Medical Instrument Technician is employed in the EKG Laboratory, Cardiology Section, Medical Service and works under the supervision of the supervisor/technician of noninvasive lab. The Medical Instrument Technician is expected to be proficient and capable of full performance of GS-7 duties. At least 1 year of experience is required comparable to the next lower grade which demonstrates knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position.

Duties

DUTIES: May be performed in the EKG lab, clinics, wards, intensive care units, Operating room, Nuclear Medicine and CLC. The technician is trained and responsible for performing routine EKGs and is trained and responsible for performing routine treadmills, pharmacological stress tests such as IV dobutamine myocardial stress testing and Lexiscan stress testing. Technician sets up for several types of IV infusions, including the variable pressure volumetric pump, cannulation, crash cart, defibrillator, emergency medications, etc., connects patient to blood pressure and pulse monitoring machines and monitors as directed. Technician is trained to hook up two different Holter monitoring systems and scanning of holter tapes and is responsible for preparation of computerized-generated reports. Technician hooks up and instructs patient for the use of arrhythmia monitors. Technicians must be proficient in recognizing dangerous arrhythmias while scanning and notifying appropriate personnel. Technician must have knowledge of basic EKG and recognizing of arrhythmias. Technician must have Knowledge of common equipment (EKG, Treadmill, Holter) settings and knowledge of common errors and corrective such errors. Technician must have the ability to modify procedure or patient position. Technician must have the ability to train lower GS EKG Technicians and conduct in-service. Technician must be trained in the art of CPR in event of cardiac arrest and know how to call Code Blue. If patient's condition deteriorates during testing, but there is no arrest, technician must notify proper personnel and call Met Code. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:45am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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". 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: GS7: 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 of the equipment, standard tests and procedures, and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress including the ability to recognize, report and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias. 2. Knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures. 3. Ability to modify procedures/positions to obtain the correct results with patients with complicating conditions such as amputations, Parkinson's disease, structural defects, and scar tissue. 4. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians. 5. Ability to conduct in-service training on the EKG equipment and related instrumentation 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. Preferred: BLS Required Assignment. This represents the full performance level. Medical instrument technicians (EKG) at this level operate and monitor electrocardiographic equipment to perform specialized examinations and studies involving exercise stress testing, ambulatory monitoring of arrhythmias, and indirect carotid pulse tracings on chronic patients. They monitor tracings to identify arrhythmias and when gross abnormalities appear, when to repeat certain procedures, when to stop test procedures, and when to get the immediate attention of a physician. They evaluate test results to determine appropriate machine adjustments and use alternative techniques and procedures when established procedures do not accomplish acceptable results. This includes adapting equipment and accessories to yield the best results during the examination. They edit and select an appropriate sample portion of the tracing for further interpretation by the physician Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 7 to 7. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Salem VA Medical Center 1970 Roanoke Boulevard Salem, VA 24153 US
• Name: Kera Madden
• Phone: 540-982-2463 X2770
• Email: [email protected]