Telemetry Technician Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• At least one year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level for the grade sought; GS-6 experience must demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the position, and GS-7 experience must include knowledge of equipment, standard tests and procedures, and typical readings including arrhythmias and abnormalities.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• For GS-6, ability to recognize special patient needs, including disabilities, impaired mobility, and complicating medical conditions, to prepare and position patients for procedures.
• For GS-6, knowledge of specialized equipment and accessories appropriate to Holter monitoring and ability to perform such tests.
• For GS-6, knowledge of universal precautions and sterilization techniques and ability to follow CDC guidelines when cleaning equipment.
• For GS-6, ability to monitor patients for adverse reactions and take appropriate action.
• For GS-6, ability to operate equipment for standard and routine highly specialized procedures, including exercise stress testing.
• For GS-7, knowledge of typical patient reactions and signs of distress, including ability to recognize, report, and treat potentially lethal arrhythmias.
• For GS-7, knowledge of common equipment settings and standardized procedures, common errors, and corrective measures.
• For GS-7, ability to modify procedures or patient positions to obtain correct results for patients with complicating conditions such as amputations, Parkinson's disease, structural defects, and scar tissue.
• For GS-7, ability to mentor or precept lower-graded technicians and conduct in-service training on EKG equipment and related instrumentation.
• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation; selected applicants in testing-designated positions are subject to pre-appointment urinalysis.
• Must comply with the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program and complete required onboarding and application documentation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• A one- or two-year trial period is required.
• No certification is required. Applicants must submit a transcript if they rely on education to qualify.

Nice To Haves

• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification is desirable at GS-6.
• BCLS and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications are desirable at GS-7.

Responsibilities

• Support the Telemetry Studio and operate and monitor cardiac telemetry equipment.
• Identify and notify appropriate staff of rhythm changes and arrhythmias, and measure atrial and ventricular rates and PR, QRS, QT, QTC, and R-R intervals.
• Select appropriate electrode configurations and lead selections for arrhythmia detection.
• Assign pagers and phones, monitor equipment functionality, conduct alarm reviews, and set alarm limits.
• Notify the patient's RN of arrhythmias, consult with the medical team, and work with the RN to initiate an emergency code response for potentially lethal arrhythmias.
• Admit and discharge patients from the central monitor; update daily assignment boards and sheets with current nurse, patient, pager, and phone information.
• Complete telemetry charging log sheets, ensure telemetry orders are current, complete and post telemetry reports, and enter telemetry data.
• Send malfunctioning equipment to BioMed with an accurate description of the malfunction.
• At GS-7, operate and monitor electrocardiographic equipment for specialized studies, including ambulatory arrhythmia monitoring and indirect carotid pulse tracings on chronic patients.
• Review tracings for arrhythmias and gross abnormalities; determine when procedures should be repeated or stopped and when immediate physician attention is needed.
• Evaluate test results, adjust equipment, adapt equipment and accessories, and use alternative techniques when established procedures do not produce acceptable results.
• Edit and select appropriate tracing samples for physician interpretation.
• Mentor or precept lower-graded technicians and conduct in-service training on telemetry equipment and related instrumentation.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k), with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step within the grade may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.