The Cincinnati, OH VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Medical Instrument Technician located in Nursing, Acute Care section of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center.

Duties

Major Duties: Sets up dialysis machines and other equipment needed for dialysis patients. Tests the conductivity of the machine dialysate solution - pH. Tests for the absence of chlorine on all dialysis machines used for the first time each day. Responsible for cleaning/sanitizing all equipment, countertops, surfaces, furniture, and other devices used in the dialysis unit according to department policies, procedures, and SOPs. Performs basic housekeeping duties such as emptying laundry, obtaining new sharps containers, and other related duties to keep the environment organized and free from clutter. Responsible for storage and disassembly of equipment and supplies. Manages the dialysate solutions to ensure that they are stored properly on carts, transported into patient care areas, and delivered to the bedside. Maintains the inventory of necessary spare parts and supplies. Maintains a record of all water testing/results and system disinfections. Is responsible for the chemical and bacteriologic quality testing on the dialysis water and systems. Documentation of all results needs to be maintained. Responsible for the disinfection and testing of the main RO and portable RO machines following established standards. Responsible for transporting and setting up the dialysis machines and portable RO machines used in the Medical Center. Troubleshoots alarm conditions and works to correct minor issues in an effort to limit down time. Contacts Engineering personnel regarding malfunctions. Responsible for cleaning and disinfecting dialysis machines on a daily basis (heat-disinfection) and weekly basis (chemical disinfection). Monitors, cleans, and disinfects the RO equipment according to SOP. Assists with the orientation and training of new dialysis technicians. Ensures the proper storage of portable oxygen tanks. Returns spent oxygen tanks to the respiratory therapy department and obtains full tanks so that the dialysis unit has a continuous supply. Obtaining accurate pre/post patient weights, blood pressure, pulse, and respirations. Reports any patient untoward reactions and comes to the patient's aid within their scope of practice. Provides for patient comfort, hygiene, and general care needs. Delivers various specimens to the laboratory and obtains blood products from the blood bank as needed. Transports patients via bed or wheelchair. Keeps the unit stocked with patient care supplies. Work Schedule: Varies, will be discussed further during Interview process. Typically will be Monday-Saturday, 7:30 am- 4:00 pm or 5:00 am-1:30 pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required.

Requirements

Qualifications

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. Education. There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels. See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions. Licensure or Certification. Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities. For certain functional areas at the higher levels or supervisory assignments, specific certifications appropriate to the specialty are indicated in this standard under "Titles and Certification/Registrations". Grade Determinations: GS-4 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: OR, 1. 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 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. (c) Assignments. At this level assignments are trainee in nature. The medical instrument technician trainee is performing limited routine assignments of a developmental nature under close supervision. GS-5 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. GS-6 Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level of GS- 5 which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled. GS-7 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 positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge the equipment, standard procedures, and typical machine problems and/or patient reactions to treatment. GS-8 Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level GS-7, which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of the more complex procedures, the pharmacology related to this occupation, and knowledge of related acute disorders and diseases and their effects on organs and methods of treatment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Knowledge of the hemodialysis process and equipment needed for home/self care including knowledge of common machine problems and repairs to such equipment. 2. Knowledge of the equipment and procedures for peritoneal dialysis. 3. Ability to assist the physician with percutaneous renal biopsies and peritoneal catheter insertion. 4. Ability to provide instruction to dialysis patients in home/self care and in the maintenance of the equipment. 5. Ability to provide instruction for physicians, nurses, and other personnel in dialysis procedures, equipment operation and maintenance, etc. Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BCLS (Basic Cardiac Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certifications References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/54 PART II APPENDIX G27

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 Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Kelly Webb
• Email: [email protected]