Nuclear Med Technologist

This position is located within the VA Portland Healthcare System located in Portland, OR.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 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.
• English Language Proficiency: NMTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
Nuclear Medicine Technologist, GS-11: [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.
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.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G19, Nuclear Medicine Technologist Qualification Standards
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.
Preferred Experience: This is a Multi-Modality position, an Advanced ARRT (CT) credential is required for this position.
Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting (45 pounds and over); Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); Reaching above the shoulder; Use of fingers; Walking (3+ hours); Standing (3+ hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental & emotional stability.
Environmental Factors: Working closely with other; Working alone; Prorated or irregular hours of work (On-call hours); Exposure to body fluids; Exposure to ionizing radiation; Radiation sources.Education: IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.Employment Type: FULL_TIME