Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography) The Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)will function in Medicine Service.

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 - within the English Language Proficiency
• Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - within the VA 5005 Handbook
• Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 Hybrid qualification standards
• Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration - may be reassigned - promoted - or demoted within the occupation
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or demoted within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• 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: GS-8: 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 the overall knowledge - skills - and abilities to conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Experience at the GS-7 level may include: 1
• Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler
• 2
• 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
• 3
• Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms.4
• 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
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: 1
• 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
• 2
• Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases
• 3
• 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
• 4
• Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic - Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography - (invasive) stress echocardiography - and transesophageal echocardiography
• 5
• 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
• Preferred Experience: The technician should have at least 2 years' experience as an echocardiography technician in a hospital laboratory doing 8-10 echos per day
• Certification: Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable
• 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 work is primarily sedentary however may involve periods of pushing - walking or standing to observe work operations - assess physical requirements - travel to partner affiliates
• Computer and IT use required on daily basis
• The population of male and female veterans served ranges from the adult - age 18 - to the elderly adult - age 65 and over
• LSCVAMC is a major interdisciplinary teaching facility - serving medical - surgical - and psychiatric inpatients and outpatients.

Duties

• Duties to include but not limited to: Functions independently as an Echocardiographic Technician in the Cardiac Non-invasive Laboratory
• Responsible for the performance of all aspects of echocardiographic diagnostics cardiac laboratory procedures
• Responsible for the performance of a full range of Transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) and Transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE) utilizing the cardiac ultrasound equipment
• Ability to use the cardiac ultrasound machine to produce real-time ultrasound images of the heart and associated structures
• Works efficiently and carries full responsibility for quality studies and for the operation of the highly specialized ultrasound equipment and computer stations within the Echocardiogram Laboratory
• Works closely with the Cardiologists who interpret the echocardiograms
• Provides training to Cardiology fellows and ultrasound students in performance of echocardiograms
• He/she will be responsible for monitoring patients independently and will need to respond to each individual patient's hemodynamic status - which may require triage to a higher level of care
• He/she will utilize the hospital and department guidelines in completing their assigned work
• Responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Performance of transthoracic echocardiograms - transesophageal echocardiograms - stress echocardiograms - assisting the electrophysiologists with intra-cardiac echocardiograms - cardiac research - Definity - specialized LVAD - Heart Transplant - Impella Chemo Therapy patients(Strain Imaging) and TAVR studies
• Requirement of specialized knowledge of cardiac anatomy - physiology and biology as well as an understanding of cardiac and ultrasound physics that allows the acquisition of accurate and appropriate measurements for the computing of complex cardiac formulas
• Independently (without supervision) perform a complete echocardiographic study including a M-mode (with measurements) - all views of a 2-D or 3-D echo with Definity/Bubble study - color flow Doppler examination - and pulsed or continuous wave Doppler examination as needed for quantitation and description of cardiac blood flow patterns
• Ability to recognize all major forms of an adult cardiac pathology and to obtain the appropriate Doppler studies for quantitation as needed without supervision
• Able to utilize the analysis software to generate quantitation data regarding valve areas and intracardiac gradients
• Knowledge to notify a physician for unusual or potentially dangerous cardiac pathology
• Experience in all aspects in setting up and assisting with transesophageal echocardiography including patient position - placement and operation of monitoring equipment
• Conversant with infection control procedures and be able to clean the scope post procedure for transportation to SPD
• Understands and makes necessary arrangements to bring the patients to the Non-invasive Cardiac laboratory - connects the patient to the equipment and performs procedure without supervision
• In complicated case a physician may be present
• The incumbent disconnects the patient from the equipment and makes necessary arrangements to return the patient to the ward
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 92279-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized