This position is for a Medical Instrument Tech (GI) in the Nursing Service at the Birmingham VA Medical Center. The Medical Instrument Technician provides the Gastroenterology physicians with technical assistance during fiberoptic endoscopy procedures.

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following: Evaluating patients to ascertain contraindications to the procedure. Placing patients on complicated monitoring devices. Assist with both simple and complex diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Provide clear concise instructions at the patient's level of understanding. Ensure proper performance of equipment, set up of equipment, and reprocess endoscopic reusable equipment. Assis with specialized complex procedures such as Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography/sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ultrasound, and Fine Needle Biopsy retrievals. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 08:00 AM to 04:30 PM with rotations to odd shifts to meet patient care needs. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. This announcement is open to the public. Current, permanent VA/Federal employees should apply to announcement number CBFF-12116757-23-OA.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d). No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Grade Determination: GS-04 (Trainee): Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level. OR, Education: Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology. 2. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. 3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. 4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted. 5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing. GS-05 (Trainee): Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. OR, Education: Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. 2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. 3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. 4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. 5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. GS-06 Gastroenterology (GI) Technician: Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 1. Ability to set up endoscopy equipment, ensuring endoscopes and ancillary equipment functions properly. 2. Ability to aid the physician with standard and routine procedures such as colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). 3. Knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy in order to assist practitioner with routine standardized gastroenterology procedures. 4. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure, recognizing disabilities or impaired mobility and assisting the patient as necessary. 5. Ability to reprocess and maintain specialty critical reusable medical equipment (RME), following approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and universal precautions. 6. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies. 7. Ability to manually clean and disinfect non-critical reusable equipment and surfaces, dispose of one-time-use equipment and trash per facility policy, and restock supplies such as linens, suction equipment, and cleaning products. GS-07 GI Technician (Full Performance Level): Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of proper performance of endoscopic equipment and procedures. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures. 2. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures. 3. Ability to assist physician with specialized, complex procedures. 4. Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOP's to clean reusable medical equipment (RME). 5. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care. 6. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies. 7. Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration. Preferred Experience: Experience with setting up endoscopy equipment. Medical terminology and human anatomy in order to assist practitioner with routine standardized gastroenterology procedures. Experience with explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure, recognizing disabilities or impaired mobility and assisting the patient as necessary. Experience with collecting, processing, and labelling all specimens; train other technicians in basic endoscopic procedures; work in and outside the GI unit offering technician support during emergent and on-call endoscopic cases; and assist the nurse in patient care duties such as obtaining vital signs, dressing and documenting all pertinent information the the patient's records. References: VA Handbook 5005/54 Part II Appendix G27 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-04 to GS-07. Physical Requirements: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing duties of this job, the MIT is frequently required to stand, walk, bend, and reach and assist with patient positioning. Must be able to lift and/or move over 50 pounds. Wearing a 20-pound lead apron, thyroid shield, mask, gown and eye shield during some procedures.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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.

Contacts

• Address Birmingham VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]