The Health Aid position(s) are located within the Nursing/Education Service at the Veterans Healthcare System in Bedford, MA. This is a full-time, temporary position with an initial appointment/training expected to last at least 6-8 weeks but may be extended up to 6 months. Failure to complete the training program satisfactorily may result in termination of the temporary appointment. For this Health Aid GS-2 position, applicant(s) must meet at least one of the experience and/or education qualification requirements described below. A. A least Three months of general experience in (l) Any type of work that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. (Refer to the duties section of this announcement for detailed related experience information) OR B. Successfully completed high school or the equivalent. NOTE: Education cannot be credited without documentation. Provide documentation/proof that you have met the applicable educational provision, i.e., Transcript, or statement from the institution's registrar or appropriate official, or the equivalent, i.e., copy of diploma, GED certification, etc. For this Health Aid GS-3 position, applicant(s) meet at least one of the experience and/or education provisions described below. A. At least Six months of general experience in (l) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. (Refer to the duties section of this announcement for detailed experience information) OR B. Successfully completed one full year of education above high school level that included study in medical, health, or related fields. (NOTE: Education cannot be credited without documentation. Transcript Required (unofficial or official) OR C. Equivalent combination of successfully completed general experience and post high-school education. (Transcript required) AND 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Communications Learning Troubleshooting (Electronic Equipment) IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Duties require extensive periods of standing and walking. Working with residents requires regular and recurring bending, lifting (not to exceed 35 pounds), reaching, carrying, stooping, stretching, and similar activities. 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/. ["***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-03. At the GS-02 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-03. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Provides holistic in-patient care to Veterans in a manner conducive to the comfort and safety of those in the facility hospital units, living centers and/or household. Provides care for a group of patients/residents of varying ages. Provides a range of personal care as needed to include bathing, toileting, hair and nail care, and dressing in personal clothing while maintaining privacy and dignity of inpatient/resident. Assists patients with eating, drinking, positioning/turning, ambulating, transferring, and escorting. Maintains general cleanliness of the inpatient/resident's environment including emptying and cleaning urinals, bed pans, GU bags and suction bottles, and disposing of dirty linen and disposable briefs. Utilizes specialized equipment such as ceiling lifters, Maxi lifters, wheelchair movers, steady and electric stretchers according to Safe Patient Handling and Movement Policy. Takes, monitors, and documents resident weight and height. Collects urine, stool, sputum and other specimens for laboratory analysis. Monitors flow of oxygen, replaces empty tanks, and fills personal use portable oxygen. Assists with inventory management and ordering of supplies. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm NOTE: This is a TEMPORARY appointment (not-to-exceed 6 months). This appointment may be renewed for additional service in accordance with Agency needs for 1 additional year. Temporary positions offer health insurance (if the employee is expected to work at least 130 hours per month for at least 90 days) but do not offer life insurance or retirement benefits and may be terminated at any time before the expiration date. The appointment to a Temporary position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved"]
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.
