Health Aid (Escort)

Patient Escort Services

This position is located in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veteran Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton VA Medical Center (VAMC), in the Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE). The primary purpose of this position is to perform patient escort services through the facility. Responsibilities include the escort of non-critical ill patients; the pickup and delivery of items such as specimens and clinical reports; and messenger service within the Medical Center. Transports patients by wheelchair, stretcher, or bed to and from nursing units, clinical laboratories, and other related clinical areas. Assists nurses with transporting critically ill patients by maneuvering the stretcher, wheelchair, or bed to the destination. Transports non-critically ill patients throughout the VAMC, which includes multiple separate buildings. Maintains effective interpersonal relationships with patients, significant others, and co-workers directed toward patient care. Ensures that Escort Service's assigned wheelchairs and stretchers are returned to the Escort area for proper utilization and accountability purposes. Provides for environmental, patient, and personal safety by using proper body mechanics, safety devices, and techniques, and reporting unsafe conditions. Takes corrective action during simple potentially hazardous situations, i.e., removing objects blocking emergency exits. Report any observed emergencies to the appropriate personnel.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm

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

Requirements Conditions of Employment:

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements. Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/11/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-2 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-1. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows 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. 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: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-1 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

Communication Operation of Machine Tools Reading Comprehension 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: Work includes walking, standing, lifting, pushing, stooping, reaching, sitting, bending. Practice of proper body mechanics. Work is performed within the VAMC environment with adherence to safety regulations and precautions. Possible exposure to contagious disease. Possible exposure to resistive or assaultive patients.

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: There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.