This position is assigned to Patient Care Services located within the Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver VA Medical Center. He or she will be responsible for direct and indirect patient care.
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. Citizenship of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part. 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. 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. 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. For individuals at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels, the approved title will be Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee). Medical Instrument Technician, 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. OR, Education. Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an 7 associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. Medical Instrument Technician, 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. 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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 8 procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. Medical Instrument Technician - Electrocardiograph Technician (EKG), GS-6 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. Ability to recognize special patient needs such as disabilities, impaired mobility, and complicating medical conditions in order to prepare and position the patient for the prescribed procedure. Knowledge of the specialized equipment and accessories appropriate to Holter monitoring and ability to perform such tests. Knowledge of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines in cleaning equipment. Ability to monitor the patient for adverse reactions and take appropriate action. Ability to operate the equipment to perform standard and routine highly specialized procedures including exercise stress testing. Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BCLS (Basic Cardiac Life Support) certification. Medical Instrument Technician - Electrocardiograph Technician (EKG), 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 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. Knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress including the ability to recognize, report and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias. Knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures. 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. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians. 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 Experience: Prior Medical Instrument Technician experience preferred, but not required. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-7. Physical Requirements: Please see "Additional Information"
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Operates & performs trouble shooting of continuous electrocardiography & pulse oximetry equipment used in inpatient setting. Provides continuous cardiac surveillance, rhythm interpretation, & reporting of monitor tracings of patients admitted to inpatient units, from a central station, for the purpose of diagnostic exams &/or medical treatment using continuous electrocardiography per physician's order. Documents cardiac rhythm strips, measuring & interpreting rhythms at designated intervals & PRN per Telemetry policy. Ensures rhythm strips are labeled with patient's name, lead, PR, QRS & QT intervals & rhythm interpretation & signed upon completion to be reviewed by physicians & registered nurses to determine efficacy of treatments. Reviews previous shift's rhythm strips for shift history & audit purposes. Confirms active continuous electrocardiography orders for monitored patients in Electronic Healthcare Record. Verifies appropriate parameters from the doctor's orders & notifies the assigned RN of patient changes that are outside of the default alarms or set parameters. Admits/transfers/discharges patients in Central Monitoring Station, documenting patient movements, marking monitors with patient's location when temporarily taken off the monitor. Recognizes abnormal or lethal rhythms & notifies appropriate health care personnel, calling Code blue or Rapid Response when appropriate. Monitors continuous oxygen saturation & reports abnormal finding to clinical staff. Conducts ambulating oxygen saturation tests & provides information to appropriate health care personnel to determine home oxygen needs. Operates & maintains commonly used electrocardiographic equipment used for 12-lead electrocardiograms. Performs resting 12-lead EKGs on routine, stat or prn basis for purpose of diagnostic exams &/or medical treatment per physician's order. Position patients for resting 12-lead electrocardiogram based on test required, patient anatomy/ physiology, & use alternate positions for patient with disabilities. Manipulates the controls & programs information into the 12-lead EKG computer to provide tracing. Demonstrates ability to edit & select an appropriate sample portion of the tracing for further interpretation by the physician. Alerts proper medical personnel of serious abnormal test results. Obtains patient's confidence & cooperation by providing education on the purpose & use of continuous cardiac monitoring, continuous pulse oximetry, or resting 12-lead EKG. Prepares patient's skin for proper electrode placement. Cleans reusable telemetry, 12 lead EKG reusable medical equipment, & any medical equipment stored in the Telemetry room. Assures accurate maintenance & inventory of continuous electrocardiography equipment/supplies & resting 12-lead EKG equipment: transmitters, electrodes, batteries, clips, paper. Ensures supplies are not expired & maintains supplies in 12-lead EKG carts twice per shift. Ensures patient safety by adhering to current ECHCS policy & service specific SOPs. Acts as a mentor or preceptor to new & lower grade technicians. Conducts training of nurses to central monitoring station, continuous electrocardiography transmitters, & 12-lead EKG equipment. Rotates on a limited basis for training & coverage involving exercise stress testing & ambulatory monitoring of arrythmias. Work Schedule: 6:00am-6:30pm or 6:00pm-6:30am Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50843-A, 50844-A & 50845-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized