Career Center

The Healthcare Technician (HCT) is a highly specialized position, providing both clinical and clerical support such as patient care tasks, cleaning and supply duties, escorting functions, and clerical tasks. This position will provide assistance to the Nursing Staff to assure coordinated and efficient delivery of patient care services; tasks are delegated by the professional nurse based on assessment of the task and the individual patient needs. 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: Patient Personal Care/Safety- performs or assists with personal care such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination ensuring patient privacy at all times. Nursing Assistance - assists 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. Cleaning/Stocking Duties- cleans vacated rooms, strips linens, discards used/open medical supplies, orders supplies when stock is low, cleans dirty reusable medical equipment and delivers supplies. Escort Duties- transports patients, as directed, to designated areas, and delivers lab specimens. Note: Evidence of specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held on your resume. You must provide work experience information such as hours per week, salary, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of Specialized Experience at or comparable to the required grade level. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have- 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.. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education at a graduate level or beyond that is directly related to the work of the position. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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-05. 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. ["The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System is currently seeking an enthusiastic Health Care Technician (HCT) to work in the Rainbow Clinic, Medicine Service Line. The Rainbow Clinic includes Allergy/Immunology, Chemotherapy Clinic, Dermatology Endocrinology, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Disease, Neurology, Palliative Care, Pulmonary, and Rheumatology divisions. Staffing mix includes CRNP, CNS, PA, RN, LPN, HCT, and RT. The incumbent performs a variety of clinical, administrative and coordinating duties and follows established guidelines to provide and coordinate health care for a variety of patients served by the Hematology Oncology subspecialty clinics. The primary purpose of the position is to provide medical and administrative support assistance by performing technical and administrative tasks such as EKGs, bladder ultrasounds, venipuncture, specimen collection, vital signs, blood glucose monitoring, maintaining appropriate supplies and equipment for the unit and in all exam rooms, and maintaining reusable medical equipment in accordance with infection control standards. Incumbent upholds standards of care outlined by Medical Center and service policies and procedures. The incumbent provides administrative support and direct patient care to individuals and groups of patients under the guidance and direction of the Nurse Manager and assigned charge nurse. Summary of duties includes but is not limited to: 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. Provides bag lunches to patients only under the direction of assigned RN or provider. Assists with meal set-up and/or feeds patients as needed. Changes linen on occupied and unoccupied beds. Assists RN in patient care as directed to include but not limited to dressing changes, triage, turning and positioning of patients. 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 and notifies RN or provider, collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens, performs venipuncture, labels and sends specimens to lab, performs glucometer checks and notifies assigned RN or provider of results, performs 12 lead EKGs and gives to provider for review within 10 minutes. 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. Reviews for expired stocks and supplies, and restock in areas such as specialty carts, treatment rooms and clean utility rooms and obtains and delivers supplies from SPD and main supply room as needed. 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 and assists visitors with way-finding. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4pm\nPosition Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/03795-A\nPhysical Requirements: Requires considerable walking, bending, standing, lifting, and handling of equipment and supplies. Requires dexterity in performing technical procedures. Proper body mechanics should be utilized at all times. Required to have the physical ability to manipulate patient while they are in bed to perform such tasks as weighing patients on bed scales and records necessary to maintain the CPRS vital signs packages and assisting RNs with turning and positioning of patients."]