Medical Instrument Technician (EKG)

The Medical Instrument Technician (MIT) functions as an Electrocardiograph Technician (EKG) at the full performance level. The EKG Technician is a member of the health care team on the Acute/Critical patient care units in Nursing Service. The incumbent performs cardiac monitoring on Medical/Surgical and Intensive Care. Observes the cardiac rhythm of patients and programs the central monitor unit with specific parameters for the patient. Identifies normal sinus rhythm and recognizes dysrhythmias.

Major duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Observes, gathers, initiates, compiles, and records telemetry data.
• Reports cardiac rhythm changes and information on monitored patients.
• Observes central telemetry monitor, records and identifies all changes in the patient's baseline cardiac rhythm and promptly notifies nurse caring for patient.
• Seeks prompt assistance from appropriate staff for cardiac rhythm interpretation beyond expertise.
• Identifies life threatening dysrhythmias and takes immediate action. Alerts nursing staff to check patient.
• Monitors and documents all pertinent information during a cardiac arrest and report all changes to patient's nurse.
• Communicates with nursing personnel when changes in the monitoring parameters are required for a particular patient, and when changes in electrode placement are required.
• Provide direct, continuous visualization of the cardiac rhythm monitoring/surveillance system.
• Obtains, interprets, and documents cardiac rhythm strips.
• Identifies and records significant changes and/or abnormalities occurring in the patient's baseline cardiac rhythm and notifies nursing staff of changes as they occur.
• Records continuous cardiac rhythm strip as directed by RN.
• Provides Hand-Off report to the oncoming cardiac monitoring technician for the next shift.
• Seeks prompt assistance from appropriate staff for rhythm interpretation beyond expertise.
• Responds to cardiac monitoring system alarms.
• Troubleshoots cardiac monitoring equipment.
• Notifies Charge Nurse / Supervisor of equipment problems.

Work Schedule: Days, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., with alternating weekends and holidays.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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 #: 14363F.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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:

• Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States. 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. See the grade requirements part of this standard for information regarding educational substitutions.
• 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 certain functional areas at the higher levels or supervisory assignments, specific certifications appropriate to the specialty are indicated in this standard under "Titles and Certification/Registrations". 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a.

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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Electrocardiograph Technician (EKG), GS-7

• 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 positions to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of the equipment, standard tests and procedures, and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities. AND
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).
  1. Knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress including the ability to recognize, report and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias.
  2. Knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures plus knowledge of common errors and corrective measures.
  3. Ability to modify procedures/positions to obtain the correct results with patients with complicating conditions such as amputations, Parkinson's disease, structural defects, and scar tissue.
  4. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians.
  5. Ability to conduct in-service training on the EKG equipment and related instrumentation.
• 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.

Preferred Experience: Two (2) years of telemetry experience.

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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 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 evaluation.
• 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.