Job Title

You will serve at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS), Seattle Division, and operate as a Health Technician assigned to the Patient Escort Service (PES), a subsection within the Nurse Executive Office. The primary mission of PES is to provide allied support of patient care functions to active duty, reserve, and Veterans of the United States Armed Forces and allied beneficiaries receiving health care services at VAPSHCS. Provide mobility assistance to patients requiring transport by wheelchair, stretchers, medical beds, or other clinical contraptions. Manage a centralized dispatch operation. Assist doctors and nurses in managing clinical emergencies (codes). Use Safe Patient Handling equipment and techniques to perform patient lifts, transfers, and other assistive maneuvers. Manage a high number of calls using multiple rollover lines. Write down caller information and promptly respond to such. Deal calmly and courteously with callers, some of whom may be upset or irate. Transport patients that are receiving IV sedations, blood product transfusions, chemotherapy agents, or are on cardiac monitors only when RNs/Physicians accompany such transports. Procure blood products from the lab in accordance with Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) policy and procedures. Transport collected specimens to the lab for analysis; delivers specimens to designated areas in the lab; time stamps dispatch sheet upon delivery of specimens. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: This position has various work schedules. The selections assigned work schedule will be determined by the needs of the service. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD40984-A Physical Requirements: The employee works long periods (possibly hours) on his/her feet standing, walking, pushing, pulling, bending, lifting and utilizing SPH equipment. When performing dispatch operations, the incumbent sits at a desk (possibly for hours) and answers a phone and writes down caller information at the repetitive rate of about 25 calls per hour. When performing transport duties, the incumbent is able to carry out a minimum of four transports per hour or 30 transports per 8-hour tour of duty. Must have physical control of one's torsos and extremities, as necessary, to execute gross and fine motor movements within normal ranges of motion. Possesses sufficient strength in legs to ambulate while performing manual/motorized transports. Possesses sufficient strength to grip and control movement of equipment for the durations of transports. Must be able to physically walk up and down stairs, as necessary to carry out transports of hand-carried items. Must be able to utilize office equipment. Must be able to read and understand information in printed and electronic format such as that presented in charts, on patient's identification bands, computer screens, phones, communications badges, and other handheld devices as may be employed for use by staff during the performance of duties. Work Conditions: The incumbent works out of a central office with adequate seating for staff, sufficient light for reading, and climate controls to regulate room temperature. The great majority of PES work is performed inside the medical center with some transports of patients and items to/from outside patios, courtyards, and curbsides at the front and rear entrances to the medical center. VA-issued uniforms may be required to be worn when on duty. VA-issued keys and proximity cards are carried on one's person for purposes of gaining access to offices and restricted areas as necessary. The work environment also contains increased risks associated with potentially fatal infections or situations involving difficult or disturbed patients.