Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Summary

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2026. All eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred to the hiring manager at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis.

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Duties

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• Develop and maintain written/electronic procedure manuals for technical guidance. Develop new protocols for imaging procedures.
• Serve as liaison between the supervisor of Diagnostic Imaging Service, and Puget Sound VAMC Nuclear Medicine Service. Co-ordinate quarterly surveys with VISN 20 Radiation Safety Officer.
• Analyze consequences of improper packaging of radioactive material and take appropriate actions.
• Calculate exposure rates. Properly document excessive radiation exposure, analyze instances of increased radiation exposure levels, and recommend measures to reduce.
• Report, investigate and take appropriate action for misadministration of radiopharmaceuticals.
• Ensure that Nuclear Medicine Section is in full compliance with the regulations, standards and licensure proscriptions of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Joint Commission).
• Perform and monitor the full range of specialized tests or studies per established methods and protocols, reviewing and analyzing conventional testing problems and recommending or implementing solutions to overcome them.
• Order the appropriate radiopharmaceuticals and other supplies required by the Nuclear Medicine Department to accomplish the daily studies.
• Maintain appropriate records.
• When requested by supervisor, meet with sales representatives of various supply companies to investigate new and more cost-effective suppliers of necessary supplies and radio pharmaceuticals.
• Maintain an organized file of current sources of supplies. Assist in coordinating Radiation Safety Committee activities. Work with the Radiation Safety officer, for the Nuclear Medicine Service and will be responsible for compliance with the provisions of the NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) Broad Medical License.
• Use established radiation procedures, such as use of proper shielding, syringe shields and wearing exposure badges.
• Plan study or test such as routine and non-routine imaging and functioning studies.
• Make decisions on data and methodology to obtain necessary results in conformance with standard practices. Analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures. Evaluate study or test quality using quality control criteria.
• Prepare radiopharmaceuticals for patient administration. Perform quality control procedures of equipment and radiopharmaceuticals. Troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems. Prepare supply of radiopharmaceutical by use of various radioactive materials, pharmaceutical reagents, dilutions and chemical manipulations such as heating or tagging in an appropriate medium.
• Critique patient studies for the necessity of additional images and review clinical data during the study to ascertain any considerations that may make different images necessary of an individual case.
• Coordinate the daily work schedules with cardiology nurse (Nuclear Cardiology studies).
• Perform required room surveys or swipes. Participate in the development, monitoring, reporting, and action components of the Nuclear Medicine quality assurance program and perform procedures associated with quality assurance protocols. Participate in the annual VA Nuclear Medicine QA project.
• Document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm OR Tuesday - Friday 6:30am-5:00pm

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 ( 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 evaluation.
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.
• Certification: All applicants must be certified in nuclear medicine technology by the Nuclear Medicine Technology Certification Board (NMTCB) or the American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT) (N). NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following:
  
  
  1. Completion of a NMTCB-recognized nuclear medicine technology program, OR
  2. Completion of a nuclear medicine technology program accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Educational Programs in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), or other accrediting agencies as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), culminating in a certificate, associate, baccalaureate, or master's degree. Educational programs must have structured clinical training sufficient to provide clinical competency in radiation safety, instrumentation, clinical procedures, and radio-pharmacy, as deemed acceptable by the NMTCB.
• Loss of Credential: Once certified, NMTs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted certification. Loss of credential will result in removal from the GS-0601 NMT occupation and may result in termination of employment.
• English Language Proficiency: NMTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, of this part.

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 :

Nuclear Medicine Technologist, GS-11

Experience: For assignments above the journey level, the candidate must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level.

Assignments: For all assignments above the journey level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. NMTs at this level are fully functional as an advanced NMT and carry out their assigned tasks independently. NMTs at this level serve in advanced assignments and will have varying assignments, including special and complex imaging procedures, advanced therapies, clinical instruction, and quality management duties within the program. Advanced therapies may include, but are not limited to, yttrium-90, radium, and palliative bone pain therapy. Regardless of the nature of the specific assignment, the work must be of sufficient scope and complexity to meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform at this level.

The candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs:

1. Ability to produce and assess high quality scans and quality control images using independent judgement to recognize abnormal or unacceptable results.
2. Knowledge and skill in use of ancillary equipment with an understanding of how the results will affect the study outcome.
3. Knowledge of physiologic processes as they relate to altered radiopharmaceutical uptake and/or artefactual findings.
4. Ability to obtain, assess, and document pre-therapy patient preparation information and provide post-therapy patient education following proper administration of advanced therapy dose.
5. Ability to develop new protocols for imaging procedures.
6. Ability to analyze instances of increased radiation exposure levels and recommend measures to reduce.
7. Ability to analyze consequences of improper packaging of radioactive material and take appropriate actions.

Preferred Experience: At least 2 years of general and cardiac nuclear medicine exams. Familiarity with QC/QA testing, ordering of radiopharmaceuticals.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: This work requires moderate lifting (15-44lbs), light carrying (under 15lbs), reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, both hands required, walking, standing, kneeling, repeated bending, depth perception, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors are working with radiant energy, electrical energy, working around machinery with moving parts, and working in a "hot lab" with radiopharmaceuticals.

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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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.