Medical Instrument Technologist (Echocardiography)

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.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026 or until the position is filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be March 2nd, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks thereafter.

Medical Technologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Technologist-Career-Flyer.pdf

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Advises referring physician of significant abnormalities that would require their immediate attention and visualization while the patient is undergoing examination.
• Develops and maintains patient preparation procedures so that patients and wards will understand the proper preparations for ultrasound examinations to minimize delays of examinations. Explains examinations to be performed to the patient, so that, an understanding
  of the purpose of the study as well as any requirements of the patients are thoroughly understood.
• Responsible for independently performing standard examinations and scheduling patients for examinations. Evaluates the nature of critical and emergency procedures, and rearrange patients scheduled to accommodate them.
• Maintains adequate supplies so that examinations are not delayed due to lack of necessary equipment and supplies.
• Understands and adheres to policies and procedures of Cardiology Services, Medical
  Service and the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS).
• Other duties assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
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)
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 #: 31319-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 at this grade level for this occupation .
• ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• LICENSURE OR CERTIFICATION: Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, Basic and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are desirable are strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Grandfathering Provision: Applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria may qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation.

Grade Determinations:

GS-8: 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 overall knowledge, skills, and abilities to conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases.

GS-8 KSAs:

• 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 echocardiographic 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.

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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The tasks of this position generally require sitting, standing, occasional crouching or kneeling. Moderate lifting may be required to move equipment throughout the Medical Center locations. Considerable manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination are continuously required while performing respiratory therapy procedures. This includes observation of a computer screen. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation demands coordination and stamina.

CERTIFICATION: No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BCLS (Basic Cardiac Life Support) certification.

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/.

• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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.