Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Performs 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 pericardia! effusion thrombus and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves etc.
• Identify and record anomalies indicative of diseases injury or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler.
• Monitors patients condition during procedure .
• Performs quality assurance reviews as assigned by supervisor .
• Communicates effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels .
• Participates in organizational and VISN level conferences task forces and committees as assigned to implement performance standards at the local level.
• Adopts develops or improves imaging procedures and techniques for individual problems .
• Takes initiative to learn new developments in the field recommend changes to improve service correct deficiencies and improve reliability of test and treatment results. The procedures and techniques adapted or developed by the sonographer may be considered to form the basis for hospital standardization.
• Assists in maintaining and ordering adequate supplies used in the Echo lab .
• Assists in the transport of patients when transportation services are not available .

Work Schedule: Variable
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Physical Requirements: Employee Understands that they will endure prolonged periods of sitting bending reaching crouching stooping and stretching. Much of the work is sedentary but can involve walking pushing bending standing moderate lifting and carrying light items such as books papers files and supplies as needed. The employee must be able to life items up to 50lbs. The employee understands that the use of proper body mechanics is imperative to provide safety for both self and patient population.

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

• 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.

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.
• English Language Proficiency. Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 section D paragraph 5a.
• 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

• 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 associates degree with a major field of study directly related to the medical instrument technician occupation.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • 1. Knowledge of basic medical terminology.
  • 2. Ability to learn the components operating characteristics and settings of the equipment to be used.
  • 3. Ability to learn typical patient reactions to the basic procedures involved and ability to recognize signs of distress.
  • 4. Ability to learn the standard positions for the procedure being conducted.
  • 5. Ability to communicate orally and in writing.

• 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 bachelors degree with courses related to the occupation or a bachelors degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • 1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
  • 2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
  • 3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
  • 4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or procedures.
  • 5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble clean reassemble and calibrate the machine.

• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • 1. Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the heart and great vessels.
  • 2. Knowledge of cardiac arrhythmias and their relationship to hemodynamic conditions of the cardiac cycle.
  • 3. Knowledge of basic cardiac ultrasound physics and the acoustic mechanisms by which high quality cardiac images are obtained.
  • 4. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for standardized routine procedures.
  • 5. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure.

• 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 the individual with the knowledge skills and abilities to independently conduct difficult but standardized echocardiographic examinations.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities In addition the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • 1. Ability to scan transthoracic echocardiograms in all views with colorflow and some Doppler.
  • 2. Ability to conduct cardiac testing to determine the severity and variety of cardiac problems i.e. valvular dysfunction myocardial wall kinesia effusions endocardial lesions etc.
  • 3. Knowledge of the set-up for transesophageal echocardiograms.
  • 4. Ability to set up and adjust the ultrasound equipment to meet the conditions of the examination and the patient and to operate the equipment for more complex but standardized procedures.
• Certification. Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable.

• 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 the overall knowledge skills and abilities to conduct diagnostic echocardiography examinations in complex and unusual cases.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities 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.