Medical Instrument Tech (GI)

The Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System is recruiting for a Medical Instrument Technician (MIT) (Gastroenterologist) to work as a member of the Gastroenterology Procedure Team and providing assistance to the care team during diagnostic examinations or medical treatment procedures as part of the diagnosis and treatment of patients. The MIT functions as a primary person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment functions during GI procedures and Scope Reprocessing.

Duties include but not limited to:

• Schedule and coordinate special MIT GI related procedures.
• Perform sterilization of endoscopes, checks for leaks of all scopes and performs preventive maintenance and minor repairs of all equipment.
• Observe and respond promptly to each stage of the GI procedures and anticipates the needs of the physician and/or registered nurse by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time.
• Position patients for examinations or treatments.
• Prepares procedural rooms for the performance of GI endoscopic procedures.
• Evaluate the functioning and calibration of the monitoring equipment used during the procedure to ensure patient stability.
• Maintain adequate inventory of supplies in endoscopy rooms and places orders and follows through on obtaining any deficient supplies/equipment.
• Use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am-4:00pm, compressed schedule available
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).

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:
Medical Instrument Technician GS-04:
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 position to be filled. Six months of this experience may have been in medically related fields such as nursing assistant, practical nursing, or similar fields. The remaining six months must have been in operating diagnostic and therapeutic equipment covered by this occupation. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited at this level.
OR
Education: Successful completion of two years of education above high school or an associate's degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation. In addition, you must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
• Ability to learn the components, operating characteristics, and settings of the equipment to be used.
• Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
• Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Medical Instrument Technician GS-05:
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 position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level.
OR
Education. Successful completion of 4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions. In addition, you must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
• Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
• Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
• Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
• Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine.

Medical Instrument Technician GS-06:
Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. In addition, you must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to set up endoscopy equipment, ensuring endoscopes and ancillary equipment functions properly.
• Ability to aid the physician with standard and routine procedures such as colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).
• Knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy in order to assist practitioner with routine standardized gastroenterology procedures.
• Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure, recognizing disabilities or impaired mobility and assisting the patient as necessary.
• Ability to reprocess and maintain specialty critical reusable medical equipment (RME), following approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and universal precautions.
• Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies.
• Ability to manually clean and disinfect non-critical reusable equipment and surfaces, dispose of one time-use equipment and trash per facility policy, and restock supplies such as linens, suction equipment, and cleaning products.

Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BLS certification.

Medical Instrument Technician (Full Performance Level), GS-07:
Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of proper performance of endoscopic equipment and procedures. In addition, you must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures.
• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures.
• Ability to assist physician with specialized, complex procedures.
• Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOP's to clean reusable medical equipment (RME).
• Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care.
• Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies.
• Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration.

Certification. No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BLS certification.

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-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-7.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.

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.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.