Health Technician

Full Job Description

This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL (578) - a Level 1a Complexity VHA Facility - and is organizationally aligned under the Nursing Service.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide direct patient care activities, indirect patient care activities and related supportive services under the general guidance and direction of a Registered Nurse.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/24/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.

An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.

In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

Basic Requirements: Specialized Experience: 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Attention to Detail Customer Service Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork GS-6 Grade Requirements: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-5 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: but are not limited to: Applying basic knowledge of basic anatomy/physiology and medical techniques to support direct patient care; effectively communicating and providing support to patients and healthcare professionals; utilizing and maintaining medical equipment and instruments; performing safety/emergency procedures related to patient transport, infection control, environmental safety; observing and reporting changes in patients physical and emotional behavior; performing medical tests and duties including phlebotomy, EKG, and CPR; and entering patient information and vital signs in computerized medical record systems using appropriate terminology.

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. Physical Requirements: Physical requirements include extensive periods of standing and walking.

Patient care activities require regular and recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, pushing and similar activities using appropriate body mechanics and other assistive devices for patient and/or equipment movement and transfer.

The employee protects self and others from injury. Work Environment: Responsibilities are performed in a health care environment.

The Health Technician practices principles of aseptic technique, "infection control, and environment safety.

Precautions are required when working with movable equipment, wet floors, and potential exposure to diagnosed/undiagnosed contagious diseases.

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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.

Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities.

Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

Clinical Support 75% 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 aiding 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.

Add prescribed nourishment to existing continuous tube feeding setup.

Performs, reports and records measurements, such as vital signs, intake and output, pulse oximetry, bladder scan, 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.

Performs EKG as directed and provides results to Registered Nurse. Attach electrodes on patients for telemetry monitor and identifies proper lead placement.

Upon discharge, cleans telemetry monitor and places in appropriate storage area. 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, under the direction of the RN.

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. Uses assistive devices appropriately.

Assists nurses/physicians with diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed on the unit. Safely transports patients to off-unit appointments in the absence of escort.

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.

Assists in monitoring the Environment of Care for cleanliness, rooms free of clutter, and ensuring patients belongings are within reach. Perform purposeful rounding.

Demonstrates competence in the performance of clinical procedures outlined in the approved skills inventory and unit-specific procedures as assigned.

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).

This entails knowledge of human growth and development; ability to assess and interpret age specific data and provide age specific care; communication skills necessary to interpret age specific response to treatment; and ability to involve family/significant others in decision making related to plan of care.

The knowledge, abilities and skills needed to provide such care will be refined through continuing education and training and. experience. Reinforces patient health teaching related to self-care.

Serves as patient care observer (when necessary) in accordance with established Medical Center guidelines. Administrative Support and Coordination 25% 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.

Provides instruction to others on correct performance of defined tasks/procedures.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30PM - 8:00AM; ROTATING WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS Telework: Not Suitable Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD21231A