Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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Duties

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The major duties of the Nuclear Medicine Technologist include, but are not limited to:

• Transfer patients from stretcher or wheelchair to imaging table and explain procedures, positions patients for desired results
• Prepare room, equipment and material needed for patient procedures
• Properly identify patient - essential so that mistaken identity does not occur by making certain that the patient ID band and the request are identical
• Observe patients during procedures and report complications or unusual events
• Perform computer work and required forms associated with patient exams, credit of patient visits
• Maximize patient throughput by contacts with escort, ward secretaries, nursing personnel, etc.
• Provide clinical instruction to student nuclear medicine technologists from affiliated programs and facilitate the attainment of established program objectives
• Practice radiation safety in order to reduce exposure to patient, staff and self. Act in a professional, cooperative manner towards patients and staff
• Maintain records and files of patient exams and perform clerical and file room duties related to patient care
• Schedule outpatient clinic appointment using Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (Vista) scheduling options; use established business rules to schedule appointments for veterans
• Prepare, assay, and administer radiopharmaceutical doses by injection inhalation or ingestion as prescribed
• Be proficient in introducing intravenous catheters in patients for administration of radiopharmaceuticals and/or medications
• Test blood glucose levels in patients. Respond properly to results that are outside normal range
• Be knowledgeable regarding possible side effects of radiopharmaceuticals and other medications
• Prepares and administers radiopharmaceuticals through various routes of administration including, but not limited to: oral inhalant, intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous and intradermal
• Requires the exercise of judgement to assess and respond to patients' needs prior to, during, and after the procedure
• Obtain pertinent clinical data from the patient, electronic chart, requisition, and interviewing the patient and/or family
• Work very closely with staff from non-invasive cardiology stress lab to maximize patient care and minimize costs of wasted doses
• Independently perform a full range of nuclear medicine equipment such as gamma cameras, SPECT/CT, and PET/CT/MRI scanner, well counters, GM survey meters, thyroid uptake system etc.
• Correctly administer radioactive pharmaceuticals to patients. Utilize necessary quality management methods of patient identification such as using two unique identifiers and using active rather than passive identification.
• Correctly perform radionuclide therapy. Receive and assay prescribed therapeutic doses.
• Prepare studies for nuclear medicine computerized files i.e. performing backups etc. and uploading patient images to VISTA imaging as appropriate
• Ensure proper billing and workload information by using accurate CPT codes for each patient study, keeping abreast of yearly changes in CPT coding.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm with rotating call shifts weekdays, weekends/holidays.

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 92120-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.

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 :

GS-11: Completion of one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position to be filled (GS-9), i.e., experience that demonstrates possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed to provide nuclear medicine technology services at that level. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to:

• Analyzing consequences of improper packaging of radioactive material and take appropriate actions.
• Determining personnel needing personal monitoring devices, analyze personal monitoring results, and recommend corrective action, if needed.
• Analyzing instances of increased radiation exposure levels and recommend measures to reduce.
• Calculating exposure rates.
• Documenting excessive radiation exposure.
• Developing new protocols for imaging procedures.
• Motivating and/or mentoring staff, if supervisory position.
• Developing continuing education standards, if supervisory position.
• Responding to any decrease in staffing or increase in workload involving all parties to restructure work assignments, if encumbering a supervisory position.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the grade level requirements listed above, the candidate must also demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs:

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

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

Physical Requirements: This position requires the ability to do the following: heavy lifting (45lbs and over), moderate carrying (15-44lbs), pushing, use of fingers, use of both hands, walking (up to 8hrs), standing (up to 8hrs), repeated bending (up to 8hrs), ability to distinguish basic colors, emotional/mental stability. Environmental factors include: exposure to radiant energy, slippery or uneven walking surfaces, working closely with others and/or working alone.

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.

"VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being."

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.