Medical Instrument Technician - Electrocardiograph Technician (EKG)

Description:

The incumbent works at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center operating medical diagnostic equipment. Duties include continuous monitoring during ambulatory exercise testing, pulse oximetry monitoring, monitoring patients with Holter monitors, MUSE computer storage system for scanning and integration in CPRS and VISTA imaging associated with each.

Requirements:

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education and/or Experience Combination : There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. Education may be substituted for experience only at the GS-4 and GS-5 levels.

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 following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

IMPORTANT NOTE: Resume must include hours worked per week for work experience credit.

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 associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
2. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used.
3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
5. 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine.

MEDICAL INSTRUMENT 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
1. 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.
2. Knowledge of the specialized equipment and accessories appropriate to Holter monitoring and ability to perform such tests.
3. Knowledge of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines in cleaning equipment.
4. Ability to monitor the patient for adverse reactions and take appropriate action.
5. 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. If you possess certification please provide at time of application.

MEDICAL INSTRUMENT 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
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.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this grade level, please be specific in describing duties performed which demonstrate that you possess the KSAs listed above that are required for this position/grade level).

Preferred Experience: Preferred Experience: 1-2 years Tele-Monitoring experience

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-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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.