Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Minneapolis (MN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The US Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography) in Minneapolis to perform complex echocardiography exams and Doppler studies. The incumbent works independently and interprets results to inform patient care.

Applicants should meet VA qualification standards (GS-4 to GS-8) with strong knowledge of cardiac anatomy, ultrasound physics, and patient support. This role requires technical proficiency and clear communication in English.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
• Ability to operate ultrasound equipment and adjust settings.
• Ability to explain procedures and position patients.
• Ability to recognize signs of distress during exams.
• English proficiency in spoken and written communication.

Responsibilities

• Conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations independently.
• Record Doppler findings and interpret results for patient care.
• Explain procedures to patients and position them for exams.
• Operate ultrasound equipment for standard and complex procedures.

Skills

Cardiac anatomy

Ultrasound basics

Doppler imaging

Patient interaction

Independent operator

Education

Associate degree or 2 years education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Tools

Ultrasound equipment

Doppler console

Job description

The Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography) works independently conducting diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases. They identify and record anomalies indicative of disease, injury, or other medically significant conditions from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous Doppler recordings, incorporating the causes and results of a variety of symptoms and conditions into a plan of ultrasonic diagnostic examination.

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 all specialties identified in this standard, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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.

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

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the criteria discussed in the applicable headings, or that defined in the appendices, must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee)

GS-4

• 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 position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation.
• In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
  2. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used.
  3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
  4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
  5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

GS-5

• 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 position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. -OR-
• Education: Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions.
• In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
  2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
  3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
  4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
  5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine.

Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

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:
  1. Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels.
  2. Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle.
  3. Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained.
  4. 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.
  5. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure.

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:
  1. Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler.
  2. 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.
  3. Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms.
  4. 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.

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 conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases.
• In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode, two-dimensional, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display, and colorflow Doppler imaging.
  2. Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.
  3. Ability to perform complex procedures such as cardiac studies of the four chambers of the heart and valves using sector scanning techniques to detect stenotic and incompetent valves, chamber enlargement, and pericardial effusion and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves, etc.
  4. Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography, (invasive) stress echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography.
  5. Ability to adapt transducer positioning, instrument controls, and examination techniques to the individual patient being studied and the problem being evaluated including recognizing pertinent abnormalities and documenting abnormal findings.

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-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-4 up to GS-8.