Health Technician

Summary

This position is within the Department of Veteran's Affairs, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), located in the surgery service department. This position reports to the nurse manager of the same day procedure unit (SDPU), ambulatory surgery unit (ASU), and the post anesthesia care unit (PACU).

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Duties

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Duties of a Health Technician include but are not limited to: Patient Care Task

• Performs 12 lead EKGs and gives printout to RN to provide to physician. Applies cardiac monitor electrodes + leads and initiates cardiac monitoring under direction of assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
• Performs or assists RN with personal care, such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination-ensuring patient privacy at all times.
• Assist RN in patient care. The incumbent will be required to assist in patient care as directed to include but not limited to dressing changes, turning, and positioning of patients, postmortem care and morgue transfers.
• Assists with transfers and ambulation of patients.
• Provides direct observation for both suicidal/homicidal patients, as well as those patients requiring direct observation for safety (e.g., fall or elopement risk).
• Answer call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
• Collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens from ASU/PACU/SDPU.
• Performs glucometer checks and notifies assigned RN or provider of results.
• Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
• Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
• Weighs patients on electronic or bed scales and records weight in CPRS vital signs package.
• Assists clinicians with procurement and set-up of equipment and supplies for procedures.
• Usage of safe patient handling and movement portable and ceiling lift equipment.

Transportation of Patients

• Responsible for supporting the surgical service line staff by transporting the patient pre- and post-operatively between the waiting rooms and inpatient areas to the same day procedure unit, post anesthesia care unit and ambulatory surgery units.
• This employee must identify the patient utilizing the patient's arm band and verifying identification confirming full name and social security number.
• Personal contact with the patient and their family and/or significant other(s) and at this time offers reassurance and emotional and physical support.
• Reports any observations and measures taken in any given emergency. Performs a wide variety of duties aimed at increasing the comfort and spirit of the patient.
• Identifies and reports data relative to more complex patient situations including changes in patients' behavior or condition
• Provide a superior level of customer service.
• Demonstrate compassion and understanding to family members accompanying surgical patients.
• Use appropriate channels of communication and assist internal and external customers to navigate through the perioperative process.
• Secure necessary methods of transportation (wheelchairs, litters, beds, transmotion chairs) to be available on the unit as needed.
• Clean, according to RME SOP, wheelchairs, litters and trasmotion chairs upon patient discharge to be available for the nextpatient.
• Dress all litters and transmotion chairs with appropriate covering and necessary patient items (gown, slippers, belonging bag, and bouffant cap) to be available for the next patient.

Cleaning/ Stocking Supplies/ Equipment Support

• Incumbent must perform non-technical maintenance and routine unit safety checks (maintenance of equipment, battery change of rechargeable equipment, refrigerator and blanket warmer temperature checks, and unit maintenance logs).
• Incumbent must perform routine non-critical reusable medical equipment cleaning permanufacturer guidelines and RME SOP. Incumbent must stock rooms, carts, cabinets withall necessary supplies, check for outdates while stocking.
• Cleans vacated rooms of patients (i.e., strips linens, discards used or opened medicalsupplies, properly disposes of biohazardous waste).
• Notifies Charge Nurse immediately if unsecured medications are found anywhere in thedepartment.
• Stock units with supplies from SPDU/ASU/PACU supply room.
• Notifies the CN when supplies are running low and need to be re-ordered.
• Maintains a clean working and uncluttered environment as directed, to include but notlimited to utility room, bedside and specialty carts.
• Reviews for expired stocks and supplies and restock in areas such as specialty carts and cleanutility rooms.
• Obtains and delivers supplies from SPD and device from Bio-med as needed.
• Performs daily calibration checks for glucometer. Reports discrepancies to CN.

Work Schedule :6:00am-2:30pm, 8am-4:30pm, 10:00am-6:30pm

Compressed/Flexible : Not Authorized

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 long periods of moving about the work unit, as well as the facility. The work requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting, pushing, and pulling patients/stretchers, or similar activities. The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.
• 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, driver's 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)

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 interest. In 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/15/2026.

You may qualify based on your 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: understands written medical material, perform phlebotomy, uses aseptic technique, labels specimens, transports them to lab, and participate in teamwork and unit operations. . 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 a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university, meets the GS-5 level requirements for many positions covered by this standard. 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 only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one (1) year of specialized experience.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's 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 OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates 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.

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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.

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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.