Respiratory Therapist (Registered)

Interpreting physician orders, providing specialized therapy to critically ill patients that usually require adaptation of established technical procedures.

Participating with the physician in planning, instituting, evaluating and devising a patient care plan for pulmonary hygiene.

Assisting the physician in determining therapeutic objectives/goals of respiratory treatments/therapy and evaluating the physician order for appropriateness and adjusts the order if necessary.

Administering various specialized modes of ventilation to patients with endotracheal tubes and tracheotomies and other complex medical problems requiring frequent adjustments in ventilator parameters based on patient response.

Observing the patient closely during treatments/procedures, and, as required, takes blood pressure, pulse, obtains blood gas samples reporting vital signs and obvious changes in patient condition.

Processing specimens using equipment, instruments, or techniques that are necessary to prepare them for specific analysis (pH, hematocrit, oxygen saturations, etc.).

Assisting in the examination and observation of patients by performing such duties as taking diagnostic histories, conducting physical examinations, and performing diagnostic screening tests, i.e., ventilatory mechanics and obtaining blood gases.

If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

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You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents) and your responses to the assessments required for this position.

You will be assessed on the following competencies: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories: Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria Qualified - for those who meet the minimum qualification requirements The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category.

Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants. How You Will Be Evaluated To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 80 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

NOTE: Salary listed does not include weekend, holiday and night pay shift differential. Shift Differential for employees who perform work during regularly scheduled hours between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. shall receive 10 percent of basic pay for those hours. Premium pay equal to 25 percent of the employee's basic hourly rate of pay is given for hours worked between midnight Friday or midnight Sunday.

Employees who are required to perform regularly scheduled non-overtime work on a designated holiday shall receive pay at the rate of two times their hourly rate for actual hours worked on their tour, but not less than at least two hours.

This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage.

This position requires weekend hours, night shifts, regular or rotational shifts, holiday hours. Therapist regularly works in an intensive care unit with patients who have severe respiratory and other medical problems. There is recurring exposure to contagious disease and hazardous gases.

PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration. Visit our Help Applying page for helpful information on the application process. If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application.

Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation. We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement.

By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s). Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions. If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services.

This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply Online button.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim.

You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.

Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12932260 After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.

Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about 2 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the application questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later. We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements.

For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at [email protected]. For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact NIH HR Service Desk Branch E at [email protected]. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.

Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.

Required for All Applicants RESUME: Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history.

If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed. Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.

You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position: Job title Employer name Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY) Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated) Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance.

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, Schedule A or military spouse eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire. Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims.

Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.

Visit our sites on Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) for more information and required documentation. Visit our site on the Appointment of Certain Military Spouses for more information and required documentation to verify eligibility. Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities) Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify eligibility.

Documentation must be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be on a medical professional's letterhead. Veterans' preference takes precedence in these appointments.

The Schedule A and military spouse hiring authorities do not guarantee employment or give an individual preference in the hiring process. Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).