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:

• Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• 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
• 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 (Trainee), 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
• 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 (Trainee), 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
• 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
• 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
• 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: One (1) year as Telemetry Monitor Technician 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: he employee usually sits or stands for the majority of a shift while performing duties
• Occasional lifting of items weighing up to 20 pounds from the floor can be required
• Tension and stress are induced by the critical nature of producing work results on a pre-established time frame as well as in emergent situations
• Employee must be able to read, write, and organize written material
• Near vision correctable at 13 to 16 inches to a Jaeger 1 to 4
• Far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and 20/40 in the other
• Full spectrum of color vision
• Bilateral dexterity with the use of both hands
• Reaching above shoulders, bending, twisting, stooping, squatting, lifting, pushing, pulling and unencumbered ambulation are required of this position.