Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) Generalist is assigned to the Department of Veteran Affairs, Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This position serves as an advance technician for outpatient care settings such as; primary care, mental health, and specialty clinics. This is an Open & Continuous Announcement. Qualified applicants will be referred to the Selecting Official approximately every 14 days from the date of posting until the closing date or until positions have been filled. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet Specialized Experience requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 04/21/2023. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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 MUST possess at least one year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of Intermediate Care Technician position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-06 grade level in the Federal Service. Qualifying specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Perform observation-based screening and collection of patient information; taking and recording vital signs; collecting specimens; and assisting licensed personnel with complex, specialized, and potentially-life threatening situations. NOTE: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. Applicants must have successfully completed one (1) year of graduate education or internship directly related to the position at the next lower grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: Transcripts required. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Applicants must have equivalent combinations of creditable specialized experience and education as described above to meet the total experience requirements for the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Only education beyond a one-half year (e.g. 6 months; 9 semester hours) of graduate level education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. Preferred Experience: 1 year outpatient clinical experience, 6 months derm clinic experience, 1 year wound care experience. 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. ["Major duties include but are not limited to: Perform observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve completing clinical reminders, obtaining patient health history, chief complaints, medication history, and identification of health-related conditions that may impact the patient's health status. Complete approved templates and tools, such as the outpatient intake form, normal result notes, and follow up treatment protocols established by the agency. Assist in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an outpatient setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB). Performs duties focused on communication techniques required to complete the questioners and templates approved for use in any outpatient clinical setting, including active listening, restating, and mirroring. Maintain a safe and therapeutic environment for the patient while promoting a sense of worth and dignity under the supervision of the licensed personnel. Assists outpatient licensed staff with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. Assists licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment, passing instruments and providing treatment during in person or virtual visits. Operates specialized medical equipment to obtain diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes. The incumbent is responsible for collecting a wide range of specimens and preparing them for transfer to processing. Observes patient status and keeps licensed clinical staff informed of any change in condition. Clinical responsibilities include but are not limited to: Vital signs. Examples: vital signs, 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) Point-of-care (POC). Examples: Abbott hand-held blood analyzer (I-STAT), glucometer. Equipment and surgical instrumentation set up. Examples: skin biopsies (excisional, shave, punch). Treatments and interventions. Examples: Cryotherapy, incision and drainage, ambulation, and Foley coude' catheter insertion. Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements. Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: gynecology exams. Mental health care. Examples: Crisis intervention, performs behavioral/mental health screens, conducts interviews, and observes behavioral patients. Preparation of lab specimens and transfer to the lab for processing: Examples: Labeling, placing in the proper bin or tube system. Assisting with patient exams and screening, utilizing technology such as telehealth peripherals. Examples: primary care physical exams (heart, eye, ear, nose, throat (EENT); gait exams, and skin exams. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Hours vary between 7:00am to 6:00pm Position Description Title/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/ 99968-S Physical Requirements: The work involves extended periods of bending, standing and walking. Generally, the work requires recurring physical exertion with assisting patients."]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
