Summary The James J. Peters VA Medical Center located in the Bronx, NY has an opening for an Intermittent Medical Instrument Technician in the Renal/Dialysis Service. VHA Dialysis facilities are required to align with the End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) conditions for coverage established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Responsibilities The Medical Instrument Technician (MIT) is responsible for the operation of hemodialysis equipment in the treatment of patients with renal failure, monitoring patients during dialysis treatments, cleaning and maintenance of dialysis equipment. The Medical Instrument Technician monitors the quality of the water used for dialysis including collecting, recording and reporting water culture results. The MIT is also responsible for setting up, selecting, ordering, stocking, and preparing supplies needed for dialysis procedures. Duties include, but are not limited to: Under the collaborative supervision of a registered nursing team, or charge nurse, provides hemodialysis treatment to patients with renal failure. Initiates and terminates dialysis treatments following standard procedures. Monitors patients throughout treatment and makes necessary adjustments without consultation according to the patient's medical condition. Monitors dialysis treatment parameters such as vital signs and weight loss. Collects and records vital signs using blood pressure cuff stethoscopes and scales and thermometers. Records patient condition and changes for example, blood pressure changes and excess fluid and determines proper treatment procedure, technique and machine adjustments. Assembles all necessary supplies and equipment at chair side. Selects appropriate instruments and techniques and troubleshoots complex equipment. Inspects and evaluates circulatory access site. Cleans and dresses site using sterile technique. Connects patients to the dialyzer and operates equipment to initiate extracorporeal circulation and performance of dialysis. Prepares and dismantles extracorporeal blood circuits and the dialysis machine to create a sterile, air free blood circuit. Operates and monitors dialysis machines and performance of dialysis procedures using prescribed standard procedures and the machine monitoring system. Establishes amount of fluid to be removed and sets the machine pressure according to the coefficient of ultrafiltration of the dialyzer. Obtain blood specimens for routine or special tests. Collects laboratory specimens from patients and prepares samples for transport to the laboratory or for shipment. Documents and charts accurately on flow sheets and electronic medical record. Assesses and records the results of dialysis treatment. Recognizes medical complications or altered response to treatment and notifies registered nurse and or provider. Administers saline or other solutions intravenously into the dialysis line when appropriate and according to established unit protocols. Adjust hemoglobin detector sensitivity during dialysis response to equipment alarms including making adjustments to correct the cause of malfunctions. Observes for and or test for blood leaks Recognizes when emergency measures are necessary and instills life saving measures until medical system is secured. Initiates our assistant cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and other emergency procedures using an ambulance bag, cardiac monitor, and oxygen equipment. Repairs or modifies chemical preparation for the concentrates or special chemical baths to produce specific treatments for patients with varying needs or values using different measures such as devices, chemicals and mixes or mixers. Assist patient with non- nursing requests. Knowledge of instruments used in hemodialysis and be able to make adaptations and adjustments as well as interpret test results based on previous experience and observation. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Intermittent. To be discussed during interview. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. 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 #: 26341F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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 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. Grade Determination: GS - 8 Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) (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 of the more complex procedures, the pharmacology related to this occupation, and knowledge of related acute disorders and diseases and their effects on organs and methods of treatment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Knowledge of the hemodialysis process and equipment needed for home/self care including knowledge of common machine problems and repairs to such equipment. 2. Knowledge of the equipment and procedures for peritoneal dialysis. 3. Ability to assist the physician with percutaneous renal biopsies and peritoneal catheter insertion. 4. Ability to provide instruction to dialysis patients in home/self care and in the maintenance of the equipment. 5. Ability to provide instruction for physicians, nurses, and other personnel in dialysis procedures, equipment operation and maintenance, etc. (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. (d) Assignment. This represents the full performance level. At this level the hemodialysis technician serves as a member of a dialysis team performing dialysis on acutely ill patients including those within an intensive care setting. Assignments involve performing both peritoneal and hemodialysis procedures. The dialysis technician may participate in percutaneous renal biopsies, watching the patient during the procedure and properly processing the specimen. Assists the physician in peritoneal catheter insertions and observes the patient for vital signs and provides post operative care. Provides instruction and monitors patients for home dialysis. Performs training of physicians, nurses, and technicians on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis techniques. 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) Preferred Experience: 2 + years experience utilizing hemodialysis machines, priming machines, cannulating, trouble shooting machine errors and monitoring vital signs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: As outlined in VA Handbook 5019. 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.
