Health Technician

Summary

The primary purpose of the position is to assist the primary nurse with patient care, receive and direct patients; and answer routine inquiries. Determine the nature of inquiries and independently respond to all administrative questions. Assist patients, visitors and others requesting information, guidance, and/or referral for special assistance under the direction of the RN. Provides clinical, programmatic, technical, and/or clerical support in a patient care setting.

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Duties

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Major duties include but not limited to:

• Provides care to patients being processed through the Triage area during emergency situations.
• Assists in stabilizing critically ill patients within their functional scope of practice and monitors non-critical patients.
• Performs a range of diagnostic support duties such as taking, recording, and reporting deviations in vital signs, taking specimens, labeling specimens for the laboratory.
• Arranges and passes medical instruments and materials to the professionals for a variety of diagnostic tests and
  procedures.
• Makes gross visual observations and identifies subtle changes in the patient's
  condition.
• Uses hot and cold packs, changes sterile dressings, cares for patients.
• Sets up and gives treatments that requires auxiliary equipment.
• Monitors patients for adverse reactions and takes corrective action based on established policy.
• Secures patient's confidence and cooperation during procedures.
• Explains procedures, positions patients for desired results; and cushions and shields patients as appropriate.
• Performs procedures such as collection of blood samples or other fluid samples, application of sterile dressings to wounds, irrigations, or similar patient care.
• Uses proper sterile technique for collection of samples.
• Verifies correct labeling and patient identification.
• Records test time and intervals as appropriate.
• Uses software to produce specific printouts for the clinical staff. Assembles patients' records in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).
• Performs patient charting using standard medical terminology entering information regarding care rendered, condition and progress.
• Receives visitors, answers the telephone, and refers calls to appropriate staff; and is assigned to record vital signs and document in CPRS according to policy.
• Communicates in a tactful and courteous manner with a wide variety of individuals with varying levels of understanding.

Preferred Experience: Health tech or similar type of position working in an acute care clinical setting preferred.

Work Schedule: Varies, TBD

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician / PD02583A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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
• 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
• 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 07/28/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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. 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-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) 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: 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. Work as a member of an interdisciplinary team to provide care to patients. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: experience working as an advanced EMT or a paramedic.

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 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.

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. Must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Preferred Experience: Health tech or similar type of position working in an acute care clinical setting preferred.

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

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.