You will serve in the position of Orthopedic Technician in the Joint Venture Service at the Anchorage VA Medical Center. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 09/23/2024. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The IOR for the GS-06 grade level is: 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 the IOR, applicants must meet the specialized experience/education. 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-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: providing patient care by performing personal care, diagnostic support, treatment procedures (such as taking vital signs, collecting specimens, applying casts, splints, or cast braces, operating cast saw for removing, cutting, or trimming casts), patient care documentation, and applying the principles of infection control, safety, and universal precautions, which contributes to the implementation and continuity of the care planned, for the health of the patient. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Education at the GS-5 or above is generally not applicable unless directly related. Successfully completing one year of full-time graduate education meets the requirement and is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (Transcripts Required) For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ["Observes and assesses patients using physical examination, verbal and written communication from patients, family and other healthcare team members, monitoring devices, lab and test results, and other data as relevant to patient care. Recognizes signs and symptoms that may require nursing intervention and reports these signs and symptoms promptly to nurse for possible intervention. Provides care to patients of all ages. Identifies and responds to both existing and potential emergency situations by initiating corrective treatment and resuscitative measures, based on appropriate utilization of physician orders, unit and facility guidelines, and BLS protocol. Identifies patient/family educational needs, including nutritional, psychosocial, and age-specific or developmental needs, and provides patient/family teaching on matters involving and/or affecting patient care. Supports and participates in clinic/facility programs and responsibilities regarding safety, quality improvement, risk management, infection control, policy and procedure revisions, staff meetings, inter-services, continuing education, and other functions as they arise. Contributes to the ongoing creation of a supportive and positive work climate of mutual respect and collaboration among healthcare members, patients, families and others interacting with clinic staff. Manages medical logistics system, orders equipment and supplies as necessary to provide optimal patient care, establishes and maintains adequate supply levels, and adjusts supply levels as needed to meet demands. Manages and maintains clinic equipment and procedures, to include training, documentation infection control, quality improvement, and accountability. May administer medications after taking course passing the medication administration test. Answers the phone, schedules patients for routine and follow-up appointments, assists in the maintenance of office records. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00am-4:30pm; compressed work may be available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Orthopedic Technician/PD50312A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized"]
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.