Health Technician (Monitor Watcher)

Job Title

Health Technician (Monitor Watcher)

Duties

The duties of the position may include but are not limited to the following:

Clinical Functions (Technical Duties)

• Monitors cardiac rhythms while recognizing, differentiating and interpreting EKG tracings.
• Resolves promptly, when necessary, based on incumbent's recognition of irregular conditions and interpret physician orders to report the irregular condition.
• Reviews potential complications of medical and surgical conditions and their effect on the patient's waveform, to take prescribed action to prevent or minimize patient status changes.
• Informs appropriate personnel of pertinent changes in patient rhythm in a timely manner, as well as provide ongoing information based on personal observations of EKG monitors, pulse oximetry and other critical monitor alarms.
• Supports monitoring of treatments and/or procedures performed at the bedside.
• Maintains knowledge of medical terminology, common diseases affecting the patient populations, the cardiac cycle and the electrophysiologic function of the heart.

Procedures

• Reports any pertinent information to the professional staff to aid in patient care planning.
• Initiates Code Blue Communication via telephone operator as directed.
• Aids as directed in emergency situations.
• Prints EKG strips during elective cardioversion and during code situations.
• Documents patient care observations and information according to ICU/Stepdown Unit Policy/Procedure on appropriate forms including analyzing and archiving rhythm strips to the appropriate records at least every eight hours for each patient.
• Documents in each record specific characteristics of each rhythm providing a summary of each patient's heart rhythm activity to the professional staff at least every shift or more often as necessary.
• Performs standardized and routine highly specialized procedures including monitoring during cardioversions/transesophageal echocardiograms.
• Obtains, programs and sets up telemetry packs for inpatients with telemetry orders.

Patient Safety

• Collaborations with charge and staff nurses reporting any and or all issues that may delay or impact the flow of patient safety and/or care on the unit.
• Attaches patient to cardiac telemetry monitors or portable telemetry packs following hospital protocol and practices within their scope of care as assigned.
• Notifies charge and/or staff nurses immediately if patient having any difficulties or uncharacteristic readings.
• Assures the sharing of information with staff with handoffs and will assist the professional staff in quality improvement activities.
• Possess the knowledge of the recording equipment, to include, but not limited to the mechanics of, the clinical access application, ability to competently operate and repair minor malfunctions and will initiate the equipment malfunctions for repair.
• Informs unit management of equipment situations in a timely manner and is accountable for location and daily maintenance of all telemetry packs, and transport monitors.
• Adheres to proper use, storage, cleaning and disposal of Reusable Medical Equipment (RME). RME is any medical equipment designed by the manufacturer to be reused for multiple patients.
• Serves as initial contact to obtain, read and follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or established guidelines for all RME in use in their clinical area prior to use.
• Logs cleaning procedures on all telemetry units to assure devices meet guidelines for RME between patients.

Administrative Functions

• Assists with entering/editing/researching or cancelling required actions within computer programs such as Clinical Access, Electronic health record, and the Inpatient Bed Board.
• Provides filing, organizing, and performing quality assurance audits of records.
• Assists with the ordering and stocking of clerical supplies and other equipment on the unit as needed or requested by staff members.
• Conducts troubleshooting to alleviate common issues that may arise with the use of complex clerical equipment such as printers, copiers, fax machines, and scanners.
• Performs various support functions as directed including but not limited to, providing information on patient locations, recording, and maintaining unit records, obtaining all necessary monitor supplies, double checking transport monitors and the maintenance of the monitors in a constant state of readiness.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:30am to 4:00pm, Rotate weekends and holidays. To be determined by hiring manager.

Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Monitor Watcher)/ PD93444-A

Promotion Potential: There is no promotional level. Selection at the GS-5 is to the full performance level.

US Department of Veterans Affairs