Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

Veterans Health Administration; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterans Health Administration seeks a Medical Instrument Technician, Diagnostic Ultrasound (Echocardiography) to perform routine cardiac ultrasound exams, generate quality images, and assist in complex procedures under supervision in the Cardiopulmonary Clinic.

The role requires knowledge of cardiac anatomy, arrhythmias, and ultrasound physics, with patient interaction skills and equipment proficiency to support diagnostic imaging for inpatient and ambulatory care.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels.
• Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamics.
• Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and artifact reduction.
• Ability to set up and operate ultrasound equipment for standard procedures.
• Ability to explain procedures to patients and position them properly.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine cardiac ultrasound examinations using echocardiography.
• Acquire and optimize grayscale and Doppler images for defined cardiac structures.
• Operate and calibrate equipment; maintain logs and records as required.
• Assist in more complex exams and communicate findings to supervising physicians.

Skills

Anatomy & physiology knowledge

Cardiac arrhythmias knowledge

Cardiac ultrasound physics knowledge

Ultrasound equipment setup

Patient interaction & positioning

Education

No specific educational requirements

Tools

Ultrasound equipment

Job description

Medical Instrument Technician, Diagnostic Ultrasound (Echocardiography) is a member of the Joint Venture Team assigned to the Cardiopulmonary Clinic. The Medical Instrument Technician conducts exams using a variety of ultrasound modalities using clinical protocols to determine cardiac function. The exams will be conducted in the 673rd Medical Group, mainly in the cardiopulmonary clinic, and inpatient units.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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". Echocardiography Technicians operate diagnostic equipment to graphically record the position and motion of the heart walls or the internal structure of the heart and neighboring tissue by the echo obtained from beams of ultrasonic waves directed through the chest wall.

Registration is offered by Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI), as a Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) or by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (ARDMS) as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS).

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.

Grade Determinations: GS-6 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels. Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle. Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for standardized, routine procedures. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure. Certification: Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirable. Assignment: Echocardiography technician assignments at this level involve performing routine, standardized cardiac ultrasound examinations under the supervision of a fully qualified cardiac sonographer. The work involves generating adequate gray scale images to define cardiac borders and learning to perform Doppler integration of cardiac valves for determination of flow velocities.

GS-7 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 the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized echocardiographic examinations. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler. Ability to conduct cardiac testing to determine the severity and variety of cardiac problems, i.e., valvular dysfunction, myocardial wall kinesia, effusions, endocardial lesions, etc. Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for more complex, but standardized procedures. Certification: Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable. Assignment: At this level, medical instrument technicians (echocardiography) perform a range of standard, but complex, echocardiographic examinations with responsibility for calibrating all instruments prior to the procedure. They are expected to keep an accurate record of tests, daily logs, and videotapes. They maintain cidex logs.

GS-8 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 the overall knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduc