This position is within the Employee Occupational Health Department, VA Portland Healthcare System. The primary intent of the Employee Occupational Health (EOH) Service is to provide work related health care services to the employees/volunteers/trainees of VAPORHCS. The goal of this care is to create a healthy work environment through safer work/health practices among employees.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 12/22/2025. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: 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 meet the requirements of this position. In addition to meeting the English Language Proficiency, you may qualify based on your experience/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-6 grade level in the Federal Service. Qualifying specialized experience includes: Performing patient screening and Interpreting diagnostic signs; Responding quickly to emergency situations; Recognizing warning signs and assisting with crisis intervention; Accurately obtain and relay information to and from health care providers; Safely operating medical instruments, equipment and supplies; Performing point of care testing; Collecting and labeling blood samples and specimens; Providing treatments and vaccinations to patients; and administering medications to patients. 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: 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 Intermediate Care 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: Combinations 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 Surgical 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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/.
Major duties include, but are not limited to: 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, such as the MiniCog screening established by the agency. Mental Health Services - The incumbent assists in behavioral/psychiatric situations in a low-risk setting. This can include assisting licensed personnel with crisis intervention and applying prevention and management of disruptive behavior techniques (PMDB). The incumbent performs duties focused on communication techniques, 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 assigned licensed personnel. Clinical Tasks - The incumbent assists EH licensed personnel with the delivery of care to employee patients. 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: automated vital signs machines, manual blood pressure Equipment and medical instrumentation set up . Examples: audiometer, vision testing equipment. Observations and interventions. Examples: post-vaccination observation. Specimen collection and Preparation. Examples: collecting and labeling venous blood samples and mucous specimens. Assisting with patient exams and screening. Examples: pre-employment and annual physicals. Medication Administration - Medication administration will comply with national and local directives and policies. Administration methods may include intramuscular, oral, intranasal, subcutaneous, and intradermal. Follows national and local pharmacy and facility guidelines for disposal of medications. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 3:00pm PST Position Description Title/PD#: Intermediate Care Technician/PD21668A Physical Requirements: The work requires a level of physical fitness that allows for standing for extended periods, light lifting, and manual dexterity to perform clinical procedures. The work will require recurrent bending, lifting, stooping, standing, squatting, stretching, sitting, and walking.