This Medical Instrument Technician position is in the Nursing service at the VA Boston Health Administration, located at the Jamaica Plains and West Roxbury Campuses. This position is a full-time, at 40 per week.

Duties

The GI technician (GI) is a member of the endoscopy team. This technician performs a number of tasks and operates a variety of equipment and devices. The GI Health Tech provides assistance to the patient, physician and other members during endoscopy procedures. The Health Technician must be an active member of the team, participating with the team members in planning and implementing procedures under the general supervision of the team. Duties Include but are not limited to: 1. Plans daily work and patient schedule effectively, sets priorities and coordinates flow of work to support patient continuity of care. 2. Plans and discusses each procedure with the physician and Registered Nurse and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the procedure. 3. Sets up Procedure room with all required items for each procedure 4. Prepares, organizes and maintains highly technologically complex equipment. 5. Anticipates the needs of the physician by maintaining a high level of concentration. Actively observes and responds promptly to procedure at hand. 6. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment. 7. Assists the team with care of the patient (generally adult to old adults) such as applying monitoring devices, positioning of patient and providing instruction and comfort to patient. 8. Handles all specimens appropriately. 9. Responsible for the accountability for all instruments and equipment during procedures. 10. Assists the physician by anticipating and preparing for biopsy, polypectomy, specimen retrieval and electro-coagulation of bleeding sites in the stomach, small bowel and colon. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm. Compressed/Flexible:Not Available. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F05717, F04200, F04201, F04202 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. This position is a NAGE Bargaining Unit position. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. This position is on a Special Salary Rate. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.

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. 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". For all specialties identified in this standard, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable. Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition. English Language Proficiency. Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the criteria discussed in the applicable headings, or that defined in the appendices, must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-04 Basic Developmental Level: 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 degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. Knowledge of basic medical terminology. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted. Ability to communicate orally and in writing. GS-05 Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level GS-04 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 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. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. GS-06 Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level GS-05 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: Ability to set up endoscopy equipment, ensuring endoscopes and ancillary equipment functions properly. Ability to aid the physician with standard and routine procedures such as colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy to assist practitioner with routine standardized gastroenterology procedures. 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. Ability to reprocess and maintain specialty critical reusable medical equipment (RME), following approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and universal precautions. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies. Ability to manually clean and disinfect non-critical reusable equipment and surfaces, dispose of onetime- use equipment and trash per facility policy, and restock supplies such as linens, suction equipment, and cleaning products. GS-07 Full Performance Level Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BLS certification. Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level GS-06 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: Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures. Ability to assist physician with specialized, complex procedures. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies. Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration. Preferred Experience: Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification References: VA Handbook 5005/15, 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: Work pace ranges from sedentary to a very rapid pace to include walking, standing, bending, and reaching. Includes lifting and positioning patients in/onto exam position or on/off gurney, and or wheelchair. Work requires specific, but common, physical abilities such as agility and dexterity to position patients for examination or treatment in usual alternate positions for patients with common disabilities must be able to push/pull/lift 501bs.

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 Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Karina Santos
• Phone: 401-752-6750
• Email: [email protected]