Health Technician

This position is within the Department of Veteran's Affairs, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS), located in the surgery service department. This position reports to the nurse manager of the same day procedure unit (SDPU), ambulatory surgery unit (ASU), and the post anesthesia care unit (PACU).

Duties of a Health Technician include but are not limited to: Patient Care Task

- Performs 12 lead EKGs and gives printout to RN to provide to physician. Applies cardiac monitor electrodes + leads and initiates cardiac monitoring under direction of assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
- Performs or assists RN with personal care, such as body and oral hygiene, dressing/undressing, and toileting/elimination-ensuring patient privacy at all times.
- Assist RN in patient care. The incumbent will be required to assist in patient care as directed to include but not limited to dressing changes, turning, and positioning of patients, postmortem care and morgue transfers.
- Assists with transfers and ambulation of patients.
- Provides direct observation for both suicidal/homicidal patients, as well as those patients requiring direct observation for safety (e.g., fall or elopement risk).
- Answer call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
- Collects and sends routine urine, stool, and sputum specimens from ASU/PACU/SDPU.
- Performs glucometer checks and notifies assigned RN or provider of results.
- Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
- Answers call lights and communicates patients' needs to assigned RN or Charge Nurse.
- Weighs patients on electronic or bed scales and records weight in CPRS vital signs package.
- Assists clinicians with procurement and set-up of equipment and supplies for procedures.
- Usage of safe patient handling and movement portable and ceiling lift equipment.

Transportation of Patients
- Responsible for supporting the surgical service line staff by transporting the patient pre- and post-operatively between the waiting rooms and inpatient areas to the same day procedure unit, post anesthesia care unit and ambulatory surgery units.
- This employee must identify the patient utilizing the patient's arm band and verifying identification confirming full name and social security number.
- Personal contact with the patient and their family and/or significant other(s) and at this time offers reassurance and emotional and physical support.
- Reports any observations and measures taken in any given emergency. Performs a wide variety of duties aimed at increasing the comfort and spirit of the patient.
- Identifies and reports data relative to more complex patient situations including changes in patients' behavior or condition
- Provide a superior level of customer service.
- Demonstrate compassion and understanding to family members accompanying surgical patients.
- Use appropriate channels of communication and assist internal and external customers to navigate through the perioperative process.
- Secure necessary methods of transportation (wheelchairs, litters, beds, transmotion chairs) to be available on the unit as needed.
- Clean, according to RME SOP, wheelchairs, litters and trasmotion chairs upon patient discharge to be available for the nextpatient.
- Dress all litters and transmotion chairs with appropriate covering and necessary patient items (gown, slippers, belonging bag, and bouffant cap) to be available for the next patient.

Cleaning/ Stocking Supplies/ Equipment Support
- Incumbent must perform non-technical maintenance and routine unit safety checks (maintenance of equipment, battery change of rechargeable equipment, refrigerator and blanket warmer temperature checks, and unit maintenance logs).
- Incumbent must perform routine non-critical reusable medical equipment cleaning permanufacturer guidelines and RME SOP. Incumbent must stock rooms, carts, cabinets withall necessary supplies, check for outdates while stocking.
- Cleans vacated rooms of patients (i.e., strips linens, discards used or opened medicalsupplies, properly disposes of biohazardous waste).
- Notifies Charge Nurse immediately if unsecured medications are found anywhere in thedepartment.
- Stock units with supplies from SPDU/ASU/PACU supply room.
- Notifies the CN when supplies are running low and need to be re-ordered.
- Maintains a clean working and uncluttered environment as directed, to include but notlimited to utility room, bedside and specialty carts.
- Reviews for expired stocks and supplies and restock in areas such as specialty carts and cleanutility rooms.
- Obtains and delivers supplies from SPD and device from Bio-med as needed.
- Performs daily calibration checks for glucometer. Reports discrepancies to CN.

Work Schedule:6:00am-2:30pm, 8am-4:30pm, 10:00am-6:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/15/2026.

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: understands written medical material, perform phlebotomy, uses aseptic technique, labels specimens, transports them to lab, and participate in teamwork and unit operations. . OR,
- Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university, meets the GS-5 level requirements for many positions covered by this standard. 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 only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to one (1) year of specialized experience.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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: 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: