Health Technician

Summary

The position receives guidelines and privileges from the Surgical Service in general, and specifically from the Podiatry Section Chief, at the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center, for daily work, both in supervised and unsupervised activities. The duties are varied and complex, consisting of performing functions normally completed by License Practical Nursess, surgical scrub nurses/techs, and laboratory technicians.

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Duties

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Duties include but not limited to:

• The employee will meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions.
• Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.
• Performs a variety of standardized and routine procedures that are non-invasive. This includes debriding corns and calluses, trimming nails, and providing blister care.
• Performs a variety of specialized clinic procedures such as preliminary examination and evaluation of patients.
• repares podiatric work up, xrays, laboratory, or other requests as required.
• Assesses the condition and determines if a referral to a Podiatrist is required or if the condition is such that the nail technician may initiate treatment, performs debridement of ingrown, elongated, or fungal toenails with and without cautery, debrides warts, diabetic
  ulcers and asses for infection, removes foreign bodies.

Total Rewards Brochure: Health Technician

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00am-4:30pm; Subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/ PD07599-0

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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, 10/19/2026.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): Applicants who meet the Individual Occupational Requirements described below are fully qualified for the specified entry grade and must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirements.

• Specialized Experience: 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.

In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) AND Time-In-Grade, applicants must also meet the experience and/or directly related education relevant to this position.

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-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Receives requests or instructions for procedures, assignments, and examinations where assistance is needed; Provides patient care that is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient; Assists in the performance or independently performs trimming procedures associated with nail care paring of the callouses; Sets up, operates and monitors specialized podiatry equipment; including sets up of all necessary accessories (including but not limited to use of digital camera, iPad, etc.) or supplies and advises other medical personnel of new equipment, accessories or supplies; Cleans, performs preventative maintenance, and tests all technical podiatry equipment and instruments; Orders and stocks an adequate level of non-sterile and sterile supplies; Maintains medical instruments and equipment for diagnostic and treatment procedures. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Graduate education or an internship that meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position (Transcript Required).

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

Physical Requirements: This is a mentally and physically demanding position. Duties require extensive periods of standing

and walking. Work with patients requires regular and recurring bending. lifting. stooping, stretching. and similar activities. Uses principles of body mechanics and obtains assistance when needed. Uses protective measures and techniques in managing disturbed behavior. This position also requires patient lifting and positioning patients for podiatry treatment.

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.

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

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.