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Summary The Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) in Patient Care Services in the Dialysis and Nephrology unit at the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System is a field expert with knowledge of more complex examination & treatment such as those provided for critically ill patients requiring acute hemodialysis procedures. The hemodialysis Tech is responsible for the operation of hemodialysis equipment in the treatment of patients with renal failure and monitoring patients during treatments. Responsibilities The Medical Instrument Tech (Hemodialysis) is responsible for the operation of hemodialysis equipment in the treatment of patients with renal failure; monitoring patients during dialysis treatments; cleaning, sterilizing, and maintenance of dialysis equipment; monitoring the quality of the water used for dialysis; collecting, recording and reporting water culture results; setting up and operating hemodialysis equipment. The dialysis technician is a member of the multidisciplinary care team. He/she is responsible for all chairs in the dialysis unit, functions as expert at troubleshooting diagnostic instrument issues, calibrating, and repairing external dialysis machines and main RO maintenance issues in collaboration with Biomedical Engineering. The Duties and responsibilities of the MIT (Hemodialysis) include but are not limited to the following: Collaborates with RN team leader or charge nurse, to provide hemodialysis treatment to all patients with renal failure. Initiates and terminates dialysis treatments following standard procedures. Monitors patients throughout treatment and makes necessary adjustments without consultation according to the patient's medical condition, previous experience, and accepted practices. Monitors dialysis treatment parameters, e.g., vital signs, weight loss. Collects and records vital signs using blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, scales, and thermometers. Records patients' condition and changes (blood pressure, excess fluid, etc.), and determines proper treatment procedure, technique, and machine adjustments. Connects patient to the dialyzer (using venipunctures, external shunt, etc.) and operates equipment to initiate extracorporeal circulation and performance of dialysis. Prepares and dismantles extracorporeal blood circuits and the dialysis machines to create a sterile, air-free blood circuit using a standard aseptic procedure. Operates and monitors dialysis equipment in performance of dialysis procedures using prescribed standard procedures and the machine monitoring system. Establishes amount of fluid to be removed and sets the machine pressure according to the coefficient of ultrafiltration of the dialyzer. Documents and charts accurately on flow sheets and electronic medical records. Assesses and records the results of the dialysis treatment, plans future care, and reports program to the dialysis team. Work Schedule: 10-Hour Shifts, 5:00 AM - 3:30 PM or, 5:30 AM - 4:00 PM; Monday- Friday, Rotating Saturdays and holidays, depending on unit needs. Functional Statement# 41804F 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) Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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 Citizenship. Citizenship of the United States. (Non-citizens may 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 VA policy. Education. There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation. 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 under the grade requirements section. Grandfathering Provision: 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 meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) - GS-9 Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-8), which is directly related to the duties of the position to be filled, and must fully meet the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) at that level, which are: Knowledge of the hemodialysis process and equipment needed for home/self care including knowledge of common machine problems and repairs to such equipment. Knowledge of the equipment and procedures for peritoneal dialysis. Ability to assist the physician with percutaneous renal biopsies and peritoneal catheter insertion. Ability to provide instruction to dialysis patients in home/self care and in the maintenance of the equipment. Ability to provide instruction for physicians, nurses, and other personnel in dialysis procedures, equipment operation and maintenance, etc. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: Knowledge of the more complex examination and treatment procedures and techniques such as those provided for acutely ill patients and peritoneal dialysis in order to provide training and supervision in these procedures. Knowledge of JCAHO and other regulatory requirements. Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels. Ability to manage and supervise employees. Ability to provide, or provide for, staff development and training. Preferred Experience: 2-3 years of Dialysis experience Certification by one of the following organizations is highly desirable at this level: Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) or, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to and essential for satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: Certification by the Nephrology Certification Commission (NNCC), OR Board of Nephrology Examiners, Inc. Certification by the Nursing and Technology (BONENT) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements. The physical demands of the work requires, occasional moderate lifting, (15-44 pounds), occasional moderate carrying (15-44 pounds), straight pulling (1 hour), Pushing (1 hour), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, frequent patient positioning on exam table, moderate walking (4 hours), standing (4 hours), repeated bending (2 hours), ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing aid (permitted), emotional stability, Transferring patients and objects may be required. Mechanical lifts are provided. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Education 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/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.