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Summary The Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) position is located in the Nursing Service within the VA of Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA. The Medical Instrument Technician (Hemodialysis) position serves as a member of the dialysis team and is responsible for the performing hemodialysis treatments. Responsibilities The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Operates diagnostic and therapeutic medical instruments and equipment as part of the treatment for both acutely ill and chronic renal failure patients Performs routine chronic and acute treatments within the unit under the supervision of a RN charge nurse/ team leader Takes a lead in the maintenance, troubleshooting and disinfection of equipment, water quality monitoring, restocking of supplies and/or preparation of dialysate concentrates for dialysis procedures Team Leader is responsible for delegation of operational daily assignments to MIT peers and to ensure all documentation of assignments are completed prior to end of tour of duty. Functions as a preceptor coordinator for new technical or nursing staff in learning the operation of all dialysis machine and equipment. Services as technical support in the operation, calibration and troubleshooting of specialized medical equipment and instruments Provides instructions to physicians, nurses and other personnel on hemodialysis techniques, equipment operation and maintenance. Maintains inventory of all dialysis related supplies on a weekly basis assuring rotation of stock and adequate levels are maintained. Performs other dialysis related duties as assigned by the Charge RN and/or Nurse Manager(s). Fulfills rotating on-call responsibilities to support patient care needs outside of regular tour hours Work Schedule: 1000am- 0830pm Compressed/Flexible: Four 10-hour shifts per week with rotating on-call responsibilities Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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. 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-07: 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 the equipment, standard procedures, and typical machine problems and/or patient reactions to treatment. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Ability to assist the physician in more complex procedures such as central venous catheter insertion. 2. Ability to assist in training patients in home/self-care by teaching components of machine operation including water treatment and monitoring patients for compliance. 3. Ability to act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded technicians. 4. Ability to analyze deviations from the expected, determine whether the deviations are machine or patient related, and respond according to the findings. 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. Assignment. At this level in addition to providing hemodialysis for chronic patients, hemodialysis technicians assist the physician during central venous catheter insertion, assist in the training of patients for home dialysis/self-care, and act as a mentor or preceptor to lower graded hemodialysis technicians. At this level, the technician accepts responsibility and accountability for his/her own actions. GS-08: 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: Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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. Assignment. This represents the full performance level. At this level the hemodialysis technician serves as a member of a dialysis team performing dialysis on acutely ill patients including those within an intensive care setting. Assignments involve performing both peritoneal and hemodialysis procedures. The dialysis technician may participate in percutaneous renal biopsies, watching the patient during the procedure and properly processing the specimen. Assists the physician in peritoneal catheter insertions and observes the patient for vital signs and provides post operative care. Provides instruction and monitors patients for home dialysis. Performs training of physicians, nurses, and technicians on hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis techniques. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-08. Physical Requirements: Lifting, pushing, and pulling of up to 35 pounds. Walking, standing, stooping, bending, and kneeling for up to 4 - 6 hours intermittently. Pushing for up to 4 - 5 hours intermittently. Continuous use of computer for 2 - 4 hours including use of keyboard and mouse. Prolonged, continuous sitting for 1 - 2 hours. Prolonged, repeated wrist movement using scanners for 2 - 4 hours, intermittently. Ability to work rotating shifts including days, evenings, and nights. Reaching above head and shoulder required. Ability needed to distinguish color or blanching. Ability to hear people speaking and to be able to answer phone. Manual dexterity- Ability to use fingers to start IVs, feel pulses, feel temperature, feel texture. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously required. 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.