Health Technician

The Inpatient Health Technician is assigned to the acute care setting within Salt Lake City VA Medical Center and reports to the Nurse Manager. The incumbent serves as an advanced technician with the Acute Care Setting for patients who present for treatment.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/27/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational 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.

In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirements, you must also meet the below grade requirements.

GS-06

• Specialized Experience: 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: Having knowledge of human anatomy. Possessing knowledge to recognize life threatening situations and acting to correct them. Assisting with patient exams and screening. Assisting licensed personnel in behavioral/psychiatric situations. Providing clerical administrative support coordination. Maintaining records/charts. Answering phones and directing phone calls to appropriate person/area. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equal combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

GS-07

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Practical knowledge of major body systems to perform patient examination and to provide prompt and efficient patient care and appropriate patient handling. Performing patient screening; observing and communicating with patients and visitors; performing specimen collection; assisting with patient exams; Working knowledge of diagnostic signs, e.g., pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature, skin color, pupils of the eyes, state of consciousness, ability to move on command, reaction to pain, etc., to perform patient evaluation, to provide patient care, and to ensure appropriate patient handling. OR,
• Education: Successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR,
• Combination: Combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

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/.

Responsibilities:

Duties associated with this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Performing observation-based screening, collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve obtaining patient health/medication history, and information about health-related or high- ill complete approved templates and tools.
• Participates in the admission of patients by obtaining information, orienting patients to the unit and treatment team, obtaining vital signs and weight and checking patients and their belongings for hazardous items.
• Obtain patient vital signs, document in the EHR, and report any vitals outside of normal range to licensed staff member.
• Observations and interventions. Examples: oxygen therapy, thermal regulation, ambulation, oral/trach care, IV insertion/removal.
• Point-of-care testing such as I-STAT and glucometer.
• Operates specialized equipment such as defibrillators, electrocardiographs, bladder scans, electrocardiographic monitors, and oxygen apparatus according to training/competencies and national/local policy.
• Wound care such as bandaging, applications of dressings and wound measurements.
• Specimen collections and Preparation such as collecting and labeling venous blood and samples, urine, stool, wound and mucous specimens.
• Patient transport such as transporting patients with cardiac monitor or assisting licensed staff with patients on cardiac monitoring, chest tube, or other complex medical support devices to and from diagnostic tests or between hospital units.
• Assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations within the acute care setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, assisting with observation and documentation of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients by providing one-to-one observations and applying Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) techniques.
• Medication administration will comply with national directives and local policies utilizing Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) as required and whenever applicable. Administration methods may include intramuscular, oral, topical, eye drops, ear drops, intranasal, intraosseous, rectal suppositories, normal saline IV push, local anesthetics, nebulized medications, subcutaneous, and intradermal.
• Demonstrates acceptable behavior as a role model for patient behavior. Encourages patient and family to actively participate in the individualized treatment plan.
• Provides general clerical administrative support coordination work for the unit. Maintains patient records/charts.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Rotating schedule to include days, nights, weekends and holidays. To be discussed during interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD12976A and PD12975A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Salary : $45,409