Summary

This position is located at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center - Milwaukee - Wisconsin and is organizationally aligned within the Emergency Department. The position functions as a non-licensed member of the nursing care team in the Emergency Department and combines the responsibility and selected aspects of a productive team member carrying out and ensuring quality and timely delivery of care.

Qualifications

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 - this part
• 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-6 Experience: at least one (1) year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-5) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of a Medical Instrument Technician (Electrocardiograph).In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1
• Ability to recognize special patient needs such as disabilities - impaired mobility - and complicating medical conditions in order to prepare and position the patient for the prescribed procedure
• 2
• Knowledge of the specialized equipment and accessories appropriate to Holter monitoring and ability to perform such tests
• 3
• Knowledge of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines in cleaning equipment
• 4
• Ability to monitor the patient for adverse reactions and take appropriate action
• 5
• Ability to operate the equipment to perform standard and routine highly specialized procedures including exercise stress testing
• GS-7 Experience: At least one (1) year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-6) which demonstrates the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics related to the duties of a Medical Instrument Technician (Electrocardiograph)
• This would be experience which provide knowledge of the equipment - standard tests and procedures - and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following 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
• Preferred Experience: Pre-hospital or Emergency room 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-7. Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - keen hearing - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking - standing kneeling - sitting - bending - pulling and pushing
• Transferring patients and objects may be required
• The incumbent may be exposed to infectious patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or procedures
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative to secondary delirium - dementia or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be mature - flexible - sensible individual capable to working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Duties

• Major Duties: Interprets cardiac rhythms - heart rate and arrhythmias and communicates them to the appropriate staff promptly
• Reports all changes in heart rate/rhythm to appropriate nursing staff via verbal or phone communications
• Monitors patient's rhythm and records strips per unit standard Monitors invasive and non-invasive waveforms (including but not limited to telemetry - pulse oximetry - end-tidal CO2 - central venous pressure - arterial line readings - etc.) - demonstrates competence in waveform knowledge and calls appropriate staff promptly for changes in waveform quality - monitoring values - etc
• Applies various monitoring equipment - i.e. - blood pressure - pulse oximetry and ECG Performs routine and STAT procedures such as bedside ECGs Assigns new telemetry patients in the monitor
• Cleans Tele equipment and wires as needed after admission/discharge/transfer
• Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials
• Identifies equipment needing preventative maintenance or repair and takes appropriate action
• Prepares and processes semi-critical and non-critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) in accordance with appropriate Standard Operating Procedures
• Participates in RME competency completion and RME audits
• Able to troubleshoot problems with monitoring equipment
• Maintains nursing unit assignments - phone numbers - and adjusts throughout the shift as needed Performs duties with full understanding of related age-specific factors
• Orients and mentors new staff members
• Reports and receives shift report - both verbally and on written handoff
• Research patient's chart for significant history: pacer - AICD - arrhythmias - diagnosis and pertinence for rhythm disturbances - doctors' orders for monitoring parameters
• Ensures work area and equipment are clean
• Actively participates in Performance and Quality Improvement initiatives to include collecting data and conducting audits
• Monitors alarm trends - collaborates with unit leadership and develops action plans to reduce alarm fatigue
• Performs patient transfers for patients on portable ECG monitors - as appropriate
• Performs direct patient care tasks including obtaining vital signs - completing activities of daily living - patient ambulation - blood glucose readings - l&O documentation - etc
• Other tasks as designated appropriate by nurse manager or designee Maintains competencies as required Work Schedule: Full-time- PM Shift with Holiday and Weekend Rotation 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 #: 00081F -00082F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized