Health Technician- Emergency Department

The Health Technician provides essential clinical and administrative support in the Emergency Department at James A. Haley VA Medical Center. As part of a multidisciplinary team, the incumbent ensures compliance with VA regulations and supports the delivery of patient care through a wide range of technical, diagnostic, and patient support duties. The role requires adaptability, strong clinical skills, and to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with diverse patient populations.

This Health Technician position supports the Emergency Department at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center. The Health Technician performs a wide range of clinical, technical, and administrative duties, including vital signs monitoring, EKGs, specimen collection, patient transport, and emergency response. The role ensures safe, efficient patient care, maintains equipment and records, and provides essential support to physicians, nurses, and interdisciplinary staff.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Clinical Technical Skills (40%)

• Obtain and monitor vital signs, initiate and interpret cardiac monitoring, perform 12-lead EKGs, operate diagnostic and emergency equipment
• Perform IV insertion, venipuncture, point-of-care testing, specimen collection, and direct patient care (lifting, moving, transporting, assisting with ambulation)
• Respond to emergencies, recognize abnormal findings, report critical changes, assist with specialized procedures, and maintain infection control
• Support patient safety through observation, intervention, and companionship roles (patient sitter, safety companion)
• Prepare patients for admission, maintain equipment and supplies, answer call lights and phones, provide comfort measures, apply splints and bandages, fit crutches, assist with IV and oxygen setup, and initiate CPR as needed

Personal Mastery in Healthcare Procedures (30%)

• Observe, recognize, and report physical, behavioral, and vital sign changes
• Assist with emotional and physical comfort, identify cultural needs, chaperone as required, recognize medication reactions
• Perform sterile dressing changes, remove simple sutures, apply orthopedic devices, support procedures involving eyes, ears, nose, and throat
• Obtain supplies for emergencies, participate in patient extrication, monitor intake/output, and document activities of daily living

Administrative (20%)

• Use communication devices (Vocera, phones), answer and place calls/pages, greet and direct patients, families, visitors, and ambulance crews
• Gather information about presenting complaints, update patient tracking board (EDIS), maintain charts, records, and patient belongings in accordance with privacy policies
• Order, stock, and manage ED supplies, participate in required trainings, operate government vehicles as needed

Internal/External Customer Service (10%)

• Reinforce patient health and discharge education as directed by RN, provide educational materials, guide patients to resources, acknowledge concerns, escalate issues as needed
• Uphold patient rights, privacy, dignity, and confidentiality in all interactions

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: Day and Night Tours, Tour of duty based upon Agency needs
Compressed/Flexible: Yes
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician- Emergency Department/PD06656A
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, 10/19/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS 6 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- 6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 5 . 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.

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

• Specialized Experience: 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. Specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Obtaining and documenting vital signs, cardiac monitoring, and 12-lead EKGs
  • Performing venipuncture, IV insertion, point-of-care testing, and specimen collection
  • Providing direct patient care including lifting, transporting, mobility assistance, and safety monitoring
  • Responding to emergencies and reporting abnormal findings to licensed staff
  • Supporting diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (e.g., wound care, splinting, oxygen setup)
  • Maintaining medical equipment, supplies, and documentation according to VA and unit standards

OR,

• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have have six months of graduate-level education in a field directly related to the work of the position (e.g., health sciences, emergency medicine, medical technology). If no related graduate education exists, education cannot be used as a substitute

OR,

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

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 or 2-year trial 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.