Dental Assistant
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Description: Department Of Veterans Affairs is in need of Dental Assistant right now, this job will be situated in South Dakota. More details about this job opportunity please read the description below. Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 874650
***APPLY ONLINE OR BY FOLLOWING THE FAXING INSTRUCTIONS LOCATED IN THE "HOW TO APPLY" SECTION***
Our mission: To fulfill Presiden! t Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
At the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), we strive to hire only the best! Working with and for America's Veterans is a privilege and we pride ourselves on the quality of care we provide. In return for your commitment to quality health care for our nation's Veterans, the VA offers an incomparable benefits package. Located in southeast South Dakota, Sioux Falls is a progressive family-oriented community, with an extremely low crime rate. Four seasons with abundant recreation activities. No state income tax. The SFVAHCS is a teaching hospital providing a full range of patient care service, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and resea! rch. Care is provided to eligible veterans in eastern South Da! kota, Northwestern Iowa, and Southwestern Minnesota. Comprehensive health care is provided through primary care, tertiary care, and long-term care in the areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, geriatrics, and transitional care. The SFVAHCS is part of VA Midwest Healthcare System (VISN 23), which includes facilities in Minnesota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Every job at the VA impacts the Veterans that we serve. You can be part of that team, helping to make sure that our Veterans receive the top-quality care they deserve.
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration ! and National Cemeteries.
Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply.
The procedures outlined in AFGE Master Agreement, Article 23, Section 8 will be followed. First consideration will be given to current Sioux Falls VAHCS employees. KEY REQUIREMENTS
U. S. Citizenship DUTIES:
The Sioux Falls VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for a Full-time, Permanent, Dental Assistant. This position will be located in the Dental Service. The Dental Assistant assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical and clerical functions independently of direct supervision. As a Dental Assistant, you are responsible for the following duties to include, but not limited to:
Chairside Assisting:
Sets up operatory and/or surgery suite for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover
Passes instruments safely, accurately, and! efficiently
Keeps operative field clear of debris and retract! s oral tissues effectively and comfortably
Prepares dental medicaments and impression materials per manufacturerÂ's instructions
Accomplishes all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols
Assists in routine general dental procedures
Assists in specialized dental procedures, such as oral maxillofacial surgery, endodontics, and surgical periodontics
Clerical Functions:
Assists patients in scheduling appointments
Assists in filling gaps in the doctorÂ's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments
Assists dentist in charting findings and treatment plans in patient records
Dental Laboratory Functions:
Pours impressions and prepares study models
Makes final denture impression trays and prepares bite rims
Performs other dental laboratory functions as time and skill levels allow
Direct Patient Care:
Remove su! tures and removal of periodontal surgical dressing
Impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication
Remove temporary crown/bridge and clean tooth preparation of debris
Re-cement and fabricate temporary crowns
Coronal polishing of teeth
Place rubber dams and matrix bands
Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education
Work Schedule: The tour of duty for this position is Monday - Friday, Days, Evenings, Weekends and Holidays may be required.
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-03 up to GS-06 . The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's qualifications and recommend the grade and step at which the candidate will! be placed. The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the ! selected candidate. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
Citizen of the United States.
Experience and Education
Experience: Six months experience that demonstrates the applicantÂ's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work.
OR
Education: Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental AssociationÂ's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
OR
Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.
Certification:
Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Departme! nt of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
1. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence
(a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.;
OR
(b) Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry.
OR
(c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD).
2. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justifica! tion for termination of the temporary appointment. This will result in ! removal from the GS-681 series and may result in termination of employment.
3. Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable.
4. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level, and is required for all positions above the full performance level.
English Language Proficiency: Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of VA Handbook 5005.
GRADE REQUIREMENTS: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-3: Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
GS-4: Experience or Education. In addition to the basic requirements, 1 year of experience at the next lower level, OR 2 years of education above high school that included completion of a dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental AssociationÂ's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
Basic knowledge of infection control and safe instrument handling.
Basic knowledge of dental procedures and medical emergencies.
Ability to perform basic radiographic image capture and processing/retrieval.
Basic knowledge of maintenance, care and storage of dental equipment.
Basic knowledge of patient privacy requirements.
GS-5: Experience or Education In addition to the requirements listed at GS-4 above
Applicants must demonstrate at least 1 year of experience equivalent to at the nex! t lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described a! t that level.
OR
Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study that included or was supplemented by completion of a dental assistant program by CODA.
In addition to meeting paragraph (1) or (2) above, the applicant must demonstrate the following KSAÂ's:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of anatomy and [ability to evaluate diagnostic quality.
Broad knowledge of common medical emergencies and vital signs measurement.
Basic knowledge of instruments, materials and standardized dental procedures.
Ability to learn and utilize software programs used within VHA.
Basic communication skills to provide patient instructions according to established protocol.
GS-6: Experience: At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level.
In addition, the candidate must demonst! rate the following technical KSAs:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Ability to identify normal oral anatomy.
Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures.
Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs.
Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist.
Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats.
Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry.
Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records.
Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures
Applicant's education, experience, and licen! se/certification will be considered by a Professional Standards Board i! n determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Reference: VA Handbook 5005/46, Part II, Appendix G36 Occupation Qualification Standard for Dental Assistant. http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf , VA QUALIFICATION STANDARD dated April 19, 2011.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the Dentist. Incumbent must be dexterous in passing instruments to Dentist without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the Dentist.
APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Educ! ation must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or résumé. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability,! or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veter! an, must complete an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx . HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. You may also be evaluated based upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview. In responding to structured interview questions you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did, and the outcome.
To begin the process, click the Apply Online button at the right side of this screen! to create an account or log in to your existing USAJOBS account. Follow the prompts to complete the occupational questionnaire. Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button at the end of the process.
INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software, fax transmissions errors, or any other delays. You will not be contacted for missing, incomplete or clarification of information relating to your application materials.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: (Failure to comply may be grounds for withdrawal of an offer of employment or dismissal after appointment)
Applicants tentatively selected for certain designated positions may be subject to a random drug screening for illegal drug use. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment.
Applicant is subject to a pre-employment physical examination.
N! ew Appointees will be subject to a background investigation to determin! e suitability.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify at the time of appointment that they have registered with the Selective Service system or are exempt for having to do so under Selective Service law.
Applicants must not be listed on the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of Inspector General Sanctions database.
Applicants selected for positions through this announcement may be subject to a one year probationary period. BENEFITS:
Working for the Department of Veterans Affairs offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life insurance, health benefits, thrift savings plan, and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System. In addition to traditional "dollars and cents" benefits, we offer a range of benefits to help balance work and life. For more information please visit us at http://www.va.gov/JOBS/Job_Benefits/benefits.asp . OTHE! R INFORMATION:
VET PRO CREDENTIALING: Individuals selected for positions that have patient care responsibilities are subject to undergoing an electronic credentialing process called VetPro. As part of this process, it will be necessary for you to submit complete information concerning your professional education, training, experience, licensure and certifications using VetPro. The candidate selected will be provided with further information on how to use VetPro.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
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If you were eligible to this job, please give us your resume, with salary requirements and a resume to Department Of Veterans Affairs.
Interested on this job, just click on the Apply button, you will be redirected to the official website
This job starts available on: Wed, 17 Apr 2013 02:59:00 GMT