Summary This Health Technician position is located in the Nutrition & Food Service (NFS) at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, Reno, NV. The incumbent will perform a wide range of administrative functions including costing data management, tray ticket management, time keeping and attendance, work load data management, software management and program maintenance, program analysis and support, time keeping and office management. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: Utilizes a computer to enter and retrieve basic information; Utilizes dietetic software programs to retrieve diet orders, recipes, and menu and inventory data; Prints and assembles packets; Properly operates telephone equipment to transfer or place calls on hold; Provides professional and courteous customer service; Triages telephone calls from customers and/or patients; Provides basic-level education and information on therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff; Resolves customer and/or patient complaints; Utilizes knowledge of basic and routine modified diets to identify problems in diet order information and take appropriate corrective action; Correctly interprets diet activity and patient information, to ensure appropriate food items on meals trays; Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements; Assist with food selections, ensuring appropriateness of menu selections for complex diets; Answers the telephone using proper business etiquette; Communicates with customers in a pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional manner; Communicates effectively via telephone and in-person; Attends to both verbal and nonverbal aspects of communication. Work Schedule: Nights, Weekends, Holidays Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Dietetic)/PD99855A Physical Requirements: The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting and carrying of light items, such as food trays, instruction materials, books, and manuals. NCC Associate functions require long periods of sitting and moving about in an office environment, including repetitive motion activities of the hands and fingers for extensive keyboard and computer mouse use, and office tasks such as answering and holding a telephone phone, and writing. The work may require walking indoors, outdoors or to and from other areas of the medical center. It may be necessary to lift and/or push equipment. Incumbent is subject to periods continuous standing, sitting, walking and frequent stooping, reaching, pushing, pulling, and bending. Frequently lifts or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Individual Occupational Requirements Health Aid and Technician Series, 0640 Specialized Experience: 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. OR Education and Training: For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. AND English Language Requirement: Health Technicians are required to be proficient in spoken and written English. 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-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience or education that demonstrates knowledge of quantity food service operations and proper nutrition; Knowledge of the food items and appropriate quantities; works with clients, patients, and/or, customers to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; Ability to use computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work; Inputting and compiling various data to create spreadsheets and reports; Taking inventory and placing orders keeping within set budgetary parameters; Providing customers with consistent information according to established policies/procedures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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 the second year(60 Semester hours) is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Determine the total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5. Preferred Experience: Experience in a hospital setting Familiar with the IDDSI diets Customer service experience 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. 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. Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
