Health Technician - Acute Care

Summary

The incumbent will be assigned to work in the Nursing Service Line of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), under the direct supervision of the nurse manager. The Healthcare Technician (HCT) is a highly specialized position, providing both clinical and clerical support such as patient care tasks, cleaning and supply duties, escorting functions, and clerical tasks. This position provides assistance to the Nursing Staff to assure coordinated and efficient patient services.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to: Performs or assists RN with personal care such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination, etc. Provides direct observation for both suicidal/homicidal patients as well as those patients requiring direct observation for safety. Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse. Assists with meal set-up and/or feeds patients as needed. Performs or assists RN with search and inventory of patient belongings. Participates in rounding as directed by RN Change linen on occupied and unoccupied bed Assist RN in patient care as directed to include but not limited to dressing changes, triage, turning and positioning of patients, enema administration, post mortem care and morgue transfers. Measures and records vital signs in Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and notifies assigned RN or provider. Measures and empties urine output from urinary catheters and notifies RN or provider. Collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens. Obtains nasal cultures for MRSA upon admissions, discharges and transfers Performs venipuncture, labels and sends specimens to lab. Performs glucometer checks and notifies assigned RN or provider of results. Performs 12 lead EKGs and gives to provider for review within 10 minutes. Assists with transfers and ambulation of patients Obtains and immediately delivers blood products from blood bank to assigned RN. Cleans vacated rooms of patients (i.e., strips linens, discards used or opened medical supplies, wipes down non-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) per guidelines, bedside tables and counter surfaces. Cleans dirty reusable medical equipment and properly identifies equipment as cleaned (i.e. pink tags, plastic bag covers for IV pumps) and any medical equipment stored in the clean utility room. Maintains a clean working and uncluttered environment. Reviews for expired stocks and supplies, and restock in areas such as specialty carts, treatment rooms and clean utility rooms. Obtains and delivers supplies from SPD and main supply room as needed. Transports patients, as directed, to designated areas. Delivers laboratory specimens as needed. Assists visitors with way-finding. Performs other related duties as assigned. 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: Rotating Tours covering 24/7. Tour of duty consists of 8 and 12 hour shifts. Includes holidays and weekends. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician - Acute Care/PD01698A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Preferred Experience: 6 months Nursing Aid, Patient Care Technician, Healthcare Technician. 1 semester RN school.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/09/2026. 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Ability to provide technical assessments/measurements such as blood pressure, respirations, oral and axillary temperature, weight, and pulse under the close observation of a supervisor. Ability to observe, escort, transfer, and ambulate patients under the close supervision of peers. Able to interpret instruction by Registered Nurse staff. General customer service skills in relation to patient care. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. 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. Successfully completed the equivalent combination of post-high school education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (beyond the second year) and specialized experience as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. 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

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/.