Health Technician (Optometry)

Summary

Optometry Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care and patient counseling. The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) performs a range of standard - but complex - diagnostic procedures - assists during clinic-based surgical procedures - educates patients and legal representatives - assists with the education of medical students and residents.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.)
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C.
• 7407(a)
• Experience and Education
• (1) Experience
• One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field
• OR (2) Education
• Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree - or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field
• OR (3) Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses
• (b) Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants - hospital corpsmen - medical service specialists - or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces - the U.S. Maritime Service - or the U.S. Public Health Service - may be substituted on a month-for-month basis
• Licensure/Certification/Registration
• None
• Grandfathering Provision
• All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (1) They may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (3) Health Technicians (Optometry) who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f)
• GRADE DETERMINATIONS
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-04 (1) Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements.(2)Assignment
• Employees at this grade level serve in a health technician (optometry) entry level position
• More experienced staff members guide and provide daily direct supervision for the health technicians (optometry)
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-05: (1) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS 4
• (2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSA)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function
• (b) Ability to obtain - document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note
• (c) Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting
• (d) Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.(e) Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs - such as replacing nose pads and screws
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-06: (1) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS 5.(2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions - to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion - removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care
• (b) Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e. - eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings - including sphere - cylinder and axis
• (c) Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing - including selection of appropriate frame - ophthalmic lenses - interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination - as well as the ability to transpose sphere - cylinder and axis
• (d) Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests
• (e) Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-07: (1) Experience
• One year of experience comparable to the next lower level GS 6 which demonstrates the knowledge - skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled
• (2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level - the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye - not to include the patient's final subjective refraction
• (b) Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. - measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• (c) Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation - near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near)
• (d) Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures
• (e) Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears
• (f) Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions
• References: VA Handbook 5005/142 Part II Appendix G6The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-06 to GS-07
• Physical Requirements: This work requires the technician to be mobile throughout clinic as needed - including standing walking - bending - and providing assistance to patients in wheelchairs or on beds
• Manual dexterity is essential - as are good vision and hearing.
  
  

Duties

• Optometry Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Optometrists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care and patient counseling
• The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) performs a range of standard - but complex - diagnostic procedures - assists during clinical-based surgical procedures - educates patients and legal representatives
• assists with the education of medical students and residents
• The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) may perform many \"direct patient care services\" under the supervision of Optometrist
• Other duties may include but are not limited to: - Assist with patient movement throughout the eye clinic
• - Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection of examination rooms and stocks each room with the required supplies
• - Understands basic hygiene - cleaning - and disinfection of reusable medical equipment instruments and ophthalmic equipment
• - Communicates with scheduling staff to facilitate patient scheduling and instructions from staff optometrists for triaging eye care and arranging follow-up eye care
• - Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function
• - Obtain - document - and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients to develop an accurate electronic progress note
• - Practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.- Follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures
• - Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. - measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• - Provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions - to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion - removal - and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection)care
• - Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions
• Accurately enter into a phoropter the auto refractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e. - eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings - including sphere - cylinder and axis
• - Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye - not to include the patient's final subjective refraction
• technicians perform duties such as measuring and recording visual acuity (with use of pinhole testing as indicated) - obtaining accurate potential acuity meter - laser interferometry - contrast sensitivity or other specialized visual acuity measurements
• - Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation - near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).Perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing - including selection of appropriate frame - ophthalmic lenses - interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination - as well as the ability to transpose sphere - cylinder and axis
• - Provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests.- Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms
• - Triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. - measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• - Perform accurate assessment of accommodation - near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near)
• - Assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures - such as evaluate pupillary light responses and measure pupil size - determine the presence or absence of fusion and perform stereoacuity measurements - perform Amsler grid testing - administer eye drops under the supervision of an eyecare provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) - perform basic tonometry (e.g. - noncontact - Goldmann - Tono-Pen) and estimate the anterior chamber depth with a penlight or slit lamp biomicroscope
• The technicians are skilled in properly reading a basic spectacle prescription using an automated or manual lensometer - obtaining accurate auto-refractometry and keratometry measurements - performing confrontation and standard automated visual field testing and administering and scoring basic color vision tests (e.g. - pseudoischromatic plates - Farnsworth D-15)
• The technicians are also adept at measuring and recording corneal thickness by pachymetry as well as performance of advanced corneal measurements - exophthalmometry - tear testing and ocular imaging (e.g. - stereo fundus - basic slit lamp biomicroscopy - intraocular lens master measurements - ocular ultrasonography - posterior segment optical coherence tomography - fundus auto-fluorescence and/or ocular angiography)
• - Assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears
• - Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/orvision conditions
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 08:00 AM - 04:30 PM
• Variable Based on the needs of the Service
• Functional Statement #: PD924970 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required