THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION. Telehealth is a fast growing program with many initiatives. The Telehealth Clinical Technician (TCT) Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) will provide Tele Dermatology, Tele Eye, Tele Spirometry and Clinical Video Telehealth services to Veterans. The TCT LPN/LVN will work at Eureka VA Clinic, with occasional travel to the main San Francisco VA campus or other clinics within the San Francisco system. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. Education - Graduate of a school of practical or vocational nursing approved by the appropriate State agency and/or accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) at the time the program was completed by the applicant. Exceptions include health care education in the military service or training in the military service which is accepted by the licensing body in the jurisdiction in which the individual is licensed as qualifying for full LPN/LVN licensure will be accepted as meeting the education requirements for VHA employment OR granted a license by a jurisdiction that does not require graduation from an approved school AND have at least one year of successful practice as an LPN/ LVN. Licensure - Active, full, current and unrestricted licensure as a Graduate Licensed Practical or Vocational Nurse in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), of the United States or the District of Columbia. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS 3: None beyond the basic requirements. GS 4: Six months of qualifying experience as an LPN/LVN OR Graduation from an approved school and one year of experience that involved nursing care work in a hospital, outpatient clinic, nursing home, or other supervised medical, nursing, or patient care facility that provided a practical knowledge of human body structure and sterile techniques and procedures OR Graduation from an approved school of at least 24 months in duration. AND LVN/LPNs at the GS-4 grade level perform all duties expected of employees at the GS-3 grade level. GS 5: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-4 level or equivalent. AND Demonstrated knowledge and ability to provide a full range of practical nursing care to patients with a variety of physical and/or behavioral problems. Demonstrated ability to serve as a responsible member of the nursing team and interact with patients, family members, professional and supportive personnel patient care. Knowledge and skill sufficient to prepare, administer, and appropriately document actions taken specific to commonly prescribed oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and/or intravenous medications as permitted by approved local facility policies and procedures. Knowledge and ability to recognize the need for and to institute emergency measures when indicated, promptly seek the assistance of the RN or MD/DO, and assist in resuscitation procedures in cardiac and/or pulmonary arrest. Recognizes and appropriately responds to breakage/malfunction or loss of equipment, safety hazards, and supply deficiencies, promptly reporting to appropriate personnel for corrective action. Completed work is under the general supervision of an RN or MD/DO. GS 6: Completion of at least one year of qualifying experience at the GS-5 level or equivalent. AND Technically proficient in initiating, performing and completing assigned duties in providing care to variable patient populations. Knowledge and ability to appropriately carry out assigned patient care based on the patients' conditions and to use judgment in selecting the appropriate order and sequence of procedures and treatments. Ability to observe, identify and respond to the patient's needs for medication, equipment-assisted care and patient/family education. Prepares and administers prescribed medications (oral, topical, subcutaneous, intramuscular and/or intravenous) and performs treatments according to established policies/procedures. Knowledge and ability to recognize urgent or emergent patient care situations, seek assistance of the RN and/or MD/DO, and initiate appropriate emergency interventions as directed. Knowledge and understanding of human behavior, patient motivations and reactions to situations, and ability to appropriately utilize this knowledge in working effectively with patients, family members, and other staff. Establishes constructive relationships with individual patients and their families to elicit feelings and attitudes, and to promote positive relationships, communication and socialization skills. Knowledge and skill in performing support duties for complex diagnostic tests and/or specialized practices or procedures, which include preparing the patient, assisting in the diagnostic examination, preparing and handling specialized instruments or other specialized equipment, and monitoring the patient's condition before, during, and following the procedure. Actively seeks out educational opportunities to enhance nursing knowledge and skills, sharing new knowledge gained with other staff to improve and advance nursing practice. Preferred Experience and Certifications Virtual Care/telehealth and outpatient clinic experience preferred but not necessary. Must be tech savvy. Salary for this position ranges dependent upon applicant qualifications GS-03: $49,707-$64,616 annually GS-04: $55,797-$72,531 annually GS-05: $62,427-$81,151 annually GS-06: $67,324-$87,523 annually The full performance level of this vacancy is 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 3 to 6. Physical Requirements: The physical requirements of this position include lifting, prolonged standing, frequent bending and stooping, walking, reaching, and repetitive motion. The mental/sensory requirements include recall, reasoning, problem-solving, hearing, and speaking clearly, writing, keyboarding, reading, and logical thinking. The environment's pace can vary from steady to a sometimes fast pace requiring handling of multiple priorities, frequent, sometimes intense customer interactions, and the ability to adapt to frequent changes in a sometimes noisy environment. There may be the need to use personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to disease, illness and hazardous materials. ["**This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30th, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be July 14, 2024 two weeks out, with subsequent cut-off dates every 2 weeks. Eligible applications received after that date will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available.** This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. EDRP Authorized: Contact susan.bringel@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more. The Telehealth Clinical Technician (TCT) LPN/LVN serves in a generalist role to support Telehealth clinical programs from the patient location. The TCT LPN/LVN provides a wide range of clinical and technical services to the veteran that demonstrates complex technical judgment under the administrative supervision of the Facility Telehealth Coordinator and or Nurse Manager. The complexity of duties includes serving as the site imager for store and forward telehealth (SFT) applications, facilitating real time Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT) encounters, including patient education activities, primary care (PACT) and specialty care remote visits. Additionally provides technical and scheduling support, administrative and planning support, other program support duties, and other duties as assigned by the Facility Telehealth Coordinator (FTC) and or the Nurse Manager. Demonstrates independent technical knowledge and skills that are complex in nature and that contribute to the veteran's treatment plan and support the successful completion of the Telehealth visit. Performs Telehealth imaging, including Tele Eye screening, Tele Dermatology, Tele Spirometry, and other Telehealth programs as technology becomes available. The LVN/LPN TCT will provide patient education regarding the imaging process. Responsible for the patient site facilitation of the clinical, business, scheduling and technical aspects for real-time (CVT) Telehealth applications. Uses video-conferencing technologies, Telehealth technology, and scheduling software to coordinate and connect staff, resources, patients, and providers in the manner effective to deliver services, patient care, education, and training. Responsible for any patient, staff education/training, documentation, and assistance with workload capture that is basic for the completion of the visit and/or training. The LVN/LPN TCT assists in patient care under the direct supervision of an independent licensed healthcare provider and may be crossed-trained to perform a range of direct care duties. Performs administrative duties as assigned including conducting needs assessments for proposed telehealth clinics, developing telehealth service agreements, submitting required documentation, and ordering equipment for the establishment of new clinics. Collaboration with staff from the Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) for the installation of new telehealth equipment. Participates in TH meetings, CBOC huddles, and makes presentations related to telehealth when required. Work Schedule: 07:30am-4:00pm, hours may vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs Telework: Not Available Travel: Up to 25% may be required Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.