This position is in the Nuclear Medicine department of Radiology at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. A Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Multi-Modality Technologist) performs a wide variety of functional studies of organs and/or systems of the human body. This involves performing static and dynamic imaging procedures along with the administration of pharmaceuticals, radionuclides, and radiopharmaceuticals.

Duties

a. Confirms appropriateness of ordered exam and gathers relevant patient history/clinical data via all authorized resources in support of ordered exam, prior to exam/procedure. b. Develops and maintains proficiency in usage of ancillary computer systems (i.e. PACS, Vista, CPRS, etc.). c. Prepares room, equipment and material needed prior to exam to ensure efficiency of procedure whilst also maintaining a clean, supplied and organized work area. d. Receives and properly identifies patient, using two unique identifiers as well as active rather than passive identification prior to initiating any part of the ordered procedure. e. Explains procedure(s) in its(their) entirety and answers all questions asked by the patient and/or caregiver. f. Registers patient for exam to generate accession number and confirm order is still active. Completes exam at the end of the study. g. Vigilant in all patient safety aspects: transferring patients to and from medical equipment/devices (i.e. stretcher, wheelchair, imaging table) as well as transporting to different areas of facility. h. Exercises proper and ergonomically safe lifting/transporting techniques to avoid injury to self and patient. i. Promptly notifies appropriate personnel regarding any safety issues in need of correction. j. Positions patient for all necessary imaging requirements and tends to their comfort for the duration of the procedure; promptly reporting any complications or unusual events. k. Maintains effective communication with the healthcare team to ensure throughput efficiency. l. Performs required technical procedures for safe receipt, handling, transport, usage, shipping, and disposal of radioactive materials, assuring compliance with NRC, NHPP, DOT and license conditions. Understanding of different precautions used dependent on package type. m. Prepare, assay and correctly administer radiopharmaceutical doses by injection, inhalation and/or ingestion as prescribed. n. Proficiency in introducing intravenous catheters for administration of radiopharmaceuticals and/or medications. o. Test blood glucose levels in patients. Respond appropriately to results that are outside normal range. p. Knowledgeable regarding possible side effects of radiopharmaceuticals and other medications to be administered, such as Lasix, captopril, cholecystokinin (CCK) and aminophylline. Take immediate action to remedy any noted effects. q. Orders and manages radiopharmaceutical/pharmaceutical doses as required for daily patient studies. Maintains adequate supplies of doses to perform patient studies without a delay. r. Works very closely with staff from non-invasive cardiology stress lab to maximize patient care and minimize costs of wasted doses. Collaborate with stress lab personnel regarding injections, scheduling and care of patients undergoing myocardial perfusion imaging procedures. s. Practices ALARA principle in all aspects of duties. t. Proficient operation of nuclear medicine imaging equipment such as SPECT/CT and PET/CT systems. u. Operational proficiency of ancillary equipment such as: well counters; GM survey meters; thyroid uptake system; dose calibrators; glucometers; handheld blood analyzer; and, xenon trap device. v. Performs quality assurance measures in accordance with manufacturer specifications and regulatory guidelines on imaging and non-imaging systems such as SPECT/CT, PET/CT, thyroid uptake probe, gamma cameras, dose calibrators, well counters, survey meters, glucometers, handheld blood analyzer and xenon trap device. w. Assists with troubleshooting both imaging and non-imaging equipment when appropriate. Relays pertinent information to personnel tasked with maintenance and repair of all equipment. x. Performs a full range of nuclear medicine diagnostic imaging, non-imaging, in-vitro and therapeutic procedures; including highly specialized computer assisted studies such as gated, tomographic and quantitative procedures. y. Performs and understands a range of hybrid imaging including SPECT/CT and PET/CT. Knowledgeable in low dose Computed Tomography (CT) aspects including KeV and MAS settings. Working knowledge of attenuation correction and anatomical landmarks as they diagnostic quality. And all other duty's as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am to 4:30pm or 7:00am to 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible:Available Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52048-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

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. Certification. All applicants must be certified in nuclear medicine technology by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (N) and possess advanced ARRT certification in computed tomography (CT). NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following: [(1) Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology program, OR (2) Completion of a nuclear medicine technology program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology(JRCNMT), or other accrediting agencies as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), culminating in a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's degree. Educational programs must have structured clinical training sufficient to provide clinical competency in radiation safety, instrumentation, clinical procedures, and radio-pharmacy, as deemed acceptable by the NMTCB. English Language Proficiency. [NMTs] must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of this part. Preferred Experience: One to three years clinical experience performing diagnostic and therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures, including but not limited to: myocardial perfusion imaging, bone scintigraphy, ventilation and perfusion lung imaging, hepatobiliary scintigraphy, cardiac amyloidosis imaging, lymphoscintigraphy, thyroid ablation, PET/CT imaging, DEXA, ect. one to three years experience operating nuclear medicine imaging equipment and radiation safety equipment. BLS certification. Advanced imaging certifications in PET/CT and /or cardiovascular. One year working in a medical discipline that involves working with patients. Grade Determinations for GS-11:(a) Experience. Completion of 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-09) directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the potential to acquire the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities at the GS-09: 1. Ability to document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment. 2. Knowledge of medical events requiring documentation and the ability to properly document them and make recommendations to the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). 3. Ability to communicate orally and in writing post iodine-131 therapy radiation safety precautions. 4. Ability to troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems. 5. Ability to analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures. Resume Must Also Reflect the following KSAs for the GS-11: The candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs: i. Knowledge of contrast media, side effects, medication allergic reactions, drug interactions, and extravasation assessment. ii. Skill to differentiate multi-modality protocols and adjust protocols according to patient needs, body mass index, or area of interest. iii. Knowledge of unique scanning and processing parameters required of multi-modality imaging. iv. Ability to troubleshoot and make simple repairs to PET/CT and/or PET/MR imaging systems. v. Ability to care for patients during all stages of the procedure and provide emergency response care when necessary. vi. Knowledge of all contraindications for performing CT and/or MR scans References: VA Handbook 5005/55, Part II, Appendix G15. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves heavy lifting (45 lbs and over); moderate carrying (5-44 lbs); straight pulling (up to 0.5 hours); pushing (0.5 hours); reaching above shoulders; use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 4 hours); standing (up to 4 hours); repeated bending (up to 4 hours); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; visual requirement; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing; rotate trunk side to side; tactile sensations (hot/cold); rotate forearms; and sit for 50+ minutes. Environmental factors: constant noise; unusual fatigue factors (on call requirement); working closely with others; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and electromagnetic spectrum exposure.

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 VA SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Tamara Martin
• Phone: (801) 584-1284
• Email: [email protected]