Healthcare Technician

Duties

The Health Care Technician provides a diverse range of clinical services supportive to the delivery of quality patient care. The position combines duties that provide assistance to licensed nursing personnel and other medical technician duties (i.e. phlebotomy, EKG, respiratory care, activity-oriented exercises, and nutrition assistance.) Under the general guidance and supervision of registered nurses, the Health Care Technician carries out specific-direct and indirect patient care assignments and supportive functions to assist in providing total patient care services.
Clinical Support:

• Establishes helpful relationships with patients and others; interacts in a courteous manner; explains patient care provided. Provides emotional support, friendly assistance, sympathetic understanding and encouragement to patients/families.
• Contributes to patient's well-being by providing assistance with personal hygiene, bowel/bladder care, physical comfort and a clean and safe environment.
• Provides appropriate support to patients in meeting their nutritional needs by clearing overbed tables, placing meal trays/nourishments within easy reach, preparing food/beverages, obtaining additional items, feeding patients, recording intake and clearing trays.
• Adds prescribed nourishment to existing continuous tube feeding setup.
• Performs, reports and records measurements, such as vital signs, intake and output, pulse. oximetry, glucose finger stick and other parameters. Identifies obvious patient problems, symptoms, behavioral changes and deviations from normal in a timely manner to the appropriate Registered Nurse.
• Collects urine, stool sputum, and blood specimens by phlebotomy using appropriate procedures.
• Accurately labels all specimens and delivers to laboratory as indicated.
• Provides selected respiratory care, such as incentive breathing exercises, turn, deep breath and cough, oxygen therapy, monitoring of MDI self-administration and oral/ pharyngeal suctioning under the direction of the RN and/ or respiratory therapist. Applies appropriate principles of body mechanics and patient safety in assisting patients with movement, positioning, ambulation, and transportation.
• Provides activity orient exercises under direction of the RN and/ or rehabilitation therapist. Assists nurses/physicians with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed on the unit.
• Safely transports patients to off unit appointments.
• Applies principles of infection control when performing direct and indirect patient care assignments.
• Assists in emergency situations and initiates CPR when indicated. Records care given and objective/subjective patient observations on appropriate medical record forms.
• Provides care based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served in his/her assigned area (i.e., adult and geriatric patient population).
• Reinforces patient health teaching related to self-care.

• Correctly and safely uses equipment and supplies.
• Cleans and returns equipment to appropriate location and reports needs for equipment repair to the appropriate person. Maintains a safe, clean, and orderly work environment through routine maintenance activities such as ordering and stocking equipment and supplies; cleaning equipment and patient care areas; providing proper containment/ disposal of discarded materials; reporting maintenance and security problems to appropriate personnel.
• Contributes to creating a work climate that encourages positive staff morale, motivation, and commitment for all who participate in the care of patients. Answers telephone and call lights courteously, and relays messages in a timely fashion.
• Follows policies and procedures to ensure safety for patients, staff and self. Identifies and immediately reports safety hazards to supervisors.
• Seeks guidance/clarification of instructions from appropriate individuals as needed.
• Completes patient care assignments within reasonable period and keeps Registered Nurse informed.
• Completes annual mandatory reviews, participates in continuing education at unit/service level, identifies personal learning needs/goals with supervision.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

How You Will Be Evaluated

• Benefits

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

• Required Documents

  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

  Documents Accepted:
  

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

  
  Documents Required:
  

  • Resume

  
  Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50(REQUIRED FOR INTERNAL APPLICANTS), transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
  Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
  Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• How to Apply

  All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
  To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/29/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12323450.
  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
  NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

  Agency contact information

  Kiphanie Moore

  Phone

  414-712-8177

  Email

  kiphanie.moore@va.gov

  Address

  Edward Hines Junior Hospital
  5000 South 5th Avenue
  Hines, IL 60141
  US

  Next steps

  After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.

• Fair and Transparent

  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.