Medical Care Transportation Technician (Paramedic)

Description:

The Paramedic provides treatment as prescribed in the protocol and may make modifications to the protocol, if necessary, within prescribed limits set by the Emergency Department provider. The Paramedic conducts a complete examination of the patient's condition to determine the nature, extent, and seriousness of the injury or illness. The Paramedic will also search for medical alert symbols that provide the patient's medical status.

Requirements:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/13/2024.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-8. 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.

English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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 perform the duties of this position. - AND-

Selective Placement Factor - FOUR Selective Placement Factors (SPF) have been identified for this position. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. Must possess a valid/current state license/certification for eligibility for employment (Paramedic). Must possess and maintain current Basic Life Support Provider (BLS) Certification. (CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED to receive credit for further consideration). Must possess and maintain current Advanced Cardiac Life Support Provider Certification. (CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED to receive credit for further consideration). Possess a valid and unrestricted state driver's license. (Please DO NOT provide driver's license. We may not accept pictures. This requirement will be verified during interview.) In addition to the English Language Proficiency and Selective Placement Factor above, to qualify for this position at the GS-9 grade level, you must meet on of the following:

Speci alized Experience: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-8) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the Medical Care Transportation Technician-Paramedic. 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 includes: Knowledge of a majority of body systems, i.e. skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and genitourinary, to perform patient examination; responding to accidents and other emergencies involving injury and/or illness which may be life-threatening and require basic life support procedures; experience providing transportation of patients to medical treatment facilities; using communication equipment and techniques to accurately obtain and relay information to and from dispatchers and health care providers; knowledge of protocols and treatments used in the delivery of emergency care for persons injured in chemical, nuclear, biological, and hazardous materials incidents; and experience operating emergency or patient transport vehicles.

-OR-

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed two years of Graduate education or a Master's degree is creditable only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position ( transcript required).

- OR-

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed Graduate education (in excess of one year) and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements ( transcript required).

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Clinical Data Collection/Documentation Emergency Care First Response Patient Care Transportation

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.

Conditions of Employment: Paramedics shall obtain certification as a National Registered Emergency Medical Technician (Paramedic) no later than (NLT) 18 months after employment as condition of continued employment with VA.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: This position involves extended periods of heavy moving and lifting of patients in a variety of situations. Generally, the work requires recurring bending, lifting, stooping, stretching, and positioning of patients, frequently under adverse conditions or in confined areas. May be required to spend prolonged periods in protective breathing apparatus and protective clothing during chemical, nuclear, biological, or hazardous materials incidents/exercises. Employee may be exposed to infection and contagious diseases, and may involve exposure to patients who are intoxicated, under the influence of drugs, or mentally unstable resulting in belligerent and sometimes violent behavior.

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/.