Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to assist the primary nurse with patient care - receives and directs patients - answers routine inquiries. The incumbent functions under the direction of the RN. The incumbent provides clinical - programmatic - technical - and clerical support in the Emergency Department.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Must meet Individual Occupational Requirements: 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. AND Have specialized experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Advanced EMT or Paramedic certification; Experience in supporting Triage activities - from care to therapeutic treatment and specimen collection; Knowledge of safety precautions and infection control as it relates to patients presenting in the Emergency Department; Experience in applying age appropriate direct patient care procedures including ADL's (Activities of daily living); Skill in communicating in a tactful and courteous manner with a wide variety of individuals with various levels of understanding; Ability to work as a member of the interdisciplinary team to provide care to patients. - Demonstrated ability to prioritize emergency care of critical or unstable patients; Experience in treatment of behavioral emergencies or psychiatric patients. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of 1 year of graduate education (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of this position. OR - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year of full-time study. 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

• The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department
• The five Core Values define \"who we are -\" our culture - and how we care for Veterans - their families and other beneficiaries
• The Values are Integrity - Commitment - Advocacy - Respect and Excellence (\"I CARE\").As a VA professional - your opportunities are endless
• With many openings in the multiple functions of VA - you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips
• Major Duties Include: Performs direct patient care including personal hygiene - physical comfort - nutrition - elimination - prevention of skin breakdown - safety - etc
• Receives and directs patients - answers routine inquiries and makes referrals
• Receives and responds to a number of unclear inquires form patients concerning a variety of medical personnel and administrative matters
• Maintains stock of supplies and sterility of instruments
• Point-of-Care
• Examples: glucometer - COVID swabbing Performs or assists Triage staff with diagnostic procedures including EKGs - venipunctures - and alcohol breathalyzer used to diagnose medical conditions
• Assists in the performance of or independently performs procedures such as insertion of urinary catheters and intravenous catheters
• Performs patient care procedures such as collection of specimens - applying dressings - and adjusting supportive equipment
• Performs duties in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable laws and policies
• Instructs patients in crutch - walker and or cane use and ensures correct fitting of equipment
• Performs duties involving customer service and or public liaison
• Performs duties in accordance to applicable safety precautions and infection control
• Operate emergency department equipment such as Telemetry and automated external defibrillator (AED)
• Provides general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the Triage area
• Collects and organizes statistical data for reports
• Performs patient charting using standard medical terminology entering information regarding care rendered - condition and progress
• Performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel - this may involve completing clinical reminders - obtaining patient health history - chief complaints - medication history - and identification of health- related conditions that may impact the patient's health status
• Completing approved templates and tools - such as - intake/outtake forms - normal result note follow up - clinical reminders - procedure and intervention notes established by the agency
• Assisting in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting
• This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention - management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients - by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB)
• Assists licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex - specialized - and potentially life-threatening situations
• You will assist licensed staff with setting up equipment and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits
• Operating specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes
• Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition
• You will assist clinical providers with emergency medical care - provides emergency response as part of the Rapid-Response-Team (RRT) - and assists with training of other hospital clinical staff
• Performing Diagnostic Tests
• Examples: Vital Signs - 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) Specimen collection and Preparation
• Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples Minor Procedures
• Examples: preparation for simple one-layer laceration repairs - incision and drainage - skin stapling - STERIS trips - Dermabond Medication Administration: nebulized medications - topical - limited PO meds Wound Care
• Examples
• Different types of wound dressings - wound irrigation - compression dressings- Forflex and Profour Patient education within scope of care or while providing an intervention Electronic Health Record (EHR): Thoroughly and appropriately documents actions - interventions and procedures in the medical record
• Examples: Procedural notes and progress notes
• Work Schedule: Varies
• Position Description Title/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/PD04342A and PDS0031A Physical Requirements: The work requires moderate to heavy (15-44 pounds) lifting of equipment or patients and requires standing - walking - bending - stooping - stretching - pushing - pulling - twisting - reaching and similar activities in an immediate or limited time frame.