The incumbent will be assigned to Patient Care Service and is under the supervision of the Assistant Nurse Manager, Medical-Surgical Unit (B4/B5). The Medical Instrument Technicians (EKG) - Telemetry Technician at this level is responsible for skilled continuous comprehensive evaluation and documentation of the patient cardiac monitoring system for patients requiring telemetry, as assigned. 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. 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: 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 equipment, standard tests and procedures, and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress including the ability to recognize, report and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias. 2. Knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures. 3. 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. 4. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians. 5. Ability to conduct in-service training on the EKG equipment and related instrumentation. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience as a monitor tech in an inpatient hospital setting. 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-07. Physical Requirements: This position requires to undergo a pre-employment medical examination/physical, TB test, and other medical related requirements. ["The Medical Instrument Technicians (EKG) - Telemetry Technician is knowledgeable and independently functions in the use of the monitoring equipment and works in collaboration with the unit RN. Information is relayed quickly as appropriate via in telephones, and verbally for notification of emergent alarms and potentially emergent situations. The Telemetry Technician will report rhythm changes and arrhythmias to the assigned RN caring for the patient. The Medical Instrument Technicians (EKG) - Telemetry Technician reviews previous shift's rhythm strips for shift history and reviews patient information on CPRS upon admission to review telemetry orders and parameters in order to prevent any delay in placing a patient on ordered telemetry and to ensure accuracy of ordered parameters for monitoring. The Telemetry Technician completes shift to shift report between Telemetry Technicians regarding patient status for monitoring and brief history of shift events related to Telemetry Monitoring and vital signs and updates RNs, Charge Nurses, Nursing Supervisors and Physicians upon request. The incumbent tracks each monitored patient throughout each shift, documents ECG interpretation per patient requirements and policy. All interpretations will be signed and verified by an RN prior to placement in the patients' medical record. If a patient is discharged, transferred, moved to another unit or has scheduled appointments, the Telemetry Technician will document in the monitoring system where the patient is going/ and or moved. When the patient is brought back on the unit, Telemetry Technician to RN communication is initiated to verify active signal from the patient telemetry monitoring system. The Telemetry Technician verifies appropriate parameters of heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation from the doctor's orders and notifies the assigned RN of patient changes that are outside of the set parameters such as a heart rate that becomes too fast or too slow. A Telemetry Technician will independently take corrective actions, including reapplication of electrodes on patients, perform a 12 Lead ECG, and set alarm parameters as ordered. Work Schedule: Varied shifts/hours. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:40709-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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.