Summary The duties of this position will be conducted at the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (CMC VAMC) in Philadelphia, PA. The incumbent will be designated as the Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist for Respiratory Care Services. The incumbent will serve as an advanced clinical practitioner and frontline leader responsible for coordinating and guiding respiratory care services across inpatient and outpatient settings. Responsibilities The primary duties of the Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist are to ensure work is distributed among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization. Incumbent will provide clinical oversight, coordination of respiratory care services, emergency services, inpatient units, pulmonary diagnostics, and procedural areas. The Lead RRT will ensure timely accomplishment of assigned workload, assess the status, quality and progress of work and make day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. Provide clinical practice guidance for other respiratory staff and assist with technical work problems not covered by precedents or established policies for non-routine or complex procedures. Assist RRTs in determining treatment options for complex patients. Study the quality and quantity of work and operating effectiveness and take or recommend needed actions. Represent the department at interdisciplinary meetings. Performs other duties as assigned or required. This position is under the technical and administrative direction and reports directly to the Assistant Chief of Respiratory Care Services, the medical direction of the Chief of Pulmonary Services, and the administrative supervision of the Chief of Respiratory Care Services and the Associate Chief of Staff, Medicine, and the Chief of Staff at CMC VAMC in Philadelphia, PA. The incumbent is expected to complete work assignments with relative independence and minimal guidance, personally setting the deadlines for work completion. The incumbent in this position assumes responsibility in work assignments in accordance with regulations independently and resolves most conflicts by using considerable judgment and interpretation. Work is reviewed to ensure that overall objectives of the position are met. Provides care and/or services appropriate to the age of the patients being served, and which is appropriate to the cognitive; emotional, and chronological maturation of the patient. Assesses data reflective of the patient's status and interprets the information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to their age-specific needs and to provide care needed as described in the services' policies and procedures. Takes into consideration age-related differences of various veteran populations with this institution. The incumbent must demonstrate the knowledge of the changes associated with aging and possess the ability to provide care/support based upon age-related factors. Ensures staff receives training in these categories. Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, and culturally related factors must be consistently achieved. Environment of Care: Follows Life Safety Management (fire protection) procedures. Report safety hazards, accidents, and injuries. Incumbent reviews hazardous materials/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)/waste management. Incumbent follows the emergency preparedness plan and security policies/procedures. Incumbent complies with federal, state, and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 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: 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. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, of this part. See 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a) for more information. b. Education. Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor. c. Licensure. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT. d. Credential. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist, GS-12. Experience, Licensure and Credential. Candidates must: i. Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level. RRTs at this grade level in this assignment have experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across many areas of respiratory care both inpatient and outpatient. ii. Hold an active license and RRT credential. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs: i. Ability to assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload. ii. Ability to oversee and direct clinical guidance in a manner that assures completion of the workload. iii. Ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds to solve problems and provide conflict resolution. iv. Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions. v. Ability to recommend ways to improve patient care and operations through independent research and evaluation of new equipment and therapies Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Lead RRTs are found in higher complexity facilities (level 1 and 2) and the lead duties must be regular and reoccurring and must constitute at lead 25% of the duty time. This assignment may be established as day/evening/night and/or inpatient/outpatient. They ensure work is distributed among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization. Lead RRTs assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload, assess the status, quality and progress of work and make day-to[1]day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. They provide clinical practice guidance for other respiratory staff and assist with technical work problems not covered by precedents or established policies for nonroutine or complex procedures. They assist RRTs in determining treatment options for complex patients. They study the quality and quantity of work and operating effectiveness and take or recommend needed actions. They represent the department at interdisciplinary meetings Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The position consists of sedentary and active tasks. Sedentary tasks include but are not limited to sitting at a desk, utilizing computer, and completing phone calls and charting. Active tasks include but are not limited to walking, standing, bending, steps, squatting, reaching above and below your head and carrying of light items such as books, papers, and equipment necessary for treatments. 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
