The electrocardiograph technician is a member of the Acute Care unit team. S/He adheres to medical center polices and guidelines of practice. Monitor technician is a clinical/technical specialist who provides cardiac monitoring and directed patient care under the supervision of the RN. This position requires skill and proficiency in monitoring, interpreting, assessment, and evaluation of the patient receiving care in the inpatient setting. This position requires flexibility in scheduling. 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: For all specialties identified in this standard, Basic Life Support certification required and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification is 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). Grade Determinations: Individual Occupational Requirements Specialized Experience For positions at GS-4 and above: Experience in operating, supervising the operation of, or instructing in the operation of equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made. Experience gained in the operation of equipment in a specialization directly related to the specialization may be credited through the GS-5 level. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited as specialized experience for that particular specialization through the GS-5 level. OR Education and Training For GS-3: Successful completion of (a) an approved program in practical nursing or in operating room or surgical technician work of at least 9 months in length, or (b) l year of study with at least 6 semester hours in any combination of scientific subjects such as biology, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, medical technology, or physics. For GS-4: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in any combination of subjects such as those listed for GS-3. At least 6 of the 12 semester hours of the courses must have been directly related to the specialization of the position. For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to the specialization of the position, or that included at least 24 semester hours in courses such as those listed for GS-3. Of the 24 semester hours, at least 12 must have been in a field directly related to the specialization of the position. GS-4 Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee) Specialized Experience: At least 6 months 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, operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. -OR- Education: 2 years above high school with courses related to the occupation, if required Candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of basic medical terminology. Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted. Ability to communicate orally and in writing. GS-5 Medical Instrument Technician (Trainee) 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. -OR- Education: 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required Candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. GS-6 Medical Instrument Technician (Developmental) 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. Education: Typically not applicable but Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. Candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to recognize special patient needs such as disabilities, impaired mobility, and complicating medical conditions to prepare and position the patient for the prescribed procedure. Knowledge of the specialized equipment and accessories appropriate to Holter monitoring and ability to perform such tests. Knowledge of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines in cleaning equipment. Ability to monitor the patient for adverse reactions and take appropriate action. Ability to operate the equipment to perform standard and routine highly specialized procedures including exercise stress testing. GS-7 Medical Instrument Technician (Full Performance Level) 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 the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized echocardiographic examinations. Education: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress including the ability to recognize, report and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias. Knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures. Ability to modify procedures/positions to obtain the correct results with patients with complicating conditions such as amputations, Parkinson's disease, structural defects, and scar tissue. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians. Ability to conduct in-service training on the EKG equipment and related instrumentation. ["Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf The incumbent will be assigned to the acute care setting, working a rotating tour of duty. In this capacity they will observe the patients on the monitor. They will analyze the ECG strips document finding and report any unusual findings immediately to the RN. These measurements will be conducted according to policy and as requested. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine. When not assigned to the technical duty of the monitors, the MIT will perform the following functions under the direction of the RN. Obtain vital signs as assigned, perform 12 lead EKG's, remove, and apply remote telemetry, help maintain a safe environment of care, and other duties as assigned. Maintains flexibility related to work. Equipment Maintenance/Repair: Tracks and maintains records of repair histories. Input's patient data into the telemetry monitoring system and assure patients are placed appropriately in assigned bed and on the correct monitoring equipment. Assists with the communication in the acute care setting by answering calls and making them as appropriate. Reports every shift to the manager or designees any patient care issues or abnormal rates and cardiac rhythms. Work with the acute care team and follows the work assignment accordingly and takes direction from the RN regarding patient care. The incumbent must be aware of and practice the safety policies/procedures of the Medical Center and participate in quality assurance activities as directed. Responsible for stocking and inventory of all telemetry supplies and maintaining equipment at the station. Document's rhythm interpretation every 8 hours and with any rhythm change Informs patient about exam being performed and any hazards associated with the exam, so patient understands procedure. Recognizes lethal rhythms/arrhythmias (including acute myocardial infarction, STEMI, NSTEMI) and immediately notifies appropriate staff. Centralized monitoring, Prints and interprets all elements of telemetry rhythm strip and informs nursing staff of any changes in rhythm. Provides companionship (sitter) as needed. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Days/Nights 12 hour shifts, rotation to other shifts as needed Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 30474-F, 30475-F, 30403-F, 30402-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
