This position is in Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) located Department of Veterans Affairs within the Eastern Colorado Health Care System in Aurora, Colorado. The Health Technician (Dietetic) provides administrative and customer service support for the VA hospital food service program.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT for Health Aid and Technician Series (0640): 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 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. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) and English Proficiency, you must meet one or more of the following: GS-05 grade level: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this Health Technician (Dietetic) position. Specialized experience includes performing duties in food service in a hospital environment; knowledge of tray assembly area procedures; using dietetics software programs; familiarity with regular and modified diets; assisting with food selections; following verbal and written instructions; and using computer equipment, phone system, and printers. This position requires effective communication skills both verbally and in writing and good customer service. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. OR Education GS-05 level. BA bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position ((i.e. nutrition, dietary therapy, food and nutrition science, food service systems management, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR Combination GS-05 level. equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Your experience must be documented in your resume and transcripts are required. Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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.
Major duties include but are not limited to: Providing excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication (telephone, e-mail, in-person, etc.). Communicating effectively using strong listening and speaking skills. Maintaining the vital connection between Nutrition Communication Center Associates, Registered Dietitians, food service staff, Nursing, patients, Residents and guests. Creating, modifying and printing patient/Resident diet cards according to diet prescription to include texture modification, liquid consistency, allergies, likes and dislikes. Triaging calls from inpatient units and outpatient clinics and procedure areas relating to patient/Resident meal trays or nourishments. Retrieving computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, etc. Ensuring food items and menu selections for regular and therapeutic diets are prepared and served appropriately (i.e., accuracy, timeliness, appearance, temperature and dysphagia food consistency levels). Verifying physician, speech language pathologist and dietitian orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements. Maintaining the Nutrition Communication Center's phone log, answers phone calls, checks voicemail and processes requests appropriately and within established time frame. Assembling diet card packets and verifying correctness of the information and adherence to prescribed diet. Work Schedule: Varying hours: Sunday - Saturday, 5:30am - 7:00pm (Including Holidays weekends) Position Description Title/PD#: Health Tech (Dietetic)/PD99855S 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 and pushing loaded carts of trays and/or nourishments. DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: Applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.