Help Overview
• Open & closing dates
08/11/2020 to 08/31/2020
• Service
Excepted
• Pay scale & grade
GS 9
• Salary
$62,507 to $81,263 per year
• Appointment type
Permanent
• Work schedule
Full-Time
Overview
Help Duties Summary
Position is an operator of the super conductive Magnetic Resonance Imager (MRI), a highly complex computerized imaging device which employs the use of strong magnetic field and radio waves to acquire Images. He/she also operates one or more of the following: Computer Tomography (CT).
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Responsibilities
• Employee maintains the cleanliness of his/her assigned work area, maintains necessary supplies in the work area. Reports all shortages to the supervisor, as well as any equipment failure. In the absence of the supervisor, contacts Biomedical Engineering or the service vendor to arrange for service.
• Employee has a responsibility to recognize and exhibit good safety practices; to comply with published and communicated safety procedures; to immediately report observed safety infractions and unsafe working conditions; and to report in a timely fashion work related illnesses and injuries.
• Employee observes patient safety guidelines as set forth in department and Medical Center policies and procedures.
• The employee's relationship with supervisors, co-workers, and others within the organization are consistently courteous and cooperative in nature, and overall contribute positively to the effective operation of the Radiology Service. Differences of opinion are nearly always handled in a business-like fashion.
• The incumbent accepts duties/assignments outside of his/her normal workstation for purposes of receiving additional training, and to provide needed coverage as determined by his/her supervisor based on patient workload shift/changes and availability of personnel.
• Actively seeks out work when assigned tasks are finished. Proactively identifies administrative, clinical or mechanical problems, and defines solutions thereof. Treats patients and visitors with courtesy and respect. Performs assigned duties with no supervision during irregular hours to insure adequate patient examinations.
• The incumbent advises the Radiologist of those examinations which require immediate attention while the patient is still undergoing the examination. The incumbent assists the radiologist in the administration of contrast material agents. The incumbent practices sterile technique to prevent contamination.
• The incumbent accurately and routinely performs the associated DHCP and imaging network responsibilities that relate to a patient examination and the patient's record.
• The incumbent is responsible for setting up and positioning patients, provides immobilization devices, selects proper technical factors on an individual patient basis and operates the equipment. New equipment will be evaluated, and new methods will be compared with existing methods. Interaction with physicians, scientists, physicists, computer programmers and manufacture's technical design engineers will be a normal occurrence of the daily duties of the operator, along with patient interactions.
• Checks all equipment and reports failures to the MRI supervisor.
• Further, the incumbent is trained in contamination containment and isolation techniques to protect himself/herself and others as well as the MRI/CT sections from contamination.
• The incumbent stocks his/her work area with needles, syringes, gauze, local anesthetics and a variety of catheters, guide wires and dilators, used in invasive procedures. The incumbent maintains and stocks all supplies used in his/her work area.
• The incumbent interacts with patients, explains exam procedures, positions patients within the scanner (MRI or CT), monitors patients during all phases of the examination, and records all patient exam information for permanent record.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, rotating shift work at the needs of Management, with rotating on-call status. This is a bargaining unit position. This position is defined by a functional statement. Though based in Tampa FL, m ay be required to work at Management's discretion to ensure patient care coverage . Must maintain proficiency on all radiological equipment in Tampa in accordance with Joint Commission standards.
Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
9
Job family (Series)
0647 Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist
Similar jobs
• Mri Technologists
• Radiologic Technologists
• Technologists, Mri
• Technologists, Radiologic
Help Requirements Conditions of Employment
• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to Recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
English Language Proficiency. DRTs must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
Certification. All applicants must be certified in general radiologic technology by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (R). Advanced ARRT certification is required for Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Advanced certification indicates that the technologist has demonstrated specific clinical competency in the appropriate specialty and taken and passed the designated examination.
Education. Completion of a full-time training course of at least 24 months duration (or the equivalent) in a post-high school diagnostic radiologic technology program, evidenced by a certificate or an associate's degree, accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) or from schools accredited by the ARRT and certification by the ARRT in radiology.
1. Credentialing Standards. Public Law 97-35, the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981, requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75, Standards for the Accreditation of Educational Programs and the Credentialing of Radiographic Personnel. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field.
2. Exception for Non-Certified, Entry Level Candidates. Non- certified DRTs who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for ARRT (R) certification may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate DRT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed 2 years for a DRT that provides care under the supervision of a certified DRT at or above the full performance level. This exception only applies at the GS-5 entry level. For grade levels above the entry level, the candidate must be certified. Temporary appointments of non-certified DRTs may not be extended beyond 2 years or converted to a new temporary appointment.
3. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain certification within two years, or who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment.
• Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a DRT 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 certification that are part of the basic requirements of the DRT occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
• DRTs that require a certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• DRTs that require a certification only at higher grade levels must meet the certification requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
• DRTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• DRTs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• Employees who are retained as a DRT under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a DRT. NOTE: Each uncertified VHA DRT who was permanently employed on June 21, 1986, and whose competence in the safe administration of ionizing radiation was affirmed, in writing, by a VA licensed physician not later than January 1, 1987, is considered fully qualified. These employees may be promoted, changed to lower grade or reassigned within the GS-647 occupational series. Any employee initially retained in this manner who leaves this job series loses protected status and must meet the full requirements in effect at the time of reentry.
• Physical Requirements. Bending, stooping, lifting of up to 30 pounds, standing for long periods, and pushing carts (portable x-ray machines) up to 250 pounds. Positioning of patients for radiological procedures, some of which may be morbidly obese with weight in excess of 350 pounds.
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS
a. Creditable Experience
• Knowledge of Current Radiologic Technology Practice. To be creditable, experience must have demonstrated possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (also referred to as clinical competencies) associated with current radiologic technology practice. This may have been evidenced by the equivalent of 1 year of active practice, which is paid or non-paid employment as a DRT as defined by ARRT.
• Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it was earned after completion of the basic certification requirements identified in paragraph 2b above. Experience as a graduate DRT is creditable provided the candidate functioned as a DRT and subsequently passed the certification examination.
c. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates:
Experience GS-9. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level.
(b) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. DRTs at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments:
Advanced DRT. Employees at this level are fully functional as an advanced DRT and are able to carry out their assigned tasks independently. The candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment-specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*):
a. Ability to balance the needs of patients and staff while still performing complex scans and procedures;
b. Skill to demonstrate appropriate techniques to gather relevant information from the medical record, significant others, and health care providers;
c. Ability to assess factors that may contraindicate the procedure;
d. Knowledge of basic first aid and basic life support practices related to radiography;
e. Knowledge of physical assessment, aseptic techniques, intravenous methods and techniques and universal precautions; and
f. Knowledge of pre-procedural, procedural, and post-procedural care of patients.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .
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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
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.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .
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How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
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Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Other
Drug test required
Yes
Help Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
• Resume
VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search .
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .
Help Benefits
A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits .
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A career with the U.S. Government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits .
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time, or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.