Summary The ICT provides clinical and technical support to the healthcare team by assisting with patient care, preparing patients for visits, and performing clinical tasks under the supervision of licensed staff, including RNs, LPNs, providers, or other designated supervisors. The ICT supports Ambulatory Care and Specialty Clinics by aiding in patient flow, documentation, and procedures. Responsibilities Major Duties Include: Performs direct patient care including personal hygiene, physical comfort, nutrition, elimination, prevention of skin breakdown, safety, etc. Receives and directs patients, answers routine inquiries and makes referrals. Receives and responds to inquiries from patients concerning a variety of medical personnel and administrative matters. Maintains stock of supplies and sterility of instruments. Point-of-Care. Examples: glucometer, COVID swabbing Performs or assists triage staff with diagnostic procedures including EKGs, venipunctures, and alcohol breathalyzer used to diagnose medical conditions. Assists in the performance of or independently performs procedures such as insertion of urinary catheters and intravenous catheters. Performs patient care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressings, and adjusting supportive equipment. Performs duties in accordance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and applicable laws and policies. Instructs patients in crutch, walker and or cane use and ensures correct fitting of equipment. Performs duties involving customer service and or public liaison. Performs duties in accordance with applicable safety precautions and infection control. Operate emergency department equipment such as Telemetry and automated external defibrillator (AED). Provides general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the Triage area. Collects and organizes statistical data for reports. Performs patient charting using standard medical terminology entering information regarding care rendered, condition and progress. 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. Completes approved templates and tools, such as, intake/outtake forms, normal result note follow up, clinical reminders, procedure and intervention notes established by the agency. Assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting, to 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 (PMDB). Assists licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. Assists licensed staff with setting up equipment and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits. Operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition. You will assist clinical providers with emergency medical care, provides emergency response as part of the Rapid-Response-Team (RRT), and assists with training of other hospital clinical staff. Performing Diagnostic Tests. Examples: Vital Signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples Minor Procedures. Examples: preparation for simple one-layer laceration repairs, incision and drainage, skin stapling, STERIS trips, Dermabond Medication Administration: Administers select medications as authorized for Intermediate Care Technicians, including nebulized treatments, topical agents, and limited oral medications, in accordance with VA policy, facility protocols, and under the supervision of licensed clinical staff. Wound Care. Examples. Different @types of wound dressings, wound irrigation, compression dressings- Unna Boot and Profore Patient education within scope of care or while providing an intervention Electronic Health Record (EHR): Thoroughly and appropriately documents actions, interventions and procedures in the medical record. Examples: Procedural notes and progress notes. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 0730-1600. Preferred Experience: Military medical experience as a Hospital Corpsman, Combat Medic, or equivalent, with proficiency in clinical skills such as vital signs monitoring, IV placement, and wound care. -2 years in ambulatory or outpatient settings, including patient preparation, point-of-care testing, and assisting providers with minor outpatient procedures. -Hands-on experience in specialty medicine clinics, particularly cardiology, renal, or wound care, focusing on care coordination. -Background in neurology, rheumatology, or gastroenterology services, with skills in geriatric screenings, patient navigation, and supporting diagnostic evaluations. -Exposure to pulmonary, infectious disease, dermatology, or endocrinology clinics, emphasizing respiratory assessments, infection control, and discharge processes. Requirements Conditions of Employment U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Physical Requirements: The work requires moderate to heavy (15-44 pounds) lifting of equipment or patients and requires standing, walking, bending, stooping, stretching, pushing, pulling, twisting, reaching and similar activities in an immediate or limited time frame. 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. Probationary Period: As a condition of employment for accepting the position of Intermediate Care Technician with the Department of Veterans Affairs, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial 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 the following: 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 trial period , your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. If you do not receive certification for continued employment, you should receive written notice prior to the end of your trial period hat your employment will be terminated and the effective date of such termination. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Must meet Individual Occupational Requirements: Positions in this series range widely in @type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as doctors, providers, and nursing staff for ambulatory care specialty clinics. Therefore, technician experience is experience that requires application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. AND Have specialized experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: For an Intermediate Health Care Technician at the GS-7 level, you must have at least (1) One year of specialized experience at the GS-6 level that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled which includes the following: Assists licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment, passing instruments and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits. Possess the knowledge to recognize life threatening situations and act to correct these emergent situations according to established national or local protocols. Thoroughly and continually documents actions, interventions and patient response in the health record. Administration methods may include oral, topical, inhaler, nebulizer, or subcutaneous contingent on local policies, procedures, and training. Follows national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of 1 year of graduate education (18 semester hours) directly related to the work of this position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 year of full-time study. 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 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://www.opm.gov/. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
