Nuclear Medicine Technologist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; San Antonio (TX); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading government agency seeks a Nuclear Medicine Technologist responsible for performing a variety of specialized procedures. This role involves diagnostic imaging, therapy with radioactive materials, ensuring quality control, and compliance with health regulations. Ideal candidates will have advanced technical skills and must be certified in nuclear medicine technology. Join a team dedicated to serving veterans through innovative medical technologies.

Qualifications

• Must be U.S. citizen and certified in nuclear medicine technology.
• Minimum experience of three years preferred.
• Demonstrates expertise in imaging modalities such as PET/CT and SPECT/CT.

Responsibilities

• Perform specialized nuclear medicine procedures like diagnostic imaging.
• Monitor quality control and evaluate abnormal results.
• Work independently under guidelines from various regulatory bodies.

Skills

Ability to produce and assess high quality scans

Knowledge of physiologic processes

Ability to analyze radiation exposure levels

Education

Certification in nuclear medicine technology

Completion of NMTCB-recognized program

Job description

The Nuclear Medicine Technologist performs independently on a wide variety of specialized nuclear medicine procedures, including diagnostic imaging, therapy with unsealed radioactive materials, radio assay, in-vivo or in-vitro cell labeling; evaluating abnormal results; performing and monitoring quality control; working within guidelines from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Transportation, National Health Physics program, Occupation Safety and Health Association among others.
Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to:

Requirements

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 program, 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.

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:
GS-11 Experience: For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. Experience includes: ability to document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment; knowledge of medical events requiring documentation and the ability to properly document them and make recommendations to the radiation safety officer (RSO); ability to communicate orally and in writing post iodine-131 therapy radiation safety precautions; ability to troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems; and ability to analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures.

Assignments: For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. NMTs at this level are fully functional as an advanced NMT and carry out their assigned tasks independently. NMTs at this level serve in advanced assignments and will have varying assignments, including special and complex imaging procedures, advanced therapies, clinical instruction, and quality management duties within the program. Advanced therapies may include, but are not limited to, yttrium-90, radium, and palliative bone pain therapy. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform at this level.

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

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

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of three years' experience preferred;
• Demonstrates expertise as a Certified Nuclear Medicine Fusion Technologist, with proficiency in hybrid imaging modalities such as PET/CT and SPECT/CT;
• Strong background in advance imaging techniques, radiopharmaceutical preparation, quality control, and radiation safety protocols;
• Additional experience in post-processing, quantitative analysis, and multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize patient outcomes is highly desirable.

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: Moderate lifting (15-44 pounds), moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), use of fingers with both hands, walking (4 hours) and standing (4 hours) with both legs. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to Jaeger 1 to 4. Hearing (aid permitted). Mental and emotional stability required. See VA Directive Handbook 5019.