Health Technician (Dietetic)
About The Position
This position is in Nutrition and Food Service at the San Diego VA Medical Center. The Health Technician serves as a Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Ambassador, providing administrative and customer-service support for the hospital food service program. The role handles patient meal-service orders, helps patients choose foods appropriate to their diets, shares information about therapeutic diets, and supports meal and nourishment delivery using computerized information and dietetics software. Work hours vary according to service needs; the schedule is listed as 7 a.m.–7 p.m. intermittent, with no guaranteed number of hours per week. Compressed or flexible scheduling, telework, and virtual work are not available. There is no promotion potential, and relocation or recruitment incentives are not authorized. The work requires walking, standing, bending, lifting, carrying, pushing, and moving about the medical center, as well as extended sitting and repetitive keyboard and mouse use in an office environment. The incumbent may frequently stoop, reach, push, pull, and bend; frequently lifts or moves items weighing up to 20 pounds and pushes loaded carts of trays or nourishments. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and meet the stated qualification requirements. A one-year probationary period applies. The position is designated for drug testing, and selected applicants must complete pre-employment screening and onboarding requirements, including a background/security investigation and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements applicable to VA health care personnel.
Requirements
- U.S. citizenship.
- Technician experience requiring application of knowledge, methods, and techniques relevant to the position.
- For GS-05 qualification, one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level; or a qualifying bachelor's degree with a major or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position; or a qualifying combination of education and experience.
- Specialized experience may include computerized medical records and Nutrition and Food Services commercial dietetics software; effective oral and written communication and customer service; operation of computers, phones, and printers; tray assembly, distribution, and pickup procedures; nourishment and tube-feeding distribution; and organizing work, analyzing data, and working under time constraints.
- Submit a transcript if using education to qualify. Foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.
- Complete the required application steps and online assessment.
- Selected applicants are subject to urinalysis drug screening, background/security investigation, and pre-employment onboarding requirements.
- Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
- Participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for health care personnel.
- Serve a one-year probationary period.
Responsibilities
- Route modified diets and combinations of diet modifications using commercial off-the-shelf dietetics software.
- Handle patient meal-service orders in person or by telephone.
- Interact with Veterans, dietitians, nursing staff, and other medical center employees.
- Receive patient meal orders and preferences, as well as meal and nourishment requests from nursing staff, clinical staff, and other interdisciplinary team members.
- Take appropriate actions within the scope of authority to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service.
- Complete select and non-select menus as required.
- Retrieve computerized information to support tray and nourishment assembly and meal delivery, including standing orders, nourishment labels, and tabulated recipe lists.
- Provide patients, guests, and nursing staff with education and information about local facility therapeutic diets.
- Assist patients in selecting foods appropriate to their individual diets.
- Perform clerical and administrative duties in support of the service.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
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What This Job Offers
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
