US Veterans Health Administration Hiring For Health Technician Dietetic at Wilmington, DE, United States Full Time

Job Description

Duties

Summary

This position is in Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) located at the Wilmington VA Medical Center. The incumbent performs routine duties that require exceptional customer service, computer skills, proper phone etiquette, proficiency in special food service and therapeutic diet procedures, a broad knowledge of routine modified diets, combinations of diet modifications and knowledge of Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) Dietetics software and required functions

Responsibilities

• The incumbent will practice excellent customer service skills in all forms of communication, either via telephone, e-mail or in-person. The incumbent must also practice proper business telephone etiquette while answering the phone. When communicating with customers, incumbent will be pleasant, friendly, personable, and professional.
• The Incumbent will maintain the vital connection between Nutrition Communication Center (NCC) Associates, Registered Dietitian, higher graded dietetic technicians, food service staff, Nursing, patients and guests. NCC Associate will follow local-facility policies and standard procedures for patient feeding, including but not limited to missed patient meals, late tray requests, patient meal ordering, and adherence to prescribed therapeutic diet.
• NCC Associate will take whatever action necessary, within their authority, to maximize patient satisfaction with meal service. NCC Associate prints, prepares and reviews meal tickets according to local facility procedures. NCC Associate completes select and non-select menus as required.
• The incumbent will retrieve computerized information/printouts to assist with tray and/or nourishment assembly such as standing orders, nourishment labels, tabulated recipe lists, and other simple information to assist in meal delivery. Organizes work to complete assignments.
• Has thorough knowledge of basic and routine modified diets and is able to provide basic-level education and information on local facility therapeutic diets to patients, guests, and nursing staff. Makes referrals to dietetic technician and/or dietitian as needed for more thorough diet education.
• NCC Associate is responsible for the independent and accurate transfer of information received via COTS Dietetics software. Diet activity and patient information must be interpreted correctly to ensure meals trays contain food items adhering to patient requests and preferences, and current therapeutic diet order. The NCC Associate may adjust diet patterns and menu selections to assure the correct meal tickets are generated, as per local facility policy and procedures.
• In the event the COTS Dietetics software program is inoperable, and meal tickets may not be printed, the NCC Associate will generate the appropriate paper ticket for each meal service and complete all tickets for all modified diet combinations as part of the facility’s contingency plan.
• Follows local policies and procedures for calorie counts, maintaining of call records and other food service-related functions. NCC Associate communicates patient concerns with registered dietitian or dietetic Technician as appropriate and communicates with supervisor to complete all task assigned such as production/menu changes, menu specials, or menu shortages. Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, tube feeding orders and nutritional supplements.
• Incumbent may assist other NCC Associates and provide training on technical work matters related to the Nutrition Call Center.
• Incumbent will use a computer terminal to record, retrieve and print recipes, menus, and inventory reports; to disseminate this information to various work units in the kitchen. Identifies errors in diet information transmitted from inpatient units to Nutrition and Food Services and takes any necessary corrective actions.
• Verifies physician orders for unusual diets, conflicting modifications, and nutritional supplements with the appropriate RD, informatics RD, or FSSM. NCC Associate completes performance improvement activities as assigned by supervisor and conducts menu review with NFS personnel prior to meal service.
• Completes all other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Different tours available – to be discussed during interview
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Technician -Dietetic/PD99855-S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

5

• Job family (Series)

  0640 Health Aid And Technician
  

  Similar jobs

  • Dietetic Technicians
  • Technicians, Dietetics

• Requirements
  

  Requirements

  Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

  Qualifications

  To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/08/2021.

  Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

  You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

  • Specialized Experience GS-05: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Providing patients with the correct diet order, food choices, and special menu/food requests; Preparing meal tray tickets for patients; and printing food service menus. Must be able to communicate effectively with verbally and in writing.
  • OR
  • Education: 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor’s degree with courses related to the occupation. Copy of Transcripts required.
  • OR
  • Combination: only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant’s total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the applicant’s education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for
  • GS-5. Copy of Transcripts required.

  You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Communications
  • Computer Skills
  • Customer Service
  • Quality Assurance
  • Teamwork
  • Technical Competence

  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.

  Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

  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.

  For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
  

  Education

  A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

  Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
  

  Additional information

  Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee’s credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

  The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM’s Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

  Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

  It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

  This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

  For more information on the “Who may apply” eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

  If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

  How You Will Be Evaluated

  You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
  IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

  Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview.Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

  Background checks and security clearance

  Security clearance

  Not Required
  

  Drug test required

  Yes
  

  Position sensitivity and risk

  Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
  

  Trust determination process

  Suitability/Fitness

• Required Documents
  

  Required Documents

  To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
  Resume
  
  
  Answers to the Questionnaire

  The following SF-50’s ARE required: Most recent – SF50 Notification of Personnel Action – showing your grade and tenure. SF- 50 -which shows your title, grade and career tenure. ( An award SF50 is not acceptable)An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.

  The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50’s (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

  • Cover Letter
  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

  SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
  • Award 50’s do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50’s include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50’s at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

  Veterans’ Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 “Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference” with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans’ Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets – Veterans – Job Seekers – Veterans’ Preference.
  

  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  

  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

• Benefits
  

  Benefits

  A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Help

This job is open to

• Federal employees – Competitive service
  

  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
  

• Internal to an agency
  

  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This posting is ONLY OPEN TO: Current, permanent Wilmington VA & CBOC employees.