Clarification from the agency

Area of Consideration- Eligible application will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility. 2. All of other VHA employees. 3. The Public. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below

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The Medical Instrument technician's responsibilities include interrogating, interpreting, and reprogramming cardiac devices, troubleshooting device issues, and educating patients and their families on the purpose of the devices. Assumes primary management and responsibility for remote monitoring patients enrolled in the National Cardiac Device Surveillance Program (NCDSP). They are also involved in adapting or developing procedures and techniques and staying updated with the latest developments in the field. The technician uses initiative to learn new evidence-based research in the field and to recommend changes to improve service, correct deficiencies, and improve the reliability of test and treatment results. The procedures and techniques adapted or developed by the technician form the basis for hospital standardization. Works closely with the Cardiac Device Registered Nurse and Electrophysiology Provider to care for all Veterans seen in the Cardiac Device Clinic.

• Perform device interrogations to assess battery life, function, and program changes as needed.
• CPRS documentation and entering return to clinic (RTC) orders for future appointments with the cardiac device clinic, including EKG.
• Responsible for promptly communicating critical life-threatening alerts to providers and patients concerning patient-implanted devices, such as urgent recalls, device malfunction, battery near depletion, and remote monitoring patient life-threatening arrhythmia alerts.
• Manages and monitors separate Loop recorder remote monitoring companies that patients are under daily.
• Prepares remote reports for review and interpretation.
• Responsible for patient education regarding remote monitoring for all devices and companies.
• Assists with immediate patient management in cardiology clinic when required per local site policies.
• Teaches basic techniques to cardiology residents and fellows, staff, and students assigned to the Cardiac Device Clinic.
• Performs preventive maintenance of the equipment and coordinates service with biomedical engineering including help with researching/obtaining quotes for parts/services needed.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00 am-3:30pm, or 7:30am-4:00pm, or 8:00am-4:30pm, or 8:30am-5:00pm
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)
Telework: Ad hoc only
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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:

• 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.
• Licensure or Certification: ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certification required. BLS desirable.

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).

The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 Hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not 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. 3 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.

Grade Determinations:

(a) 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 more complex procedures, the pharma-cology related to this occupation, and knowledge of related acute disorders and diseases and their effects on organs and methods of treatment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
1. Ability to perform special procedures pulmonary function testing which may include cardiopulmonary exercise testing, exercise induced asthma testing, Shunt testing, and/or P-100 testing.
2. Knowledge of airway management, pulmonary pharmacology, CPR, and oxygen administration. 3. Knowledge of bio-testing procedures, syringe quality control procedures, and ability to analyze results for compliance.
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4. Ability to perform quality control on blood gas analyzers as required by accrediting bodies.
5. Ability to provide training to lower graded pulmonary function technicians and students including teaching the correct methodology of pulmonary function procedures and theory of interpretation of results

(c) Certification. Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification is required for employees at this level.
(d) Assignment. This represents the full performance level. At this level assignments are characterized by performance of the complex, non-routine Pulmonary Function tests and procedures. Technicians are expected to provide emergency airway management when patients deteriorate in the Laboratory including bronchodilator nebulization, provision of supplemental oxygen, bag-and-mask ventilation, cardio- pulmonary resuscitation and to assist with or perform airway intubation and defibrillation.

Preferred Experience: ACLS required.2-3 years specialized experience/skills in cardiology.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear, distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, occasional moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate straight pulling/pushing for 1 hour, reaching above the shoulder to retrieve printed rhythm strip, use of fingers, both hands, sitting/walking/standing approximately 4 hours, kneeling 1
hour, bending approximately 4 hours, patient re-positioning, and working in the MRI department during studies of patients with compatible cardiac
devices.

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.