Health Technician

Description:

This position, at the full performance level, with appropriate competency validation(s), is overseen by the Centralized Nurse Staffing Office & Utilization Management Department at VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) and assigned to one or more of the following areas: Progressive Care Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Emergency Department, Inpatient Nursing Services.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirements
Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

GS-06 grade level: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Basic anatomy and physiology to include location and function of major body organs and structures. Completion of formal nursing assistant program and/or active duty military equivalent. Cardiac rhythm interpretation, lead placement for 12 Lead electrocardiogram and telemetry monitoring, monitor alarm parameters, operation and maintenance of cardiopulmonary and electrocardiogram equipment. Vital sign measurements, deviation from norms, documentation, and procedure for reporting results.
OR
Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level.
Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. At grades GS-4 and above, a portion of the education is usually directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of related courses are provided in the individual occupational requirements where applicable.
OR
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-06 level.
Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience are also qualifying. The combinations described below are those most typical for these positions, i.e., for grades GS-3 through GS-5. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (When crediting education, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)
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.