Health Technician (Optician)

This position is located in the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO), Surgical Service, Eye Clinic in Fayetteville, AR, and VHSO Community Based Outpatient Eye Clinics. Will independently provide direct patient care services in ophthalmic dispensing involving education, selection, verification, adjustment and repair of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear.

EDUCATION: There is no educational substitution at this grade level. RESPONSIBILITIES:

Independently provide direct patient care services related to patient education, selection, ordering, verification, troubleshooting, adjustment and repair of ophthalmic lenses and eyewear.

Educate the patient on the lens materials, lens designs, frames, tints and coatings that have been prescribed and will assist patient in the selection and ordering of proper fitting standard eyewear frames with understanding of frame selection to include the following: size, materials, relationship between frames, lenses and face.

Measurements of interpupillary distances, optical centers, and multifocal or progressive addition lens segment heights will be accurately obtained and documented.

Properly adjust eyeglasses for comfortable fit and proper alignment of optical centers and segment heights

for optimal visual performance and will Instruct/educate patients on how to wear and care for eyeglasses.

Skills to repair broken or defective eyeglasses. The incumbent will provide necessary information for a pair of spectacles to be duplicated, to include prescription, lens type and form, centration and fitting positions, frame details and lens surface treatments.

Work Schedule: 08:30am-5:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the agency.)

Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Optician)/ PD03147A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized QUALIFICATIONS: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must meet the experience requirements relevant to this position. For this Health Technician-Phlebotomy/Acute Care, GS-06 position: To qualify at the GS-06 grade, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level or higher. Specialized Experience to include, but not limited to:

Experience with basic instruments and diagnostic or treatment procedures commonly used in the specialization

Experience with positioning patients for examination or treatment

Experience with using alternate positions for patients with common physical disabilities

Experience with using sterilization methods to clean instruments

Experience and knowledge of opticianry services

Experience preparing work order for optical laboratory

Experience and knowledge basic anatomy

SCREEN OUT ELEMENT: Your qualification will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the online questionnaire. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating: those who are rated ineligible and are eliminated. The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the job elements.

Competencies:

Attention to Detail

Clerical

Customer Service

Technical Competence

Technical Problem Solving

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.

Physical Demands: The work requires an ongoing mix of sitting, standing, walking, bending, and carrying light weight

items. Many of the positions major duties require a high degree of manual dexterity and accuracy. All patient care activities require PC keyboard and mouse use for data entry in the electronic patient record. Occasional heavy lifting will be required. In some instances, interaction with patients, caregivers, and staff can become intense, and the employee may be placed in a position of stress.

Work Environment: The work area has good lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation. The work area is generally

shared by multiple staff in close proximity. Work is primarily performed in an outpatient clinic setting or office with occasional patient care visits to inpatients. Risk/discomforts in this job could be possible injury when adjusting/repairing glasses and exposure to communicable diseases. Masks and gloves are readily available as a safety precaution. Environment of care rounds are done monthly to ensure areas are clean and safe both for patients and employees. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other