Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiography)

Department of Veterans Affairs • Albuquerque, NM

59d • Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent works in the Cardiology Section of Specialty Care Service at the New Mexico Veteran Affairs Heath Care System (NMVAHCS). The Medical Instrument Technician-Echocardiography operates diagnostic equipment to graphically record the position and motion of the heart walls or the internal structure of the heart and neighboring tissue by the echo obtained from beams of ultrasonic waves directed through the chest wall. Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants

Responsibilities

• Advanced knowledge of complex and non-standard treatment and exam procedures and techniques.
• Use independent judgment in applying knowledge of clinical cardiology and ultrasound, and Doppler principles.
• Use problem-solving skills to optimize the evaluation and adjust the exam to ensure that it is comprehensive and accurate.
• Records and does preliminary interpretation of the exam and presents information and or possible diagnosis to the interpreting physician.
• Performs real-time 3D, 2D, M-Mode, continuous and pulse wave, color, and tissue Doppler exams.
• Performs transthoracic examinations and stress echocardiograms with and without pharmaceuticals.
• Includes 3D imaging in all studies with the exception of studies lacking appropriate image quality to obtain suitable data.
• Notifies the Attending physician with preliminary echocardiograph results that may need immediate interpretation and intervention.
• Receives patients, explains the procedure, and performs the appropriate complete exam.
• Sets, calibrates, and operates the ultrasound equipment.
• Performs routine maintenance on all Echo Lab equipment at intervals recommended by the manufacturer.
• Shares responsibility for coordinating emergency and preventive maintenance of the lab equipment.
• Maintains cleanliness of the work environment between studies and at the end of the workday.
• Provides training for Cardiology Fellows in performing studies and preliminary interpretation of echo exams.
• Teaches echo-Doppler principles and procedures, theory of operations and theory of interpretation of results to trainee echocardiographic technicians, nursing students, nurses, medical students, residents, and fellows (especially cardiology fellows).
• Responds to emergency requests for echo-Doppler studies within 30 minutes during normal working hours.
• Checks the appropriateness of such emergency requests with a cardiology fellow or cardiology attending.
• Maintains skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and actively assists in CPR should the need arise.
• Attends regional and national professional meetings at the request or approval of the Echocardiography Lab Medical Director and/or Cardiology Nurse Manager to keep current on new technical and practical developments in the echo-Doppler field.
• Evaluates new products and equipment and makes recommendations concerning developments which would improve operations in the Echo Lab.
• Start intravenous access on patients and perform saline contrast studies and cavity enhancing contrast studies with the assistance of the cardiology nurse or fellow upon request/order by a physician.
• Assist the physicians involved in performing transesophageal echocardiographic (TEE) examinations.
• Assist with monitoring the patient during a TEE study by monitoring patient's blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm, and O2 saturation.
• Performs suctioning of the patient if necessary.

Benefits

• Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified applicants
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Administration of Human Resource Programs
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees