ORLEANS COUNTY CIVIL SERVICE

HEALTH ASSISTANT

John C. Welch, Jr.

                       #69-595             Personnel Officer          OPEN COMPETITIVE    

WRITTEN EXAMINATION DATE – May 31, 2008

LAST FILING DATE – April 30, 2008

VACANCIES:

                            Two vacancies in the Holley School District.  The eligible list which will result from this examination will be used to fill full time, part time and temporary positions for greater than three months as they occur in the School Districts of Holley or Medina or in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES.

SALARY:        Varies with jurisdiction.

RESIDENCE:            

                            Candidates must have been legal residents of Orleans County for at least one month immediately preceding the date of the written examination for a position in the Holley Central or the Medina Central School District.  For a position in the Orleans-Niagara BOCES, candidates must be legal residents of Orleans or Niagara County.

DUTIES:  This position involves the performance of routine health related duties including aiding students with specific health problems, screening duties and maintaining records of pupil health examination programs.  The position differs from that of a Registered Professional Nurse (School) or School Nurse Teacher since there is no responsiblity for classroom instruction, application of professional nursing skills or guidance of students or parents.  The duties are carried out under the general supervision of the Supervisor of Special Education.  Other than routine incidents are referred to a supervisor for resolution.  Incumbents may also assist in the administration of the compulsory education and related laws pertaining to things such as issuance of working papers, athletic physical examinations and insurance records.  Supervision of others is not a function of the position.  The incumbent does related work as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  EITHER:

              (A)  Three years of experience assisting in health care patient-contact services in health facility, clinic, physician’s office or similar setting involving provision of first aid and completion of an approved basic first aid and CPR courses including medical terminology; OR

              (B)  Possession of a license to practice as a Licensed Practical Nurse in New York State and one year of the experience listed in (A) above; OR

              (C)  An equivalent combination of training and experience as outlined in (A) and (B) above.

NOTE:  Study in a registered professional nursing program approved by the State Education Department may be substituted for the above experience on a year for year basis.

SUBJECT OF EXAMINATION:  Written test will be designed to measure knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in areas such as:

              1.  Basic Medical Procedures - These questions test for knowledge of basic medical procedures. Questions may cover such topics as checking vital signs; normal findings for vital signs; what constitutes a medical emergency; emergency first aid for shock, choking, bleeding, seizures, heart attack, burns; etc.

              2.  Keeping Simple Inventory Records - These questions test your skill in following instructions in order to keep accurates in order to keep accurate records of different materials received and distributed from a central location. You will be given written directions for a set of records and forms on which records are kept. You are to complete these forms from partially completed records or from lists of materials, then answer questions about the completed records. You may be asked to compute total costs from quantities and unit prices. The ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide will be required . Specific knowledge of record keeping systems and techniques will not be needed.

              3.  Office Record Keeping - These questions test your ability to perform common office keeping tasks. The test consists of two or more “sets” of questions, each set concerning a different problem. Typical record keeping problems might involve the organization or collation of data from several sources; scheduling; maintaining a record system using running balances; or completion of a table summarizing data using totals, subtotals, averages and percents.

              4.  Understanding and Interpreting Written Material - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections.  All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.

USE OF CALCULATORS IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS EXAM     

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT FOR APPOINTMENT IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES

Per Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, and by Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, to be employed in a position designated by a school district or BOCES as involving direct contact with students, a clearance for employment from the State Education Department is required.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Each candidate must execute an application form and file it with the Orleans County Civil Service Office, County Office Building, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY 14411.  Applications should be filed as soon as possible after the announcement of the examination.  In writing for the application form and information, SPECIFY BY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER AND TITLE the position for which you wish to apply.  Before filing your application, BE SURE EVERY QUESTION IS ANSWERED.  AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION MAY BE DISAPPROVED.

2.  Accepted candidates will be notified when and where to appear for examination.  None will be admitted to the examination without official admittance card.  If an applicant is rejected, due notice will be sent.  The Civil Service Office does not make formal acknowledgment of the receipt of an application.  Call the Civil Service Office if you have not received your notice three (3) days before the date of the test.

3.  Unless otherwise stated, all candidates are required to be legal residents of Orleans County for one (1) month immediately preceding the date of examination.  Appointing authorities may give preference to legal residents of their jurisdiction.

4.  For purpose of claiming veteran’s credits on a Civil Service Examination, an applicant must have received an honorable discharge and have served in the armed forces of the United States at any time during the following periods:

World War II - Dec. 7, 1941 - Dec. 31, 1946                 Lebanon - June 1, 1983 - Dec. 1, 1987

Korean Conflict - June 27, 1950 - Jan. 31, 1955          Grenada - Oct. 23, 1983 - Nov. 21, 1983

Viet Nam Conflict – Feb. 28, 1961 - May 7, 1975       Panama - Dec. 20, 1989 - Jan. 31, 1990

Persian Gulf Conflict - August 2, 1990 – to the date upon which such hostilities end (not yet determined)

Credit for Lebanon, Grenada and Panama will be limited to those who received the armed forces expeditionary, the navy expeditionary medal, or the marine corps expeditionary medal.

VETERANS: Any candidate claiming veterans’ credit or disabled veterans’ credit must file with their application for examination a certified copy of their Honorable Discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States.  Veterans claiming disability credits must file Form MSD332-VC-3.  All candidates filing veterans’ credits must file form MSD-332-VC-1.

5.  Verification of Qualification:  Candidates may be investigated or called for an interview to determine whether they are qualified for appointment.

6.  PASSING MARK:  Passing mark for examination is 70.

7.  Eligible lists will be established in the order of final rating for successful candidates and will be established for a period of one (1) year unless exhausted prior to that date.  Lists may be extended by the Personnel Officer not to exceed four (4) years.  The eligible list resulting from this examination will be used to fill present and future vacancies in this title.

ORLEANS COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER!!

EXAM FEE:  A fee of $20.00 is required for each separate examination for which you apply.  A $20.00 check, money order or cash must accompany the application for examination.  The check is to be made payable to Orleans County Civil Service.  Write the examination title and number on your check or money order.  REFUNDS OF FEES WILL NOT BE ISSUED TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE DISQUALIFIED FOR NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADMITTANCE TO THE EXAMINATION OR WHO DO NOT APPEAR FOR TESTING ON THE SCHEDULED TEST DATE.   Therefore, be sure to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements listed and file only for those examinations for which you clearly qualify and intend to take.  We cannot prescreen applications submitted without the fee.

APPLICATION FEE WAIVER: A waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are unemployed and primarily responsible for the support of a household.  In addition, a waiver of application fee will be allowed if you are determined eligible for Medicaid, or receiving Supplemental Security Income Payments, or Public Assistance (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/Family Assistance or Safety Net Assistance) or are certified Job Training Partnership Act/Workforce Investment Act eligible through a State or local social service agency.  All claims for application fee waiver are subject to verification.  If you can verify eligibility for application fee waiver, complete a “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form and submit it with your application by the close of business on the Application Deadline as listed on the Examination Announcement.

The “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” may be obtained at the Orleans County Department of Personnel, Orleans County Administration Building, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY  14411.  Telephone (585) 589-3184 or (585) 589-2793.

THIS EXAMINATION WILL BE PREPARED AND RATED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL SERVCIE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 23-2 OF THE CIVIL SERVICE LAW.  THE PROVISIONS OF THE NEW YORK STATE CIVIL SERVICE RULES AND REGULATIONS DEALING WITH THE PREPARATION AND RATING OF THE EXAMINATIONS WILL APPLY TO THIS EXAMINATION.

APPLICATIONS: Information and applications may be obtained at the Department of Personnel, Orleans County Administrative Building, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY 14411.  Telephone 589-3184 or 589-2793.  If you wish to have an application mailed to you, send a self-addressed stamped envelope.

Examination to be held at the Albion High School, 302 East Avenue, Albion, NY  14411.

APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVCIE EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN EXAMINATIONS ARE SCHEDULED ON SAME DATE - If you have applied for any other Civil Service examinations for employment with New York State or any other local government jurisdiction, you must make arrangements to take all your examinations at one test site.  If you have applied for both State and Local government examinations, you must make arrangements to take all your examinations at the State examination center by calling (518) 474-6470 no later than two weeks before the test date.

If you have applied for other local government examinations, call or write to each civil service agency to make arrangements.  You must make your request for these arrangements no later than two weeks before the date of the examinations.  You must notify all local government civil service agencies with whom you have filed an application of the test site at which you wish to take your examination.  For this examination call (585) 589-3184 or (585) 589-2793 or write to Orleans County Personnel Office, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY  14411.

APPLICANTS:  Please contact this office five (5) days prior to the examination if you have not been notified by us, as to your eligibility to participate in this examination.

Religious Accommodation – Most written tests are held on Saturdays.  If you cannot take the test on the announced test date due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation”.  We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following business day).

Disabled Candidates – If special arrangements for testing are required, indicate this on your application form.

Military Members - Candidates who are called to military service after filing an application should send written requests for an alternate test date to Orleans County Personnel Office as soon as possible before the test date.

Applications must be postmarked or filed by the closing date for filing for this examination.  CANDIDATES MUST RECORD THE EXAMINATION NUMBER AND TITILE ON THE APPLICATION.

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES

Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery powered calculators.  Devices with typewriter keyboards, Spell checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries, or any similar devices are prohibited.

                                                                      John C. Welch, Jr.

                                                                      PERSONNEL OFFICER

ISSUED:  03/20/2008

ORLEANS COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER!!