Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent employees of Philadelphia VA Medical Center, its CBOCs and all US citizens. Certificates will be referred in the same order of consideration with current permanent employees of Philadelphia VA Medical Center and its CBOCs receiving first consideration. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with the most highly complex procedures such as mucosal resection and ablation, fine needle aspiration, and double balloon colonoscopy, using a variety of highly complex ancillary equipment, which will encompass 40% of their assigned duties.
• Train technicians and other staff to assist with endoscopic procedures; may assist with daily assignments of technicians, procedural room assignments, and ordering of specialty equipment.
• Conduct trials on new equipment and coordinate major repairs or installation of equipment with vendors and other facility departments; arrange vendor training and other educational in-services for the endoscopy staff.
• May serve on GI related committees, incorporating practice improvement measures.
• Requires flexibility in schedule, assignments, and on call schedule.
• Demonstrates and maintains competencies.
• Communicates with team during patient care, follows ethical standards and principles.
• Maintains equipment and supplies, restocks and sends out equipment for repair.
• Is independent in assisting the practitioner with the most complex and non-standard procedures consisting of difficult endoscopic intubation through strictures.
• Identifies pathology specimens and procedure documentation and knowledge of advanced anatomy and physiology to recognize obvious abnormalities during procedures.
• Independent in supporting basic diagnostic/therapeutic Pulmonary procedures (i.e. bronchoscopy, thoracentesis, tracheostomy change, chest tube placement, etc.).
• Reprocesses specialty critical reusable medical equipment (RME), following approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and universal precautions.
• Manually cleans and disinfection semi and non-critical reusable equipment per SOP policy, and restock supplies.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Nurse Manager.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am-3:30 pm Staff are assigned one designated late day to provide coverage for cases that extend beyond normal operational hours.
Telework: Not Avaliable
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Medical Instrument technician (GI), 00000

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

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, this part.
• Grandfathering Provision: 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/or certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

Preferred Experience:

• BLS or like certificate required
• Recent Patient Care Experience
• Ability to remain calm in busy, fast paced department
• Crucial Conversation course completion
• Proficient in advance GI such as EUS (endoscopic ultrasound), ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)

Grade Determinations:

GS-8 (Lead GI Technician)To qualify for the GS-8, Lead GI Technician, the candidate must demonstrate completion of one year of experience equivalent to a GI Technician at the next lower level, GS-7.

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 advanced specialized gastroenterology procedures. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and the potential to acquire the assignment specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - KSAs 1, 2, 3, and 4 are appropriate for all positions at this level. KSA 5 is to be used as appropriate for the specific assignment.

1. Knowledge of complex gastroenterology procedures, such as ERCP with spy glass, ablation procedures, mucosal resection procedures, fine needle aspiration procedures and capsule studies.

2. Ability to provide briefings and orientations to hospital staff including physicians.

3. Knowledge of regulatory and advisory agencies such as Joint Commission, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA), American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), and applicable laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA).

4. Knowledge of medical terminology related to GI and biliary systems used to identify pathology or for specimen identification and procedure documentation and knowledge of advanced anatomy and physiology to recognize obvious abnormalities during procedures.

*5. Ability to provide staff development and training.

Lead GI Technician. In certain programs, either because of size and scope or because of a lack of specific supervisory positions, lead positions may be appropriate to provide daily guidance to the GI technicians. Lead Technicians will be the "superusers" responsible for answering questions for all staff on the endoscopic equipment. They will have the responsibility for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; provide performance input for evaluation and award purposes; evaluate training records; and determine educational needs of the technician staff. They assist the practitioner with the most complex and non-standard procedures consisting of difficult endoscopic intubation through strictures. They assist special needs patients through the endoscopic procedure, ensuring those with physical or mental limitations are given the necessary physical or non-medicinal interventional support measures. They participate in quality improvement measures, recommending and implementing practice changes when indicated

Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 lbs., moderate carrying, 15-44 lbs., reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, standing 4-6 hours; hearing, aid permitted. Duties require extensive use of fingers to perform keyboarding and the ability to hear requests by phone and in person. Version must be adequate to read and prepare documents.

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.