This position is located within the Hospital and Specialty Care at the VA Portland Medical Center. This position serves as an advance technician for outpatient care settings such as; primary care, mental health, and specialty clinics. As an ICT Generalist the incumbent may serve in a medical center, community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC), mobile medical unit or may have virtual/remote assignments. Recruitment/Relocation Incentive authorized to highly qualified candidate. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency, you may qualify based on your experience/education as described below: 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. You MUST possess at least one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of Intermediate Care Technician position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-6 grade level in the Federal Service. Qualifying specialized experience includes: knowledge of the major body systems, knowledge of topographic anatomy, knowledge of diagnostic signs, skill in communication techniques and the operation of communications equipment to be able to accurately obtain and relay information to and from health care providers, knowledge of equipment and supplies, knowledge of the components of suicide risk assessment, warning signs, environmental safety and referral. NOTE: 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. OR, Education: Successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Intermediate Care Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following competencies for this position: Communication Patient Care Technical Competence Technology Application 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. ["Major duties include, but are not limited to: Patient Screening - Duties include 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. Mental Health Services - The incumbent assists 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. Clinical Tasks - Assists outpatient licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. The incumbent assists licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment, passing instruments, and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits. Incumbent operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes and is responsible for collecting a wide range of specimens and preparing them for transfer to processing. Clinical responsibilities include but are not limited to: Vital signs. Examples: vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG). Point-of-care (POC). Examples: Abbott hand-held blood analyzer (I-STAT), glucometer. Equipment and surgical instrumentation set up . Examples: skin biopsies (excisional, shave, punch). Treatments and interventions. Examples: Cryotherapy, incision and drainage, ambulation, and Foley coude' catheter insertion. Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements. Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens. Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: gynecology exams. Mental health care. Examples: Crisis intervention, performs behavioral/mental health screens, conducts interviews, and observes behavioral patients. Preparation of lab specimens and transfer to the lab for processing: Examples: Labeling, placing in the proper bin or tube system. Assisting with patient exams and screening, utilizing technology such as telehealth peripherals. Examples: primary care physical exams (heart, eye, ear, nose, throat (EENT); gait exams, and skin exams. Patient education within scope of care or while providing an intervention. Examples: post procedural care, splint care and wound care. Follow-up care: Examples: Suture removal. Electronic Health Record (EHR): Thoroughly and appropriately documents actions, interventions and procedures in the medical record. Examples: Procedural notes, progress notes, screenings, photo-documentation and secure messaging. ICTs may perform tasks after proper education, training and competency, demonstrating knowledge, skills and abilities. Thoroughly and continually documents actions, interventions and patient response in the health record. Medication administration must comply with national and local directives and policies. Administration methods may include intramuscular, oral, topical, eye drops, ear drops, intranasal, rectal suppositories, local anesthetics, nebulized medications, subcutaneous, and intradermal. Incumbent must follow national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications. Other duties: Conducts or assists with the training of personnel in if appropriately trained, certified and/or qualified, for example: facility formal preceptors and Telehealth Presenter (TCT) instructors. Can conduct or assist with stand-downs, community health programs, health-care screenings, and immunizations. May be members of hospital-wide committees to enhance care for Veterans. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 08:00-17:30, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Every other week will alter between an 8 hour shift starting at 08:00 and a day off. Position Description Title/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/PD99968S Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Authorized to highly qualified candidate. Physical Requirements: The work involves extended periods of bending, standing, and walking. Generally, the work requires recurring physical exertion with assisting patients."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.