Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia)

The Anesthesia Technicians at the Buffalo VA Medical Center will provide essential support to anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists during complex surgical procedures.

Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia) GS-08 Duties include:

• Assists in the performance of invasive procedures.
• Advises anesthesiologists or other anesthesia providers of significant abnormalities that would require their immediate attention and visualization while the patient is undergoing examination.
• Performs a range of diagnostic support duties such as taking, recording, and reporting to supervisor deviations in vital signs, taking specimens, labeling specimens for the laboratory.
• Participates in the training of physicians, students and anesthesiology staff so that these individuals may acquire an understanding of the principles of anesthesia and how it relates to other services.
• Performs routine clerical procedures for the purpose of instrumentation/equipment.
• The incumbent must be aware of and practice the safety policies/procedures of the medical center and
  participate in quality assurance activities as directed.
• Performs or supervises routine housekeeping duties to assure that the anesthesia area is clean and sanitary.
• Assists with quality assurance technologists in performing quality assurance testing on the anesthesia unit using phantoms, test tools, test check lists, etc. for the purpose of assuring peak performance of the anesthesia equipment.
• Maintains records of the quality assurance testing so that easy reference is available should servicing be necessary: (weekly basis).
• Operates bronchoscopy camera for the purpose of making hard copy records of airway examinations so that future examinations may be compared.

Note: The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform additional tasks as necessitated by the supervisor or designee.

Work Schedule: M-F; 8:00am- 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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 #: 24121-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 for this occupation.
• Licensure or 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.

Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia), GS-08 Grade Determinations:

Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level GS-07 which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the positions to be filled.

AND,

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of the correct use of invasive patient monitoring equipment specific to anesthesiology.
• Knowledge of basic electrocardiography (EKG).
• Skill and ability to troubleshoot equipment, often while the patient is anesthetized.
• Skill and ability to maintain sterility during procedures.
• Knowledge and understanding of arterial pressure line wave forms including the ability to recognize and distinguish normal from abnormal, artifact from abnormality, and forewarn the physician or anesthetist of an impending life-threatening situation.
• Knowledge of anesthesiology supplies, medications, and equipment appropriate to more difficult anesthetic procedures such as those found in inpatient settings with more acutely ill patients.

Assignment. This represents the full performance level. The anesthesia technician at this level assists anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists in difficult anesthetic procedures under minimal supervision. The technician will connect and operate invasive hemodynamic monitoring equipment (e.g., arterial pressure monitors), anesthesia machines, ventilators, intubation bronchoscopes, and ultrasonic scanning devices. Technicians prepare and administer medications as directed by the attending physician. They mentor and train lower graded technicians, nurses, medical students, and anesthesia residents on anesthesia technology procedures and assist the supervisor/manager with quality control and performance improvement activities. The technician will exercise a high degree of independent judgment in anesthesia technology duties.

Preferred Experience: Troubleshooting of anesthesia delivery systems or any complex, software driven machine integrated with physiologic monitoring, requiring calibration or safety checks or gas or fluid delivery pathways or alarm management, and regulatory oversight.

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-08.

Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019

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