OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Duties

This Medical Instrument Technician position is in the Cardiovascular Section. The technician is responsible for the performance of the full range of echocardiograms (echos) utilizing an echocardiographic scanner. The technician uses the scanner to produce realtime images of the heart and associated structures. These images may reveal anatomic detail, cardiac function, hemodynamics, or tissue characterization, depending on how the technician manipulates the probe and controls. The technician performs the following procedures: time-motion (M-mode), sector scan (two dimensional), color flow, spectral doppler, transesophageal (TEEs), and dobutamine stress echos. The technician provides patient care services to an adult population of patients which is characterized by a very significant number of older male patients. Review of demographic data discloses that the average age of a VAMC Milwaukee patient· is 53. 4 years, with a distribution of 88% male and 12% female patients. Within these broad categorizations, the technician must tailor patient care services to meet the needs of individual patients. This includes the responsibility for assessment of each patient's needs and delivery of services which are responsive to the concerns of individual patients to the extent possible. Major Duties: - Appropriately set up, calibrate, and operate a variety of echocardiographic equipment which includes a realtime echocardiographic scanner with facilities for M-mode, 2D, color flow, spectral doppler and TEE. - Receive, interpret, and schedule requests from physicians and support staff for echos using medical judgement to prioritize echo requests. - Perform routine and emergency echos either in the echo lab or by the bedside in MICJ or SICU. - Perform routine and emergency TEE procedures either in the ambulatory procedure center, cardiac cath lab, or by the bedside in MICU, SICU or OR. - Relate to the patients to secure their confidence and communicate with the professional staff on a professional level. The technician must work alone with patients, including very sick patients. - Analyze echo tomograms to obtain a diagnostic quality echo by adjusting the position of the patient's body, adjusting respiratory state, and probe position as well as machine controls to obtain at least one diagnostic quality heart cycle in a given projection. - Initially interpret sonographic tracings while they are being generated. - Recognize serious problems diagnosed from echo tracings. Exercise professional judgement in order to determine when an emergency situation exists requiring immediate medical intervention. - Start IV for contrast Echo studies. - Identify correctly which echo calculations are clinically indicated and perform calculations. - Provide instruction and training to paramedical and professional staff. - Inventory and order all supplies necessary for conducting transthoracic, transesophageal, and dobutamine stress echo studies. - Maintain the equipment in the echo lab in good working order by making minor adjustments, calibrations, routine preventive maintenance, and first line maintenance to insure that the equipment is properly serviced and inspected for safety hazards. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, normal business hours Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Preferred Experience: Associate degree or higher in echocardiography or a related field and Basic Life Support certification. Excellent communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, and ability to work autonomously when needed. Certification: Registration by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) as a Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) or by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) is highly desirable. Basic Cardiac Life Support(BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are also desirable. Grade Determinations:GS-6 level: At least one (1) year of experience as a Medical Instrument Technician - (Echocardiography) comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of a Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography).The following KSAs must be demonstrated: Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels; Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle; Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained; Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient, and to operate the equipment for standardized, routine procedures; Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedures. GS-7 level: At least one full year of experience as a Medical Instrument Technician - (Echocardiography) comparable to the next lower level (GS-6) which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position. This would be experience which provided the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized echocardiographic examinations. The following KSAs must be demonstrated: Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler; Ability to conduct cardiac testing to determine the severity and variety of cardiac problems, i.e., valvular dysfunction, myocardial wall kinesia, effusions, endocardial lesions, etc.; Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms; Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for more complex, but standardized procedures. GS-8 Level: Must have 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 the overall knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases. In addition, must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode, two-dimensional, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display, and colorflow Doppler imaging. 2. Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases. 3. Ability to perform complex procedures such as cardiac studies of the four chambers of the heart and valves using sector scanning techniques to detect stenotic and incompetent valves, chamber enlargement, and pericardial effusion and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves, etc. 4. Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography, (invasive) stress echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography. 5. Ability to adapt transducer positioning, instrument controls, and examination techniques to the individual patient being studied and the problem being evaluated including recognizing pertinent abnormalities and documenting abnormal findings. Certification: Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable. References: VA Handbook 5005/54 Part II Appendix G27 Medical Instrument Technician Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-8. Physical Requirements: The work requiresassisting patients to achieve proper positioning which may require reaching, stretching, or working in a strained position. Above average dexterity is required to constantly vary the equipment controls and the probe on the patient's body. Pushing the heavy echocardiographic equipment is required when performing bedside echos.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Clement J Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center 5000 West National Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53295 US
• Name: Lesley Hynes
• Phone: 414-712-8259
• Email: [email protected]