Medical Instrument Technician (Electrocardiography/EKG)

The Medical Instrument Technician (Electrocardiograph/Telemetry) will function under normal supervision in operating and monitoring electrocardiographic equipment for continuous telemetry rhythm evaluation and interpretation. They are responsible for monitoring and interpreting cardiac rhythms and identifying lethal arrhythmias 24hrs/day, and immediately notifying RN/Charge RN or other Emergency Response Teams of the urgency and requesting further assessment of the patient.

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. Licensure or Certification: Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above for applicants to have Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications. Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition. Grade Determinations: GS-04 Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee): Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: operating and monitoring electrocardiographic equipment for continuous telemetry rhythm evaluation and interpretation, remotely monitoring the continuous cardiac rhythms for up to 50 patients under the close direction of the RN and medical providers, identifying lethal arrhythmias 24hrs/day, have basic knowledge of pharmacology and the effects on cardiac rhythm that require customized adjustments to alarm parameters and monitoring functions 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. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. GS-05 Medical Instrument Technician: Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: analyze the ECG strips document finding and report any unusual findings immediately to the RN, Obtain vital signs as assigned, remove and apply remote telemetry under the close direction of a RN, recognizes lethal rhythms/arrhythmias (including acute myocardial infarction, STEMI, NSTEMI), tracks and maintains records of repair histories, inputs patient data into the telemetry monitoring system and assure patients are placed appropriately in assigned bed and on the correct monitoring equipment, assists with the communication in the Progressive until by answering calls and making them as appropriate. 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. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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 procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. GS-06 Medical Instrument Technician: Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: function independently in operating and monitoring electrocardiographic equipment for continuous telemetry rhythm evaluation and interpretation, operate instruments used to record electrocardiograms, exercise tolerance tests, 24-48 heart monitoring and scanning, and pacemaker evaluation, stocking and inventory of all telemetry supplies and maintaining equipment at the station, document rhythm interpretation every 8 hours and with any rhythm change. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. GS-07 Medical Instrument Technician: Experience: Candidates must possess 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. Qualifying experience includes but is not limited to: be responsible for understanding event and Holter monitors for ongoing patient monitoring, understand each patient's specific medical history and make adjustments to the equipment parameters and settings to accomplish best monitoring function, have basic knowledge of pharmacology and the effects on cardiac rhythm that require customized adjustments to alarm parameters and monitoring functions, train new employees, patients, technicians, and RNs, throughout the medical center on continuous telemetry, holter monitors, and 12Lead EKGs, have basic knowledge of scanning of holter monitor data, proper storage, and cleaning of the equipment. AND; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. 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.