Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. NOTE: Your resume must include job title, duties listed for each position, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

01Basic 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 Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d).

02Experience and Education

(1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR, (2) Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree. OR, (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.

Examples are listed below:(a) Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or(b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or(c) Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting. Certification.

All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology). The exception only applies below the full performance level.

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).

03Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-8 (Full Performance Level): Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. Assignment. This is considered to be the full performance level for this assignment.

The Health Technician (Ophthalmology) at this level performs a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures with responsibility for checking calibration of instruments prior to the procedure.

Responsible for obtaining patient physical history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs/symptoms; past history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history; and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications. Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.

Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder. Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation, and any abnormalities, including relative afferent pupillary defect. Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter.

Instills eye medications (i.e., drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilation, cycloplegic, or antibiotics. Responsible for measuring intraocular pressure of the eye utilizing techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry. Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature. Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using the IOL Master. Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.

• Performance of external photographs and fundus photography.
• Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina and optic nerve.
• Performs patient screening and triage emergencies identifying ocular emergencies.
• Performs patient screening and telephone triage for immediate care.

Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures. Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.

Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations. Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA).

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye Knowledge of optics Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment Preferred Experience: In-depth knowledge of the functions of the visual system, optics and basic ophthalmic pharmacology.

In addition, an exceptional knowledge of ocular physiology and microbiology is required. Clinical acumen to recognize ocular emergencies and ophthalmic complications is required so that appropriate triage of patients can be undertaken. 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-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-8.

04Physical Requirements

The physical requirements of this position include occasional lifting, prolonged standing and sitting, frequent bending, walking (distance), climbing, reaching (overhead, extensive/repetitive), repetitive motion, and stooping. The mental/sensory requirements include recall, reasoning, problem-solving, hearing, speaking clearly, writing legibly, reading, and logical thinking.

Duties include but are not limited to: Patient intake assessment. Incumbent will take brief patient history including medication, allergies and patient interim status. Visual acuity assessment. Incumbent must take visual acuity with and without correction, distance and near. Intraocular pressure determination. Incumbent must be able to take Intraocular Pressure (IOP) with air tonometer, Goldmann tonometer, handheld and pneumotonometers. Lensometry.

Incumbent must know how to neutralize lenses both single vision and multifocal. Opticianry. In addition to lens neutralization, incumbent must measure pupillary distance, distance and near, determine proper nasal bridge, bifocal size and appropriate frame size in order to appropriately fit our patients with spectacles. Frame adjustment before dispensing glasses is necessary. Maintenance of clinic. Incumbent is required to keep all cupboards stocked and clean with appropriate supplies.

All orders for supplies are to be ordered by computer. Lines are to be stocked for use in minor surgery. Instruments are to be treated in instrument milk and cleaned before packaging for sterilization in the central supply. Small instruments require special handling and covers for tips at time of preparation. Countertops are to be properly maintained. When instruments return sterilized, they are to be stored in their appropriate area. Refraction of patients.

Incumbent must know how to determine refractive error in patients using auto refractor. Ultrasonography/diagnostic. Incumbent must know how to set up the instrument used for diagnostic B scan determination including operation of the machine itself, the camera attachment and positioning of the patient. Photos taken must be mounted, labeled and procedure logged in. Ultrasonography-Axial Length Determination. Incumbent must know how to operate the machine, calibrate, set up the probe and position the patient.

Incumbent must know how to sue both the A and B scan instruments and their proper care. Keratometry. Incumbent must know how to operate the several types of keratometers which are used for measuring corneal curvature in the eye clinic. Corneal curvature is used in the calculation of intraocular lens implant power prior to cataract surgery. Photography. The incumbent must know how to use all the cameras in the Eye Clinic, proper care of their mechanisms, order appropriate film and supplies necessary to their use.

Minor surgery. Incumbent must know sterile techniques for use in minor surgery room of Eye Clinic when minor procedures are performed there. He/she must help prepare the patient with consent and prepping of site and assist the surgeon in performing the procedure. All logbooks are to be maintained by incumbent (i.e., Pathology Log, Attending Log, Incident Logbooks.) Schedule and post-surgical cases in computer.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 3:30pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized