Summary

This position requires a highly skilled Sonographer with a comprehensive - specialized education in the medical and technical aspects of diagnostic cardiac sonography. This position is located with the Specialty Service line working under the Chief of Medicine - Cardiologist and Cardiopulmonary coordinator at the Martinsburg - WV - VAMC.

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
• 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 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.) Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• 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
• Grade Determinations: GS-8 Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)
• Full Performance Level: (a) Experience: At least one (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 position 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
• GS-7 Experience includes: 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 (b) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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
• Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases
• 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
• Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic - Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography - (invasive) stress echocardiography - and transesophageal echocardiography
• 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
• (c) Certification: No certification or registration is required
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable for applicants at this level
• (d) Assignment: This represents the full performance level
• Echocardiography technicians at this level identify and record anomalies indicative of disease - injury - or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler
• They incorporate the causes and results of a variety of symptoms and conditions into a plan of ultrasonic diagnostic examination
• They change and develop sounding techniques to accommodate such variables as limited patient mobility - variation in physical condition or dimension of the patient - presence of prosthesis or foreign objects - and ultrasonic response of different body parts
• They produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency recordings using M-Mode - two-dimensional - and Doppler ultrasound
• Preferred Experience: Certification by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) with 1-3 years as a cardiac sonographer is preferred
• 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-8. Physical Requirements: The physical requirements of the position (i.e
• standing - bending - stooping - sitting - pulling - pushing - etc.) Requires standing - bending stooping - sitting - pulling and pushing patients must be able to perform gross and fine coordinated hand movements.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties may include but are not limited to
• Independently perform diagnostic tests - provide patient education - and act as a liaison and information source for the patient and family - nursing staff and medical staff
• Responsible for the delivery of professional services and the provision of high-quality patient care in the Echo Lab
• Review performance for quality and accuracy
• Performs cardiac ultrasound (echocardiograms) autonomously to acquire the maximum diagnostic image quality
• All echocardiograms include M-mode - two-dimensional and doppler examinations Performs portable ultrasound procedures on the patients who cannot be transported to the department
• Maintains logs and controls
• Manipulates high technology ultrasound equipment in the production of diagnostic images Receives patients and explains the procedure
• Positions the patient in sitting - recumbent - prone or oblique position in the echocardiographic laboratory or by the bedside
• Positions the transducer to the thorax - or body part under examination - using contact real time imaging techniques
• Must have basic understanding of computer operations - including the operation of alphanumeric keyboard input - in order to select various programs to best demonstrate cardiac structures or body parts - in different positions - and to prepare equipment for operation - and to change imaging modalities as conditions warrant on different ultrasound systems
• Assesses and interprets cardiac structures and blood flow during doppler studies
• Operates various items of photographic equipment to record oscilloscope images
• Operates videotape recorder and/or digital recorder to maintain a record for physician interpretation and for future reference
• Operates continuous wave doppler with color flow mapping
• Trains other staff including physicians and medical students - relevant to ultrasound such as appearance and functions of various systems and the physical abnormalities
• Performs basic maintenance of ultrasound equipment on a regular basis and notifies supervisor of any equipment problems
• Maintains adequate stock of equipment
• Consults with cardiologist and/or physician regarding interpretation of echo testing results
• Schedules and prioritizes patients for echocardiograms studies
• Screens echo consults to determine if patient requires urgent evaluation
• Maintains patient log upon completion of exam
• Labels videotape of completed exam
• Provides a preliminary report of the echocardiogram prior to review by cardiologist and/or physician
• Files completed reports in appropriate locations and maintains a copy of all exams within the Cardiopulmonary Department
• Receives information and keep abreast of new developments in the field and makes recommendations as to how improvements might be made to operate the section
• Other tasks/duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Full time
• Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
• 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 #: 22163F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.