Summary

This position - located in Nursing Service - at the VHA Salt Lake City Healthcare System. The primary purpose for the Health Technician is to deliver a broad array of services throughout the medical center - and its various locations that provide inpatient or outpatient care. Incumbent is responsible for customer service - transport of patients and medical specimens - assisting in non-technical services on inpatient medical units - and outpatient clinics throughout the SLC VA Medical Center.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Individual Occupational Requirements Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): 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. English Language Proficiency: Health Technician must be proficient in spoken and written English.(Refer to VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 2 GS-04 grade level: You must have 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-03 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Providing care to patients; maintaining cleanliness; use of assistive devices; providing transport/escort services . OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation. OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year above high school with course(s) related to the occupation. 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-XX. 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. 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.

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to the following: Provides customer service - directing Veterans - families - and other visitors to the appropriate areas of the hospital
• Educates - role models - and assists inpatients/residents and families in adhering to infection control principles throughout the facility
• Maintains general cleanliness of the waiting and sitting areas - including wheelchairs in and around lobby - inpatient and outpatient areas
• Transports patients via wheelchair or gurney - and or accompanies ambulatory patients who need assistance - to various areas within the hospital including - clinics - diagnostic areas - and treatment areas
• The incumbent observes patients continually while in the process of transporting
• Utilizes appropriate assistive devices to promote safety of patients and personnel
• Ensures all devices are in good repair - sanitized - and functional prior to use
• Maintains competency in safe patient handling and mobility to include hover mat and lifting devices
• Provides transport/escort services in a non-judgmental - non-discriminatory manner - respecting the values and beliefs of members of all cultures
• Recognizes personal ethical issues and respects the values and beliefs of others while providing patient care
• Explains to patient where they are being taken and why (i.e. - Xray - MRI - Angio - etc.)
• Carefully observes patients who are on IV's or oxygen and reports this to nurse at destination
• This includes observing oxygen tanks and replacing them with new tanks when they run low and observing IV's during transport and verbally reporting low IV's to nursing staff
• The incumbent must know how to visually determine if the IV has become unattached from the patient - or if the IV bags are empty
• Notes and reports any changes in the conditions - behaviors - or demeanor of the patients to the appropriate personnel - or charge nurse - or staff nurse to which the patient is assigned
• Recognizes signs of serious distress and emergently notifies clinical staff or proceeds directly to the emergency room
• Transports records and printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws - federal regulations - VA statutes and policy - and VHA policy
• Protects the data from unauthorized release or from loss or alteration
• Transports lab specimens in a timely manner and maintains a daily log of all transportation runs
• Performs all transportation duties after hours including the weekends
• This involves assuming the responsibility of the Transportation Coordinator - responsible to answer calls from the transportation line and make assignments by prioritizing duties and tasks - patient needs - and considers deadlines and objectives
• Recognizes problematic situations or incidents and reports up the chain of command
• Strip linens from bed and clean discharged patient rooms
• Includes - cleaning bed rails - over bed table - beside stand - patient chair - call light - vital signs machine - removing trash from beside tables - and other requirements necessary to prepare a clean unit for a patient
• Wipe down IV poles - and other medical equipment
• Other non-technical duties as needed
• Prepare rooms of admitting patients on inpatient units - with blood pressure cuffs - scale - and other items as requested by nurse or charge nurse
• Lowers bed to lowest level
• Provide transport services as needed ensuring theses tasks are recorded on the daily log of transportation runs
• Delivers food trays ensuring patient identification
• Consistently observes all infection prevention measures with hand washing and by identifying isolation rooms
• Identify and observe all other posted signs i.e
• NPO - chemotherapy precautions
• Reports to nurse prior to supplying any nutrition item not on the food tray
• Perform other similar duties of a simple nature associated with services to the patient and patients' immediate environment at the direction of the charge nurse or lead clinical personnel
• After hours - nights - weekends - and holidays or when transport is not available - transports patients via wheelchair or gurney - and or accompanies ambulatory patients who need assistance - to various areas within the hospital including - clinics - diagnostic areas and treatment areas
• Safeguards patient privacy (i.e. - closed doors - pulled curtains - no unnecessary exposure) and confidentiality (secured medical records and computer workstations - no \"hallway\" conversations regarding patients - staff - visitors - etc.) Privacy and confidentiality of information are a right of patients Work Schedule: Rotating tours Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD14519A Physical Requirements: Duties require extensive periods of sitting - standing - and walking
• Requires regular and recurring bending - lifting (not to exceed 35 pounds) - reaching - carrying - stooping - stretching and similar activities.