Summary

The Charleston VA Healthcare Network seeks a Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) - GS-8 - for Nursing - Specialty Service. This role supports adult and geriatric Veterans by assisting RNs with safe - effective dialysis care.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• a
• Citizenship
• Citizenship of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3g - this part.) b
• 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
• c
• 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
• Grandfathering Provision
• The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all Title 38 Hybrid qualification standards
• Some of these provisions may not apply to this occupation
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/ registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that does not require a licensure/certification/registration - may be reassigned - promoted - or demoted within the occupation
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or demoted within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
• Hemodialysis Technicians operate and monitor kidney dialysis instruments to provide dialysis treatment to patients with kidney failure or to maintain patients with irreversible kidney disorders
• The agencies that offer national certification are Nephrology Certification Commission (NNCC) - Board of Nephrology Examiners - Inc. - Nursing and Technology (BONENT) - National Nephrology Certification Organization (NNCO) - and the International Certification Commission for Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Technology (ICC) in conjunction with the United States Certification Commission (USCC)
• Grade Determination: GS-8 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 more complex procedures - the pharmacology related to this occupation - and knowledge of related acute disorders and diseases and their effects on organs and methods of treatment
• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of the hemodialysis process and equipment needed for home/self care including knowledge of common machine problems and repairs to such equipment
• 2
• Knowledge of the equipment and procedures for peritoneal dialysis
• 3
• Ability to assist the physician with percutaneous renal biopsies and peritoneal catheter insertion
• 4
• Ability to provide instruction to dialysis patients in home/self care and in the maintenance of the equipment
• 5
• Ability to provide instruction for physicians - nurses - and other personnel in dialysis procedures - equipment operation and maintenance - etc
• 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: Certified Clinical Hemodialysis Technician (CCHT) 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-08
• The actual grade at which an applicant will be selected for this vacancy is GS-08
• Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties may include - but are not limited to: The MIT coordinates equipment setup - treatment initiation/termination - water system monitoring - supply management - documentation - and Veteran/caregiver support to ensure continuous - high-quality operations in the Dialysis Unit and when required - inpatient/ICU settings
• Performs hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis per provider orders and policy
• supports care for acutely ill and ICU patients
• assists with percutaneous renal biopsies (specimen handling) and peritoneal catheter insertions
• and delivers home/self-care dialysis education per program protocols
• Maintains competency in AV fistula/graft cannulation - machine operation - alarm response - and water system checks
• promptly alerts RN/provider to status changes
• and adheres to all Medical Center and dialysis-specific standards including AAMI - Joint Commission - OSHA - and Infection Control
• Prepare patient and treatment area
• perform pre - intra - and post-treatment assessments and monitoring
• Initiate and terminate hemodialysis
• perform peritoneal dialysis as ordered
• provide post-procedure support
• Cannulate AV fistulas/grafts per competency and policy
• identify early signs of complications (such as hypotension - disequilibrium - seizures - or arrhythmias) and take immediate actions within scope - escalating concerns to the RN or provider
• Set up - calibrate - operate - and troubleshoot dialysis machines
• perform routine maintenance - cleaning/disinfection
• maintain accurate machine and water system logs
• Monitors water treatment systems and portable RO units to ensure parameters meet AAMI standards
• prepare machines for culturing - coordinate vendor testing - and retain records
• Performs daily/weekly/monthly/annual checks and quality controls (dialysate chemistries - water treatment testing - reagent/equipment QC)
• Maintains compliance with Joint Commission - OSHA - AAMI - VA Infection Control - and local dialysis policies
• participate in unit performance improvement and report water quality testing results
• Provides instruction to patients/caregivers on home/self-care dialysis and basic equipment maintenance
• reinforce adherence and safety
• Assists in training physicians - nurses - and technicians on dialysis techniques and water system operations - support orientation and in-service sessions
• Documents procedures - assessments - vital signs - machine parameters - quality checks - and specimen handling in the electronic medical record and required logs
• Maintains inventory and order supplies - compile data for program reporting
• Work Schedule: Monday-Saturday - 9:00 am-7:30pm
• (With possible intermittent coverage for the 5:30am - 2:00pm shift) 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 #: 61962F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized