Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a GS-9 Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography) at John Cochran Medical Center in VA Saint Louis Health Care System.

The role performs the full spectrum of echocardiogram procedures including 2D/3D imaging, transesophageal, and stress studies, applying advanced knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology. Applicants pending certification may be referred but must meet requirements before hire.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in transthoracic 2D/3D echocardiography.

Responsibilities

• Perform the full spectrum of echocardiogram procedures including transthoracic 2D/3D, transesophageal, and stress echocardiograms.
• Demonstrate knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology related to cardiovascular function.
• Ensure quality imaging and accurate interpretation within scope of practice.

Skills

Echocardiography

2D/3D imaging

Doppler techniques

Cardiac anatomy knowledge

Job description

The GS-9 Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography) position at John Cochran Medical Center at VA Saint Louis Health Care System is primarily responsible for performing the full spectrum of echocardiogram procedures to include transthoracic 2D/3D imaging, 2D/3D transesophageal echocardiography, and stress echocardiograms (doppler and ischemic). The incumbent demonstrates a high degree of knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology related to cardiovascular function.

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: 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. 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. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 Hybrid qualification standards. Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation. 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 licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within the occupation. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.

Grade Determinations: GS-9. In addition to the core competencies defined at the GS-8 full performance level, positions at this grade may be lead, supervisory, or non-supervisory with specialized advanced knowledge and assignments.

GS-8 core competencies / KSAs include:

• Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode, two-dimensional, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display, and color flow Doppler imaging.
• Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.
• 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.
• Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography, (invasive) stress echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography.
• Ability to adapt transducer positioning, instrument controls, and examination techniques to the individual patient being studied and the problem