Health Technician

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Maywood (IL); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, IL seeks a Health Care Technician to assist with direct and indirect patient care under the supervision of a Registered Nurse.

Applicants should be able to observe and report changes in patient status, use medical equipment, and maintain careful attention to detail in all tasks. Time-In-Grade rules apply for current federal employees and VEOA eligibility.

Qualifications

• Basic qualifications include experience applying knowledge of anatomy, physiology and medical techniques to support patient care.
• The role involves communication with patients and healthcare professionals and use of medical equipment.
• Time-In-Grade requirements apply to current federal employees as described in the announcement.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct and indirect patient care under supervision of a Registered Nurse.
• Observe, document, and report changes in patient condition and status.
• Assist with related support functions and use medical equipment as trained.

Skills

Observation skills

Patient communication

Attention to detail

Basic life support

Tools

Medical equipment handling

Job description

The Health Care Technician position at Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, IL is organizationally aligned with Nursing Service. Under the supervision of a Registered Nurse, this role encompasses both direct and indirect patient care activities, as well as related support functions. Individuals in this position are required to demonstrate strong powers of observation, perception, and judgment. They must also show initiative and pay meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of their duties. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/21/2026.

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 6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 5. 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.

Basic Requirements: 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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements listed above, you must meet the following grade requirements to qualify for this position.

GS-6 Grade Requirements

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Applying basic knowledge of basic anatomy/physiology and medical techniques to support direct patient care.
• Effectively communicating and providing support to patients and healthcare professionals.
• Utilizing and maintaining medical equipment and instruments.
• Performing safety/emergency procedures related to patient transport, infection control, environmental safety.
• Observing and reporting changes in patients physical and emotional behavior.
• Performing medical tests and duties including phlebotomy, EKG, and CPR.
• Entering patient information and vital signs in computerized medical record systems using appropriate terminology.

Preferred Experience

2-3 years Mental Health experience.

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/.