Medical Instrument Technician; Echocardiography

Summary

This position requires a highly skilled Sonographer with a comprehensive-specialized education in the medical and technical aspects of diagnostic cardiac sonography. This position is located with the Specialty Service line working under the Chief of Medicine - Cardiologist and Cardiopulmonary coordinator at the Martinsburg - WV - VAMC.

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.

• 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
• 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 all specialties identified in this standard - Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable
• Training which does not result in official certification does not meet this definition.)
  
  Physical Requirements:
  
  See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• 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
• Grade Determinations: GS-8 Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)
• Full Performance Level: (a)
  
  Experience:
  
  At least one (1) year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-7) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of the position 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
• GS-7 Experience includes:
  Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler
• 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
• Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms
• 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 (b) Demonstrated Knowledge
  - Skills and Abilities:
  
  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
• Knowledge of normal echo cardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases
• 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
• Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic - Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography - (invasive) stress echocardiography - and transesophageal echocardiography
• 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
• (c) Certification:
  No certification or registration is required
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable for applicants at this level
• (d) Assignment:
  This represents the full performance level
• Echocardiography technicians at this level identify and record anomalies indicative of disease - injury - or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler
• They incorporate the causes and results of a variety of symptoms and conditions into a plan of ultrasonic diagnostic examination
• They change and develop sounding techniques to accommodate such variables as limited patient mobility - variation in physical condition or dimension of the patient - presence of prosthesis or foreign objects - and ultrasonic response of different body parts
• They produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency recordings using M-Mode - two-dimensional - and Doppler ultrasound
• Preferred Experience:
  
  Certification by the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) and Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) with 1-3 years as a cardiac sonographer is preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Standards/
• The…