Health Technician

The Health Technician (HT) position is located at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee. The HT is a member of the Medical/Surgical team and works under the direction of a Registered Nurse. The HT is responsible for observing, recording, and reporting changes in the patient's condition, as well as assisting in the development and ongoing revision of the patient-driven, holistic life care plan.

The incumbent duties include but not limited to:

• Assist with vital signs, simple dressing changes, EKG's, assisting with procedures, phlebotomy, accu-checks, collects urine specimens as ordered and splinting.
• Obtain lab specimens and transports blood, etc. to lab in accordance with lab regulations and standards.
• Conduct patient interviews and records necessary information into CPRS.
• Assist medical staff with or performs diagnostic procedures used to diagnose medical conditions.
• Operate and maintains medical instruments and equipment for diagnostic and treatment procedures.
• Secure patients' confidence and cooperation during medical procedures.
• Determine technical factors, sets controls and operates equipment and instruments.
• Assist in tracking and keeping a record of patients.
• Provide general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the unit.

Work Schedule: 7:30am - 8:00pm & 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD50106A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/17/2026.

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

Individual Occupational Requirement for Health Aid and Technician Series (0640): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and cannot be waived. 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.

Specialized Experience: An addition to the IOR, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Ability to obtain, record, and interpret all vital signs.
• Ability to perform pulse oximetry correctly and have a working knowledge of the interpretation of the same and its clinical relevance.
• Ability to obtain, record and interpret information from limited interviews and be able to report pertinent information promptly to the emergency care team.
• Ability to perform, record and interpret the clinical relevance of accu-checks.
• Ability to monitor foley catheters.
• Ability to perform ordered breathing treatments and monitor and record vital signs before and after.
• Knowledge necessary to instruct patients on how to perform peak flows and ability to follow up on their performance.
• Ability to apply, educate, and document use of splints, canes, crutches.
• Ability to apply dressings and perform dressing changes and suture removal.
• Ability to recognize and make an independent, timely, appropriate initial response to an urgent/emergent situation and to seek immediate assistance as needed.
• Ability to perform phlebotomy and gather other lab specimens and process the same in accordance with all policies, rules and regulations of the laboratory, medical center, and all regulatory agencies.
• Extensive knowledge of infection control policies and practices to keep the work environment safe for staff, patients, and families.
• Knowledge of administrative duties is required in order to check patients in and out of the area, process admissions, and obtain beds for patients requiring admission.
• Knowledge is required of patient eligibility for a wide variety of issues as well as a basic knowledge of CPT-4 and ICD-9-CM coding

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED).

OR,

Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate education.

Preferred Experience: Strongly preferred 1-2 years of Phlebotomy and Medical/Surgical experience. Prior experience providing personal care in a healthcare setting.

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/.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.