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Summary The incumbent serves as a Non-Invasive Cardiology Technician at Hines VA Hospital. Typical assignments involve operating monitoring medical equipment and devices used in cardiology specifically for the recording and monitoring of EKG's, which require a high degree of judgement. The technician is required to have the skills to independently perform a variety of cardiac diagnostic procedures. Responsibilities The incumbent serves as a Non-Invasive Cardiology Technician at Hines VA Hospital. Typical assignments involve operating monitoring medical equipment and devices used in cardiology specifically for the recording and monitoring of EKG's, which require a high degree of judgement. The technician is required to have the skills to independently perform a variety of cardiac diagnostic procedures. Independently performs a variety of cardiac diagnostic procedures. Identifies data displayed and patient responses to the extent of determining appropriate machine adjustments in selecting the method and techniques that will yield the best results. Recognizes evidence of cardiac emergencies, including acute myocardial infarction and serious arrhythmias from tracings and take appropriate action including immediate notification to the physician and initiating cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. Recognizes appropriate anatomical landmarks for accurate and secure electrode placement. The EKG technician performs 12-lead electrocardiograms. Recognizes electrical hazards and other outside factors, which affect the technical accuracy and quality of EKG tracings. Observes special precautions established for critical care areas, the emergency department and the operating room relating to their specialized equipment. Recognizes mechanical, electrical or other interference for correction. Explains routine and non-routine procedures to veteran patients and other authorized individuals to allay fear of the procedure. Emphasizes the importance of following exact directions during monitoring periods, particularly for 24 hour Holter and Event monitoring or other special procedures. Performs proper routine maintenance of equipment per established procedures to obtain satisfactory results. Cleans, calibrates and maintains technical components and related office equipment to product technically correct tracings of diagnostic quality and to prepare the finished report of the procedure. Observes the patient's condition making notation of pertinent information including vital signs and other diagnostic information in accordance with the established practice and in response to physician demand or changes in the patient's condition. Recognizes the interrelationship between test results, patient response and patient's medical condition and effectively communicates information on technically observed abnormal deviations to the physician. Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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 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. IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION. GS-7 Grade Requirements: 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 equipment, standard tests and procedures, and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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. 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: - Two years experience as an EKG technician - Proficient at cardiac treadmill and pharmacological testing, cardiac monitoring/Holter monitor placement. - Proficient at resting ECGs and diagnostics - MUSE editor Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Duties will require dexterity in the following areas as the work requires regular and recurring moderate physical exertion including but not limited to walking, frequent bending, reaching, stretching to set up and take apart medical equipment, lifting and positioning patients, carrying, pushing or pulling moderately heavy objects. 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). 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 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.