Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. Veteran's Preference is waived for this position per 38 U.S.C. § 7412.

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The duties and functions of the Medical Instrument Technician (GI) include but are not limited to the following:

1. Demonstrates advanced knowledge of complex and non-standard treatment and examination procedures and techniques.
2. Demonstrates the ability to plan and assist in the establishment of completely integrated treatment and examination programs.
3. Demonstrates ability to provide briefings and orientations, staff development and training to hospital staff including physicians. Assist with training and mentoring other technicians, nurses, nursing students, medical students, residents, and fellows.
4. Knowledgeable of professional, legal, and ethical standards inherent to patient safety and rights. Gathers relevant information to ensure patient safety during diagnostic and interventional procedures.
5. Demonstrates ability to research and test new methods, which are adaptable for patients on special research drugs. Prepares written procedures and instructions for use of new equipment and for adapting this equipment to individual case requirements. Performs diagnostic studies including assisting or performing approved clinical research procedures. Responsible for coordinating research projects within their area of expertise.
6. Demonstrates the ability to recognize the effects related to age specific factors, assisting special needs patients, ensuring those with physical or mental limitations are given the necessary physical or non-medicinal interventional support measures.
7. Demonstrates the skill to scrub, circulate, monitor and operate equipment on the most complex and non-standard treatment procedures for patients with multiple morbidities/critical illness. Independently positions patients, equipment, associated devices, and manipulates technical factors to achieve high quality results. Monitors the progression of procedures requiring independent judgement and anticipate need to provide specific instrument and/or equipment.
8. Demonstrates ability to assess processed image media for technical quality, and patient identification, ensuring that all relative anatomy is demonstrated.
9. Ensures medications are properly labeled and available for physician administration. Demonstrates functional knowledge of the medications used, appropriate doses and side effects.
10. Demonstrates the ability to obtain a brief history from the Veteran and provide explanation of the procedure in understandable terms for the patient. Recognizes and documents changes in Veteran's condition, reporting changes to the RN and/or Provider.
11. Demonstrates the ability to recognize the need for initiating emergency measures when indicated and assist in response procedures for cardiac/pulmonary arrest, anaphylaxis, fire, disruptive behavior, bomb threat, external disaster, patient missing, and hazardous spills. Promptly seeks the assistance of the RN or Provider.
12. Performs work in a safe manner providing a safe environment for patients, self and other staff. (i.e., universal precautions, isolation procedures, and body mechanics). Recognizes, reports potentially hazardous practices and environmental conditions.
13. Responsible for tracking all procedure specific supplies, maintaining equipment ensuring operability by performing routine, minor and/or emergency repairs and arranging for additional repairs if necessary, informing Biomedical Services of an electrically hazardous situation, reporting any loss of equipment.
14. Demonstrates respect for the individual Veteran, protecting Veteran rights, privacy, confidentiality, dignity in all aspects of care delivery. Maintains sensitivity in adhering to population-specific guidelines in the provision of care.
15. Demonstrates support of individual Veteran choices, control, preferred routines in all aspects of care/daily living.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm (On-call duty is required after hours, on weekends, and holidays, rotating with one Saturday each month as a regular workday.)
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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)
Functional Statement #: 81919F

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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. Must be a United States Citizen.
• English Language Proficiency. Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy.
• Education. There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation.

Grandfathering Provision. 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 REQUIREMENTS
GS-7 GI Technician (Full Performance Level)

• Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of proper performance of endoscopic equipment and procedures. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the 1 year specialized experience, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures.
  2. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures.
  3. Ability to assist physician with specialized, complex procedures.
  4. Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOP's to clean reusable medical equipment (RME).
  5. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care.
  6. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies.
  7. Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration

Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

Assignment. This represents the full performance level. Technicians at this level function with minimal instruction, assisting the staff with complex specialized procedures such as ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS). They are proficient with GI endoscopic equipment and ensure proper performance of endoscopic equipment; select alternate equipment or adjust equipment settings to accommodate patient needs and produce high quality technique. They collect, process, and label all specimens; train other technicians in basic endoscopic procedures; work in and outside the GI unit offering technician support during emergent and on-call endoscopic cases; and assist the nurse in patient care duties such as obtaining vital signs, dressing and documenting all pertinent information in the patient's records. They inventory and maintain par levels of specialty equipment for the endoscopy unit.

Preferred Experience. GI and Endoscopy experience

Preferred Certifications

• GI Technical Specialist (GTS) certification by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) for level one and level two training and/or
• GI endoscope reprocessing certification through the Certification Board of Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD)

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 GS-7.

Physical Requirements. This position requires visual acuity, ability to distinguish basic colors, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and above average manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, kneeling, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing moderately heavy objects, reaching and stretching to set up and take apart equipment. Lifting, positioning and transferring patients and objects of 45 pounds and over may be required. The incumbent may have regular and recurring exposure to infectious and contagious diseases. contaminated materials, odors and other risks which require special health and safety recautions such as wearing protective clothing such as gloves, masks, or lead aprons. This position is evaluated as category Level I in accordance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); position requires the performance of tasks that are exposed to blood and potentially infectious body fluid. The incumbent may occasionlly be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA Employees.
3. All other applicants.