Summary This position is within the Department of Veteran's Affairs, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), located in the surgery service department. This position reports to the nurse manager of the same day procedure unit (SDPU), ambulatory surgery unit (ASU), and the post anesthesia care unit (PACU). The purpose of this position is to facilitate patient care and movement throughout the perioperative process. Responsibilities MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Patient Personal Care/Safety Performs or assists RN with personal care such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination ensuring patient privacy at all times. Provides direct observation for both suicidal/homicidal patients as well as those patients requiring direct observation for safety (e.g. fall or elopement risk). Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse. Nursing Assistance The incumbent will be required to assist in to assist RN in patient care as directed to include but not limited to dressing changes, triage, turning and positioning of patients, enema administration, post mortem care and morgue transfers. Measures and records vital signs in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) vital signs package and notifies assigned RN or provider, such as temperature (oral and rectal), pulse, respirations, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and pain level. Measures and empties urine output from urinary catheters and notifies RN or provider. Collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens. Obtains nasal cultures for MRSA upon admissions, discharges and transfers Cleaning/Stocking Duties Cleans vacated rooms of patients (i.e., strips linens, discards used or opened medical supplies, wipes down non-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) per guidelines, bedside tables and counter surfaces. Makes up clean stretchers with fully opened sheet and pillow with slip. Notifies Charge Nurse immediately if unsecured medications are found anywhere in the department. Takes note if GIP/special order supplies are running low and notifies Charge Nurse, Assistant Nurse Manager, or Nurse Manager to re-order supplies. Cleans dirty reusable medical equipment and properly identifies equipment as cleaned (i.e. pink tags, plastic bag covers for IV pumps) and any medical equipment stored in the clean utility room. Escort Duties Transports patients, as directed, to designated areas. The incumbent will use the appropriate method of transporting the patient for example, wheel chairs or stretchers. Delivers laboratory specimens as needed. Assists visitors with way-finding. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 5:30 AM to 6:30 PM (8 or 10 hour Shifts) Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician- Surgical/PD03795A Physical Requirements: The work involves long periods of moving about the work unit, as well as the facility. The work requires regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, lifting, pushing, and pulling patients/stretchers, or similar activities. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Specialized position that provides both clinical and clerical support such as patient personal care/safety tasks, nursing assistance, cleaning/stocking of supplies and patient escort duties. OR GS-05: Substitution of Education for Experience (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIED): Possession of a combination of successfully completed education and experience to meet the total experience requirements. (i.e. 6 months of specialized experience and 3 years of education above the high school level). Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-XX. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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 IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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.