Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This announcement is open to current, permanent employees of the Central Iowa VA Health Care System.

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Prepare, assay, and administer radiopharmaceutical doses by injection, inhalation or ingestion as prescribed.
• Be proficient in introducing intravenous catheters in patients for administration of radiopharmaceuticals and/or medications.
• Be knowledgeable regarding possible side effects of radiopharmaceuticals and other medications, such as Lasix and captopril, to be administered. Take immediate action to remedy any noted effects.
• Receive patients, explain procedure, answer questions relating to the procedure, position patient for all necessary views and tend to their comfort for the duration of the procedure.
• Obtain pertinent clinical data from the patient, electronic chart, requisition, and interviewing the patient and/or family.
• Move wheelchair and litter patients safely using ergonomic methods of patient transfer.
• Operate nuclear medicine equipment such as gamma cameras, PET/CT camera, well counters, GM survey meters, thyroid uptake system, and dose calibrators for various patient procedures.
• Understand and can perform and calculate exposure rates.
• Perform a full range of nuclear medicine, PET/CT and/or SPECT/CT diagnostic imaging, non-imaging, in-vitro and therapeutic procedures, including highly specialized computer assisted studies such as gated, tomographic, quantitative procedures.
• Keep up to date with new imaging agents, procedures and methods. Write and develop new imaging protocols for use in department.
• Analyze procedure images for quality. Obtain additional images when necessary.
• Be knowledgeable in three-dimensional anatomy.
• Correctly administer radioactive pharmaceuticals to patients. Utilizes necessary quality management methods of patient identification such as using two unique identifiers and using active rather than passive identification.
• Perform radionuclide therapy in collaboration with the Nuclear Medicine Physician or the radiologist. Including but not limited to Ra-223, Lu-177, 1-131 and 1-123. Receive and assay prescribed therapeutic doses. Fill out appropriate forms and administer dose with the Nuclear Medicine Physician or the radiologist.. Instruct patient, family and nursing staff in radiation safety precautions. Perform radiation surveys, post appropriate caution signs, distribute personnel monitoring devices as required, analyze personal monitoring results, and recommend corrective action, if needed. Properly monitor and store any radioactive waste for disposal.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of personnel requiring film badges. Read and understand the film badge exposure report. Determine exposure patterns, analyze instances of increased radiation exposure levels and recommend actions to reduce exposure levels to public, radiation workers and self.
• Demonstrates the ability to properly document excessive radiation exposure.
• Prepare studies for department Nuclear Medicine Physician or the radiologist for interpretation by ensuring completeness of all forms involved in the procedure. Record appropriate data and related information on the proper patient worksheet and images.
• Facilitate the scheduling of patient procedures, taking into consideration camera availability, scan length, patient condition, the need for multiple nuclear medicine studies, other clinic appointments of the patient, contraindications for the test and urgency of the request. Inform patient of all pertinent preparations for his/her scan, i.e. NPO, follow certain diet, bowel prep, etc.
• Perform required technical procedures for safe receipt, handling, transport, usage and disposal of radioactive materials, assuring compliance with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), National Health Physics Program (NHPP), Department of Transportation (DOT) and license conditions. Understand different precautions used based upon the various package types and possess the ability to analyze consequences of improper packaging of radioactive material and take appropriate actions.
• Understand, utilize and practice the concepts of ALARA principal; maintaining radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable.
• Assures that all Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT and SPECT/CT, Medical Center, VISN and Radiation Safety policies are effectively followed.

Work Schedule: Part-time; Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 7:00A-3:30P
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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.
• 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

All requirements must be met by the close date of this announcement, 05/19/2026.

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.
• Certification: All applicants must be certified in nuclear medicine technology by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (N). NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following:

1. Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology program, OR,
2. Completion of a nuclear medicine technology program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), or other accrediting agencies as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), culminating in a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's degree.

• NOTE: Technologists functioning as multi-modality technologists require additional specific certifications.
• English Language Proficiency: NMTs must be proficient in spoken and written English.

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 Determinations:

GS-11 Nuclear Medicine Technologist (Fusion Imaging Technologist)
Experience: For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-9, directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. These include: Ability to document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment. Knowledge of medical events requiring documentation and the ability to properly document them and make recommendations to the radiation safety officer (RSO). Ability to communicate orally and in writing post iodine-131 therapy radiation safety precautions. Ability to troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems. Ability to analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs:
i. Ability to produce and assess high quality fusion and quality control images using independent judgement to recognize abnormal or unacceptable results.
ii. Practical knowledge and skill in the use of ancillary equipment with an understanding of how the results will affect the study outcome.
iii. Knowledge of physiologic processes as they relate to altered radiopharmaceutical uptake and/or artefactual findings.
iv. Knowledge of CT and/or MR radiographic techniques utilized in quality control and acquisition parameters.
v. Ability to recognize and correct fusion imaging system errors.

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-11.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a NMT 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 certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Such employees in an occupation that requires a certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the journey (full performance) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a certification only at higher grade levels must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to the 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.
(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(5) If an employee who was in the NMT 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.

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.