Health Technician (Telemetry)

at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in North Chicago, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Summary This is an Open Continuous Announcement Pease see the “Next Steps” section found under the “How to Apply” tab for information regarding cutoff dates. The position is located in the Medical /Surgical/Telemetry Unit in Inpatient Acute Care Directorate for the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, IL. The incumbent provides clinical, technical and direct patient care support in an acute care setting. Responsibilities Major duties may include but are not limited to: Admits and provides patient orientation to the unit. Performs basic nursing skills including temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiration and oxygen saturation via pulse oximetry, finger stick for glucose monitor, oral suction, nasal swabs, and discontinuation of peripheral IV catheter. Performs bladder scanning, records and reports results. Performs hourly rounding of patients with a purpose (pain, potty, positioning, and proximity) Document patient information on flow sheets in CPRS and/or paper flow sheets. Provides telemetry monitor, identifies proper lead placement, and attaches electrodes upon admission. Notifies ICU technician prior to patient discharge, clean telemetry monitor/leads and places in appropriate storage area. Assists with the maintenance of telemetry equipment and supplies. Assists in CPR resuscitation and other procedures and therapies by running EKG strips and documenting rhythm changes. Performs standard 12-lead EKG using the multi-channel EKG machine. Work Schedule: 12 hour Days (07:15 am – 07:45 pm) or Nights (07:15 pm -07:45 am) with Rotation to Weekends and Holidays Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Telemetry)/ 556-06675-A. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The work environment involves regular and recurring exposure to infections and contagious disease, as well as working with infectious substances, irritant reagents, and potentially emotionally disturbed patients. The incumbent is required to follow infection control policies relating to the use of standard precautions and posted isolation practices. The polices may require wearing of Personnel Protective Equipment (eye and face protection, mask, lab coat, gown hat, shoe covers, and sterile and non-sterile gloves) with occasional exposure to blood and body fluids which may be also infectious. Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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. GS-6 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Skill in planning, organizing work and meeting deadlines; Skill in communication and interpersonal relations to appropriately and courteously relate to customers; Knowledge of health care services and processes, knowledge of the spelling and meaning Medical Terminology; Knowledge of infection control, aseptic, and sterile techniques; Ability to perform phlebotomy, 12-lead ECG and CPR; Knowledge of infection control; Knowledge of various computer systems such as CPRS, DHCP, SPRS, VA Intranet, Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel and LOGICARE. Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience when directly related to the work of the position. Technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Graduate education (Masters level) may be used to substitute for specialized experience only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Thinking Clinical Data Collection/Documentation Communications Computer Skills 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. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.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. Additional Information COVID-19 Pandemic Expanded Telework Program – Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization’s telework policy and the duties of the position. The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https: