Career Center

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Medical Instrument Technician (MIT) in Patient Care Service - in the Gastroenterology unit primarily at the East Orange campus. The technician assigned to Endoscopy performs work at both East Orange and Lyons campuses and is responsible for performing a variety of highly technical and patient care functions. The endoscopy technician receives assignments to provide population specific care to patients.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• 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.) Education
• There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation
• 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 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 - this part
• Gastroenterology (GI) Technicians assist the practitioner in endoscopic procedures - such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) - colonoscopy - endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) - and endoscopic ultrasound
• The technicians ensure proper performance of equipment - set up equipment - and reprocess endoscopic reusable medical equipment (RME)
• Certification is offered by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA) for level one and level two training
• GI endoscope reprocessing certification is offered through the Certification Board of Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD)
• 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)
• Creditable Experience - Knowledge of Current Medical Instrument Technician Practices
• To be creditable - the experience must have required the use of knowledge - skills - abilities and other characteristics associated with current Medical Instrument Technician practice appropriate to the identified specialty area
• Specialized developmental experience obtained under supervision of appropriately certified individuals may be credited at higher levels and is addressed in individual appendices
• Quality of Experience
• Experience is only creditable if it is equivalent to at least the next lower grade level and is directly related to the position/specialty to be filled
• Part-time Experience
• Part time experience is credited according to its relationship to a full time workweek
• For example - an individual employed 20 hours per week - or on a ½ time basis would receive one work week credit for each two weeks of service
• Fellowships
• Not Applicable Internships
• Not Applicable Grade Determinations: GS-7 GI Technician (Full Performance Level): a) 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 - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (b) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities 1
• Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures
• 2
• Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system - with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures
• 3
• Ability to assist physician with specialized - complex procedures
• 4
• Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOP's to clean reusable medical equipment (RME)
• 5
• Ability to collaborate - communicate - and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care
• 6
• Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data - adhering to patient privacy and information security policies
• 7
• Ability to deliver patient care - including vital sign measurements and medication administration
• (c) Certification
• No certification is required
• however - it is desirable that employees at this level have BLS certification
• (d) Assignment
• This represents the full performance level
• Technicians at this level function with minimal instruction - assisting the staff with complex specialized procedures such as ERCP and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)
• They are proficient with GI endoscopic equipment and ensure proper performance of endoscopic equipment
• select alternate equipment or adjust equipment settings to accommodate patient needs and produce high quality technique
• They collect - process - and label all specimens
• train other technicians in basic endoscopic procedures
• work in and outside the GI unit offering technician support during emergent and on-call endoscopic cases
• and assist the nurse in patientcare duties such as obtaining vital signs - dressing and documenting all pertinent information in the patient's records
• They inventory and maintain par levels of specialty equipment for the endoscopy unit
• Preferred Experience: 1-3 years of Medical Instrument Technician experience in Endoscopy 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-07 which is the grade at which an applicant may be selected
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• The MIT is responsible to manage the overall operation of Endoscopy procedure area regarding Reusable Medical Equipment availability and supply inventory
• He/she maintains the cleanliness and proper working condition of all equipment - reports non-working equipment to appropriate personnel and stocks an adequate level of sterile and non-sterile supplies to balance supply and demand
• Assists the physician in both surgical and non-surgical procedures
• He/she serves as a scrub technician and in a circulating capacity on all types of endoscopic procedures
• In this capacity - the incumbent requires a complete knowledge of endoscopic procedures - equipment - instrumentation - sterile technique - and is responsible for ensuring policy is followed in all instances
• He/she is responsible to provide training and in-services to new and less experienced staff
• Must ensure that the patient is prepared for the examination
• He/she ensures the patient is safely placed and positioned on the table for the procedure
• To assist the physician in protecting the safety of the patient - in an efficient and effective manner - they must be capable of anticipating the needs of the physician based on their knowledge of the procedures to be performed - and eventually their understanding of different provider preferences
• The incumbent will be required to perform routine duties such as ordering and maintenance of adequate stock of sterile - non-sterile supplies and expendable items needed in the performance of endoscopic procedures
• Maintenance of the endoscopic - ensuring it is clean and sterilized for use on patients and in constant readiness of all scheduled and unscheduled procedures is within the scope of practice
• Must be knowledgeable of cleaning - disinfection and sterilization guidelines for a large inventory of Endoscopes including colonoscope - bronchoscope - gastro scope - Duodenoscope and Ultrasound scopes
• Each scope requires different cleaning and reprocessing guidelines which the technician must be proficient to safely process the Reusable Medical Equipment
• Must perform a majority of his/her duties independently and must be able to make decisions that are responsible and in the best interest of the patient and the Medical Center
• In the performance of official duties - the incumbent will have access to sensitive data which must be protected
• He/she is responsible for protecting sensitive data from unauthorized release or loss
• Responsibilities include but are not limited to assisting with GI procedures (Sigmoidoscopy - Colonoscopy - PEG's (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) - EGD - ERCP - EUS - Esophageal Dilatation - Esophageal Manometer and Capsule Endoscopy)
• Prepares the patient for the Endoscopy procedure which includes vital signs reinforcing patient education and set up the patient for the procedure
• Sets up the supplies and equipment necessary for the Endoscopy procedure with an understanding of its operation
• Operates and monitors the medical equipment (video processor unit and pulse oximeter) and instruments (gastro scope - colonoscope - sigmoid scope - ultrasound scope - duodenenoscope) required in the Endoscopy procedure including preprocedure checks to ensure equipment functioning
• Operate and demonstrate competency for accessory equipment such as - but not limited to APC - ERBE - cold and hot Biopsy forceps - leakage tester - Capsule Endoscopy and other Endoscopy equipment
• Assists the endoscopist during all procedures to include the operation of snares - injection needles - and biopsy forceps and other accessory instruments and techniques related to GI procedures
• He/she must be familiar with cytology procedures and the collection of specimens to ensure proper orientation of the specimen on the slide after biopsy retrieval
• This is essential to proper interpretation by the Pathologist
• Must independently implement infection control standards as required per mandatory training and unit specific standards
• Maintains and cleans endoscopic equipment used according to manufacturer specific instructions and Standard Operating Procedures
• He/she must have knowledge of reusable medical equipment (RME) used on the unit and be able to differentiate which items are reprocessed and which items require reprocessing by SPD
• This knowledge includes but is not limited to the following: a
• Pre-cleaning at the point of use for all endoscopes b
• Manual cleaning and inspection of all endoscopes c
• Leak testing of scopes prior to High Level Disinfection or sterilization d
• Knowledge of function and operation of the Steris EPS - Scope buddy - and Unitrol e
• Knowledge of proper testing of the Scope Buddy and Unitrol as required f
• Knowledge of - documentation and reporting any adverse event for the EPS and Unitrol g
• Knowledge of the required chemical testing for the Steris EPS and the Unitrol Additional duties as assigned Work Schedule: Full Time - 7:30am-6:00pm - Compressed Schedule
• as discussed with the service
• Functional Statement #:11491F