Job Summary

The position is located in VA Caribbean Healthcare System. The incumbent demonstrates the knowledge and ability to successfully perform the following duties within the scope of Respiratory Care. Essential functions may charge from time to time to reflect the current trends within the field of respiratory therapy, and to meet the cardio-pulmonary needs of the patients served.

Job Description

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. 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. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, of this part. See 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a) for more information. Education. Individuals must have successfully completed a respiratory care program accredited by the CoARC or its successor. Licensure. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a full, current and unrestricted license from a state to practice as an RRT. Credential. Persons appointed or reassigned to RRT positions in the GS-0601 series must possess and maintain for the duration of employment a valid, current, unrestricted credential of RRT. English Language Proficiency. RTs/RRTs appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) 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: Lead Registered Respiratory Therapist, GS-12. Experience, Licensure and Credential. Candidates must: Have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level demonstrating the clinical competencies described at that level. RRTs at this grade level in this assignment have experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and clinical judgment across many areas of respiratory care both inpatient and outpatient. Hold an active license and RRT credential Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the requirements above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs: a. Ability to assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload. b. Ability to oversee and direct clinical guidance in a manner that assures completion of the workload. Ability to communicate with individuals of varying backgrounds to solve problems and provide conflict resolution. c. Ability to recommend uncommon or atypical interventions. d. Ability to recommend ways to improve patient care and operations through independent research and evaluation of new equipment and therapies. Preferred Experience: Expert in respiratory methods, equipment and clinical procedures. Ability to plan, organize, direct, coordinate and evaluated respiratory care services. Has previous experience managing workflow distribution aligned with operational processes, assuring timely completion of workload. Has the ability to make day-to-day adjustments to maintain efficient delivery of respiratory care services. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Lead RRTs are found in higher complexity facilities (level 1 and 2) and the lead duties must be regular and reoccurring and must constitute at lead 25% of the duty time. Selective Placement Factor (SPF) for locations in Puerto Rico- This position includes skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.