed by licensed providers including laceration repair chest tube insertion lumbar puncture etc.
• Assists professional licensed providers including nursing staff and physicians in the care and treatment of the critically ill and those with emergent needs.
• Reports observations of the condition of acute or chronic phase patients such as excessive vomiting bleeding type and amount of drainage; deviation in baseline cardiac rhythm pulse skin tone and integrity respiration temperature blood pressure protection and patency of airway; changes in wounds and reaction to treatments per protocol.
• Identifies life-threatening dysrhythmias; activates the appropriate codes and/or steps required to call for definitive help; initiates appropriate action according to established procedures.
• Performs Basic Life Support including the operation of the Automated External Defibrillator (or equivalent).
• Responds to emergency mental health situations where danger of physical attack by patients requires special training.
• Performs simple personal care duties such as bathing; demonstrates nursing standards for patient hygiene including bathing oral nail and hair care.
• Performs basic personal nursing care that requires knowledge of standardized procedures such as performance of active/passive range-of-motion activities ensuring that catheters and oxygen cannula etc. remain intact.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Various schedule may include 7:00am to 3:30pm or 11:00am to 7:30pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD12144A
Physical Requirements: None.
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.

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; including Resume Transcripts etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( 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.

Beginning September 27 2025 Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge skills abilities and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed.

Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF JPG JPEG PNG RTF TXT PDF ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• 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.

Upon completion of your probationary period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

This position has an Individual Occupation Requirement (IOR). You must meet the following:

• Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists speech pathologists medical officers and optometrists. Therefore technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge methods and techniques of the position to be filled.

OR

• For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.

In addition to meeting the IOR above you must meet the experience/education as described below:

GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-XX grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level.

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelors degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level.

To calculate first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

1. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology to include location and function of major body organs and structures as well as familiarity with medical terminology common diseases disorders and related conditions; medications and contraindications.
2. Technical knowledge of Cardiac rhythm interpretation skill in lead placement for 12 Lead electrocardiogram and telemetry monitoring monitor alarm parameters operation and maintenance of cardiopulmonary and electrocardiogram equipment.
3. Ability to take vital sign measurements identify deviation from norms documentation requirements and procedure for reporting results in both routine and emergent situations.
4. Ability to recognize common life-threatening emergencies and ability to provide initial response; knowledge of emergency situations such as cardiopulmonary failure hemorrhaging and shock and how to perform and/or assist in the performance of resuscitation measures.
5. Ability to provide for safe patient handling including patient transfers and transportation by wheel chair and/or gurney.
6. Knowledge of infection control practices aseptic techniques and universal precautions to protect patient and self from contamination.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level.

Successfully completed a Graduate education or internship where it is directly related to the work of the position.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-06 level.

Preferred Experience:

• Formal ECG education and training required.
• 3-5 years of experience as nursing assistant in acute care setting within the last 5 years required.
• Current BLS and emergency preparedness training required.
• Actively involved in unit wide safety unit based committee.

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.