Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

The Nursing Specialty Service line located at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, is currently recruiting for a Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiographer). MIT's perform procedures and examinations on patients as a clinical or research service to physicians. The service relates to the treatment of particular patients, or it involves providing the physician with technical information used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in patients.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Identifies and record anomalies indicative of disease, injury, or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler.
• Changes and develop sounding techniques to accommodate such variables as limited patient mobility, variation in physical condition or dimension of the patient.
• Interacts with patients explaining procedures and positioning and prepping the patient for procedure.
• Produces diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency recordings using M-mode, two-dimensional, and Doppler ultrasound.
• Administers contrast when required for image quality per protocol.
• Maintains a high level of knowledge regarding patient monitoring equipment, patient positioning and comfort, peripheral venous access, and proper handling of lab specimens.
• Ensures proper performance of equipment, set up equipment, and reprocess reusable medical equipment (RME).
• Identifies and record anomalies indicative of disease, injury or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of Doppler imaging.
• Incorporates causes and results of a variety of symptoms and conditions into a plan of ultrasonic diagnostic examination.
• Reviews appointments for accuracy and communicate issues to multidisciplinary team and/or Clinical Nurse Manager.
• Advises cardiologist and/or referring physician of critically abnormal results of Echocardiography studies, providing physician with accurate calculations and preliminary diagnostic evaluation of the Echocardiogram.
• Administers contrast when required for image quality per protocol.
• Performs standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to troubleshoot equipment.
• Sets up cardiac sonography equipment and ensures equipment functions properly.

Work Schedule: Varies: Varies, 7:00am - 5:00pm (including weekends).
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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: (Preferred) Complete an accredited echocardiography program or possess a degree in a Health-related field (receiving an associate degree or higher) accredited by Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) as recognized by the Department of Education (DOE)
• Licensure or Certification: (Required) Current certification as either a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) or a Registered Cardiac Sonographer through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).

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:

GS-08 Experience: In addition to the basic requirements candidates must possess 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. 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.
2. Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases.
3. 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.
4. Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic, Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography, (invasive) stress echocardiography, and transesophageal echocardiography.
5. 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.

Certification. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable.

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

Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be physically and mentally able to perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing and lifting up to 45lbs. Transferring patients and objects may be required.

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 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.