Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. The Nuclear Medicine Technologist will function in Imaging Service.

Qualifications

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 American Registry of Radiologic Technology (ARRT)
• NMTCB or ARRT (N) certification eligibility requirements are normally satisfied by one of the following: graduation from an educational program in nuclear medicine technology accredited by the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation
• or national certification as a registered medical technologist or registered radiologic technologist
• or a bachelor's or associate's degree in one of the physical or biological sciences - and 4 years of clinical NMT experience
• English Language Proficiency: [NMTs] must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2 - section D - paragraph 5a - this part
• Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-11: Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-9) directly related to the position being filled that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level
• i.e. - experience that demonstrates possession of the knowledge - skills - abilities - and other characteristics needed to provide Nuclear Medicine Technology services at that level which include: Ability to document excessive radiation exposure in the working environment
• Knowledge of medical events requiring documentation and the ability to properly document them and make recommendations to the radiation safety officer (RSO)
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing post therapeutic safety precautions
• Ability to troubleshoot gamma camera and auxiliary equipment problems
• Ability to analyze computer generated data for technical quality and artifacts and initiate corrective measures
• In addition to the experience listed above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: 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
• References: VA Handbook 5005/125 - Part II - Appendix G19
• 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.

Duties

• Nuclear Medicine Technologists have responsibility for providing a wide range of specialized nuclear medicine procedures - including diagnostic imaging - therapy with unsealed radioactive materials - radioassay - in-vivo or in-vitro cell labeling
• evaluating abnormal results
• using and maintaining equipment
• setting up and monitoring quality control
• working within guidelines from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - National Health Physics Program (NHPP) - Department of Transportation (DOT) - Occupational Safety & Health Association (OSHA)
• Duties include but are not limited to: 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 - such as Lasix and Captopril - to be administered
• Take immediate action to remedy any noted effects Order and manage radiopharmaceutical doses as required for daily patient studies
• Maintain adequate supplies of doses to perform patient studies without a delay whenever possible Receive patients - explain procedure - answer questions relating to the procedure - position patient for necessary views and tend to their comfort for the duration of the procedure Obtain pertinent clinical data from the patient - electronic chart - requisition - and interviewing the patient/family Operate nuclear medicine equipment such as SPECT - SPECT/CT - and PET/CT - well counters - GM survey meters - thyroid uptake system - FDG dose injector - & dose calibrators for various patient procedures Understand and perform exposure rate calculations Perform a full range of nuclear medicine imaging - non-imaging - invitro and therapeutic procedures - including highly specialized computer assisted studies such as gated - tomographic - 4D - and quantitative procedures Perform and understand a range of hybrid imaging including SPECT/CT and PET/CT
• Be knowledgeable in low dose Computed Tomography aspects including KeV and MAS settings
• Understand attenuation correction and anatomical landmarks as they relate to CT
• Also be attentive to CT safety and reducing the patient's dose to as low as reasonably possible Analyze procedure images for quality & obtain additional images when necessary
• Administer radiopharmaceuticals to patients
• Utilize necessary quality management methods of patient identification such as using multiple unique identifiers and using active rather than passive identification Perform radionuclide therapy in collaboration with Nuclear Medicine Physician
• Receive and assay prescribed therapeutic doses
• Record appropriate documentation and administer dose with the nuclear medicine physician Demonstrate a thorough understanding of personnel requiring film badges
• Read/understand the film badge exposure report
• Determine exposure patterns and recommend actions to reduce exposure levels to public - radiation workers and self Schedule patient procedures - taking into consideration camera availability - scan length - patient condition - the need for multiple nuclear medicine studies - other clinic appointments of the patient - contraindications for the test and urgency of the request
• Inform patient of all pertinent preparations for his/her scan - i.e
• NPO - follow certain diet - bowel prep - etc
• Adjusting schedule to prevent overbooking and to prevent extended patient wait times Perform required technical procedures for safe receipt - handling - transport - usage and disposal of radioactive materials - assuring compliance w/ Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - National Health Physics Program (NHPP) - Department of Transportation (DOT) and license conditions
• Understand different precautions used based upon the various package types Understand - utilize - and practice the concepts of ALARA principal - maintaining radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable Efficiently navigates and maintains the electronic health record (EHR) system - ensuring complete - timely - and accurate documentation of patient encounters - clinical workflows - imaging results - & departmental records Utilizes an electronic dose-tracking system to accurately document - monitor - and verify radiopharmaceutical administration in compliance with regulatory and institutional standards Maintains a high level of awareness regarding Veterans' emotional states and behavioral cues - providing compassionate - respectful - and patient-centered communication at all times Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 8:00 a.m
• - 4:30 p.m. - on-call requirements may be necessary based on the needs of the service Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 94205-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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