Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Audie L. Murphy VAMC in San Antonio, TX, seeks a Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) to join the Nursing, Acute Care Service.

Responsible for dialysis equipment setup, calibration, and monitoring per patient orders, ensuring safety and quality of care. The role requires knowledge of dialysis processes, patient assessment, and communication with the interdisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of medical terminology to interpret physician orders.
• Ability to learn equipment components, operation, and settings.
• Ability to learn procedures and recognize distress signals.
• Ability to position patients for examinations and treatments.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Skills

Dialysis equipment setup

Calibrations & testing

BCLS knowledge

Medical terminology

Patient positioning

Oral & written communication

Education

Associate degree related to medical instrument tech

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Dialysis equipment

Job description

As an integral member of the Dialysis/Renal interdisciplinary team, the Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) contributes to various duties essential for maintaining a well-functioning unit. The technician comprehends the principles of dialysis, treatment elements, and potential complications. This position is located at Audie L. Murph VAMC in San Antonio, Texas within Nursing, Acute Care Service.

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.

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.

Grandfathering Provision. 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

Basic Developmental Levels GS-4

(a) 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

OR,

(b) 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.

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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

(a) 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

OR,

(b) 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.

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 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.

Appendix G - Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis)

GS-6

(a) 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:

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 1. Skill in setting up, operating, and performing calibrations as required on a variety of dialysis equipment.
• 2. Skill in performing and interpreting test results (dialysate chemistries, water treatment testing for contaminates, etc.) including the ability to analyze deviations from the expected norm and responding appropriately.
• 3. Knowledge of American Association of Medical Instrumentation (AMMI) standards and unit policies as they relate to water treatment.
• 4. Knowledge of physiological and psychological changes and conditions related to end stage renal disease.
• 5. Ability to calculate dialysis baths according to the physician's orders per patient by mixing critical concentrates, i.e., calcium, potassium, and bicarbonate.
• 6. Knowledge of Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS).

(c) Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BCLS (Basic Cardiac Life Support) certification.

GS-7

(a) 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 knowledge the equipment, standard procedures, and typical machine problems and/or patient reactions to treatment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 1. Ability to assist the physician in more complex procedures such as central venous catheter insertion.
• 2. Ability to assist in training patients in home/self-care by teaching components of machine operation including water treatment and monitoring patients for compliance.
• 3. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians.
• 4. Ability to analyze deviations from the expected, determine whether the deviations are machine or patient related, and respond according to the findings.

(c) Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BCLS (Basic Cardiac Life Support) and ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) certifications.

Qualifications are continued in the Additional Information section of this announcement