Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Health Technician (Optometry). The Health Technician (Optometry) will function in Surgical Service.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency
• Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Experience and Education
• Experience
• One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field
• OR Education
• Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree - or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field
• OR Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses
• (b) Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants - hospital corpsmen - medical service specialists - or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces - the U.S. Maritime Service - or the U.S. Public Health Service - may be substituted on a month-for-month basis
• Licensure/Certification/Registration
• None
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-07 Experience
• One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge - skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level - the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye - not to include the patient's final subjective refraction
• Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. - measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation - near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near)
• Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures
• Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions
• Preferred Experience: Ophthalmic imaging in OCT - Spectralis -Clarus - Visual Fields and Cirrus experience in Eye Clinic/hospital/direct patient care present as a health technician Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: The Incumbent must have dexterity & agility to handle fragile eyeglasses & contact lenses as well as microscopic instruments
• The work is at times sedentary
• and ambulation between various examination/treatment rooms is also required
• The work requires some physical exertion such as lifting and assisting wheelchair patients into examination chairs or chairs positioned in front of the ophthalmic imaging equipment
• It is also required that the technician be able to operate equipment with one hand while holding the patients' eyelids open with the other
• The incumbent will also frequently spend extended periods standing and bending over in the Eye Clinic
• The work area is pleasant but at times noisy due to the volume of waiting patients or ophthalmic instrument noises
• Occasionally - it is necessary to deal with disruptive patients
• Risk normally associated with an Eye Clinic/hospital/direct patient care are present
• The primary working environment is the Eye Clinic
• Within that environment - the technician will be working with patients who have serious and communicable diseases such as AIDS - TB - Hepatitis C - and herpetic lesions
• The position will require adherence and practice of hospital infection control protocols with special knowledge about the seriousness and transmission of these and other diseases
• During these encounters the employee must take safety precautions - such as gloving and masking - in dealing with these patients.?

Duties

• Optometry Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Optometrists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care and patient counseling
• The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) performs a range of standard - but complex - diagnostic procedures - assists during clinic-based surgical procedures - educates patients and legal representatives - assists with the education of medical students and residents
• The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) may perform many \"direct patient care services\" under the supervision of Optometrist
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Operates - calibrates - and monitors commonly used equipment performing basic screening procedures
• Understands basic hygiene - cleaning - and disinfection of reusable medical equipment instruments and ophthalmic equipment
• Obtains and documents accurate medical/ophthalmic history including: chief complaint - reason for visit - pertinent signs/symptoms - past ocular and general history - review of medications and allergies including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications
• Entering eye testing performed on the encounter form
• Measuring and recording visual acuity with and without correction (with use of pinhole testing as indicated)
• Obtaining accurate potential acuity meter - and or other specialized visual acuity measurements
• Evaluate pupillary light responses and measure pupil sizes - recording pupil size - shape - symmetry - reaction to light and accommodation - and any abnormalities including relative afferent pupillary defect
• Determine the presence or absence of fusion and perform stereo acuity measurements
• Perform Extraocular Motility testing
• Performs Amsler grid testing
• Administers eye medications/drops under the supervision of an eye care provider (Optometrist or Ophthalmologist)
• Performs basic tonometry (iCare - Goldmann)
• Estimates anterior chamber depth with a penlight or slit lamp Biomicroscope
• Be skilled in properly reading a basic spectacle prescription using an automated or manual lensometer recording sphere - cylinder - axis - and prism
• Obtains accurate autorefractometry and keratometry measurements
• Performs confrontation and standard automated visual field testing Administers and scores basic color vision tests (e.g
• pseudoisochromatic plates - Farnsworth D-15)
• Adept at measuring and recording corneal thickness by pachymetry as well as performance of advanced corneal measurements including corneal topography
• Performing ocular imaging (e.g
• stereo fundus - basic slit lamp biomicroscopy - intraocular lens master measurements - ocular ultrasonography - posterior and anterior segment optical coherence tomography - fundus autofluorescence and/or ocular angiography)
• Performs pre-operative and post-operative teaching with patients and families
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800-1630
• Variable based on needs of the Service and at the supervisor's discretion Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Travel: Occasional travel to other satellite clinics Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: #91747-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required