Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Duties of a Nuclear Medicine Technologist include but are not limited to:

• Prepare, assay, and administer radiopharmaceutical doses by injection, inhalation or ingestion as prescribed.
• 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, well counters, GM survey meters, thyroid uptake system, and dose calibrators for various patient procedures.
• Schedule 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.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:
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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaulation.
• 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: Be a citizen of the United States.
  • 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:
    • Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology, OR
    • 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. Educational programs must have structured clinical training sufficient to
      provide clinical competency in radiation safety, instrumentation, clinical procedures, and radio-pharmacy, as deemed acceptable by the NMTCB.
• Exceptions: Non-certified applicants, who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification, may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate NMT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a)(1)(D). Failure to obtain certification within 1 year from the date of appointment is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This may result in termination of employment.
  • Failure to Obtain Credential: In all cases, NMTs must actively pursue meeting certification requirements starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become certified within 1 year from date of appointment will result in removal from
    the GS-0601 NMT occupation and may result in termination of employment.
  • Loss of Credential: Once certified, NMTs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted certification. Loss of credential will result in removal from the GS-0601 NMT occupation and may result in termination of employment. For occupations which require an active certification at all grade levels, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may be reassigned to another occupation for which he/she qualifies if a placement opportunity exists. For occupations which require an active credential (licensure/certification/registration) in assignments above the journey level only, at the discretion of the appointing official, an employee may remain at an appropriate lower grade level in the occupation when both of the
    following apply: the credential is not a requirement and a placement opportunity exists.
• English Language Proficiency: NMTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of this part.

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).

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.

Grade Determinations:

GS-11, Nuclear Medicine Technologist (NMT)

Experience: For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have one (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.

Candidates at this grade level serve as staff NMTs at the journey level. NMTs at this level have a full understanding of proper methods of
receipt, use, storage, and disposal of radioactive material; properly and independently handle unusual circumstances; perform and evaluate daily,
weekly, monthly, and quarterly quality control on all imaging and non-imaging instrumentation and auxiliary equipment, provide basic patient care, and can recognize and respond to emergency conditions. It is expected that they routinely and independently perform the full scope and complexity of these responsibilities and receive guidance from higher-level or supervisory staff members for only the most complex patients.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs:

1. Ability to produce and assess high quality scans and quality control images using independent judgement to recognize abnormal or unacceptable results.
2. Knowledge and skill in use of ancillary equipment with an understanding of how the results will affect the study outcome.
3. Knowledge of physiologic processes as they relate to altered radiopharmaceutical uptake and/or artefactual findings.
4. Ability to obtain, assess, and document pre-therapy patient preparation information and provide post-therapy patient education following proper administration of advanced therapy dose.
5. Ability to develop new protocols for imaging procedures.
6. Ability to analyze instances of increased radiation exposure levels and recommend measures to reduce.
7. Ability to analyze consequences of improper packaging of radioactive material and take appropriate actions.

Preferred Experience: Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist , SPECT CT experience

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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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.

Area of Consideration: Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants.

Note: Veterans' Preference is not applicable to VA employees or employees of other Federal agencies.

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.