Summary The Echocardiography Technician has the intimate knowledge of thoracic anatomy and physiology related to cardiovascular function. They are responsible for adhering to all departmental, service, hospital, agency, and national regulations and policies. They identify and record anomalies indicative of disease, injury or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler. Responsibilities Functions: The Echocardiography Technician must possess the ability to organize and manage time effectively, exercise independent judgment, assume responsibility for their own work/actions, and sometimes work under stressful conditions, remain focused, maintain the ability to prioritize and transition between tasks quickly. They must possess ethical judgment, integrity, honesty, dependability and accountability. Technician must be reliable and able to work independently. The technician is responsible for performing job functions in accordance with the mission, vision, and values of VA EKHCS. The technician working at this level must assume the functions and responsibilities of lower grade levels. In addition, the major functions include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and performance of standardized echocardiography concepts: a. Anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels b. ECG strip interpretation c. Cardiac arrhythmias d. Hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle e. Basic ultrasound physics f. Type and severity of a variety of cardiac problems including valvular dysfunction, myocardial wall kinesia, effusions, endocardial lesions, etc. Knowledge and performance of echocardiography procedures: a. Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, four-dimensional, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display, and color flow Doppler imaging. b. Ability to perform complex procedures such as cardiac studies of the four chambers of the heart using sector scanning techniques to detect stenotic and incompetent valves, chamber enlargement, and pericardial effusion and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves, strain technology, pericardiocentesis, etc. c. Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic echocardiography, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography (invasive). Knowledge and performance of echocardiography equipment/software: a. GE MAC 5500 HD® Resting ECG Analysis System b. GE Muse® Secure Digital Card Reader c. Phillips EPIQ 7 Ultrasound System d. Phillips EPIQ CVx 3D Ultrasound System Knowledge and performance of emergency procedures: a. Recognize the need for medical intervention if patient safety is at risk. b. Maintains a safe work environment to include non-technical maintenance of equipment, safety checks, cleaning, stocking, etc. c. Understanding of procedures regarding cardiac emergencies, seizures, diabetic emergencies, etc. Knowledge and performance of medical records: a. Proper documentation of procedures performed in CPRS b. Proper charging of procedures performed in CPRS c. Maintains annual training for HIPPA and internet security via TMS d. Medical terminology, consult management, consent forms, medical charts, etc. e. Ability to manage Echocardiography images in ISCV Intellispace Cardiovascular and merge images to a CD. Work Schedule: Tuesday - Friday, 7:00am - 5:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Medical Instrument Technician Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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: 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". 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-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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (a) Knowledge of basic medical terminology (b) Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. (c) Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. (d) Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted. (e) 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (a) Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. (b) Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. (c) Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious. abnormalities.(d) Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or 8 procedures. (e) Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. 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: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (a) Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels. (b) Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle. (c) Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained. (d) 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. (e) 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (a) Ability to assist with insertion of temporary transvenous pacemaker catheters. (b) 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. (c) Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms. (d) 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. Applicants must have at least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics 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: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (a) 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. (b) Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases. (c) 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. (d) Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography, (invasive) stress echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography. (e) 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. Preferred Experience: 1 year of completing adult echocardiograms. Registry preferred but not required. 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. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
