Summary The Intermediate Care Technician (ICT) is assigned to the Fayetteville, NC VAMC and serves as an advanced technician for the ED for patients who are present for treatment. THIS OPEN & CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT (OCA) ESTABLISHES A STANDING REGISTER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS, which closes on 06/28/2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 01/30/2024 with subsequent applicant reviews as additional vacancies occur, or on an as-needed basis, until positions are filled. Responsibilities Intermediate Care Technicians (ICTs) are advanced Health Technicians who have graduated from intensive specialized military medical training programs and served as combat medics, medical technicians, and corpsman. They possess fundamental knowledge, background and experience in emergency medicine, critical care, medical readiness, field medicine, bedside care, and primary care. Patient Screening: Duties include performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information in collaboration with licensed personnel. This may involve obtaining patient health history for chief complaints, medication history, and information about health-related or high-risk conditions that may impact the patient's health status. The incumbent will complete approved templates and tools, for example the MiniCog screening established by the agency. Mental Health Services: The incumbent assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in an emergency setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention, assists with the management of aggressive or suicidal psychiatric patients, by providing one-to-one observations and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB). The incumbent performs duties focused on communication techniques required to complete the questioners and templates approved for use in the ED, including active listening, restating, and mirroring. The incumbent will maintain a safe and therapeutic environment for the patient while promoting a sense of worth and dignity under the supervision of the licensed personnel. Clinical Tasks: The incumbent assists ED licensed personnel with the delivery of care to patients with complex, specialized, and potentially life-threatening situations. This may include setting up equipment and passing instruments in the event of: cardioversions, insertion of thoracostomy tubes, or initiation of mechanical ventilation to restore normal physiological function or prevent deterioration of patient's condition. The incumbent must possess the knowledge to recognize life threatening situations and act to correct these emergent situations according to established national or local protocols. The incumbent initiates cardiopulmonary resuscitation (BLS) and use of automatic external defibrillator (AED) once trained and certified and where appropriate according to American Heart Association (AHA) protocols and policies. 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: chest tube insertion, filling water chambers, handing instruments in a sterile field, and hooking up to suction when ordered . Observations and interventions. Examples: oxygen therapy and splinting. Wound care. Examples: bandaging, application of dressings and wound measurements. Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens. ICTs may perform tasks after proper education, training and competency, demonstrating knowledge, skills and abilities. Thoroughly and continually documents actions, interventions and patient response in the health record. Emergency Care: In addition to ongoing ED duties, the incumbent may be asked to respond to medical emergencies on the facility grounds, and sometimes encounters situations which may be life threatening as part of the Rapid Response Team (RRT), Code Blue, or medical transport team. The incumbent appropriately implements emergency care in accordance with established protocols and policies. Works in concert with other members of these teams to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of the patient's condition including the search for medical alert symbols and medications. ICTs will obtain and maintain certification in basic life support (BLS), and other certifications as pertinent to their local facility and may assist within the scope/guidelines of their role and qualifications. Medication Administration: Medication administration will comply with national and local directives and policies. Administration methods may include intramuscular, oral, topical, eye drops, ear drops, intranasal, rectal suppositories, local anesthetics, nebulized medications, subcutaneous, and intradermal. Follows national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications. Other duties: Conducts or assists with the training of personnel in CPR, and advanced emergency medical care techniques if appropriately trained, certified and/or qualified, for example: facility formal preceptors and BLS instructors. Can conduct or assist with stand-downs, community health programs, healthcare screenings, and immunizations. May be members of hospital-wide committees to enhance emergency care for Veterans. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Physical Demands: The work requires a level of physical fitness that allows for standing for extended periods, heavy lifting to position patients, and manual dexterity to perform clinical procedures. The work will require recurrent bending, lifting, stooping, standing, squatting, stretching, sitting and walking. English Language Proficiency Requirement: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. Work Schedule: May work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays, to maintain adequate coverage of the Emergency Department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Work Environment: On a regular and recurring basis, employee is exposed to infection and contagious diseases requiring the use of universal precautions. As part of an emergency response or transport team the incumbent may be exposed to all types of weather conditions, and face risks and discomforts at the scene of accidents, to include the possibility of noxious fumes and dangerous substances, requiring the employee to comply with special safety and health precautions and/or to use protective gear. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/28/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current or former 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. 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: medication administration; clinical tasks; emergency care; mental health services, patient screening; performs observation-based screening and collection of patient information, assists in behavioral and psychiatric situations, and operates specialized medical equipment; collecting a wide range of specimens, prepare specimens for transfer, performs skin biopsies, assist with minor procedures (nail removal, skin graph placement, and Jones dressing), conducts or assist with training and experience using Telehealth peripherals. Position Description/PD#: Intermediate Care Tech (ICT)/PDS00031-A and PDS0031A You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clinical Data Collection/Documentation Emergency Care Patient Care Technical Competence 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/. Education Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must demonstrate the following; Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.