Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia)

About the role

The Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia) at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, Anesthesiology Service, Technical Section provides technical support to anesthesiology staff necessary for the safe and efficient delivery of anesthesia services in the operating rooms, recovery room, Special Procedures Unit, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, and Radiology.

Responsibilities

• Calibrates, operates, and maintains (at the user level) the diverse physiological monitoring devices which are used to observe and record vital patient parameters including temperature, ECG, EEG, direct intravascular and inter-cardiac pressures, cardiac output, and respiratory gas levels.
• Calibrates, operates, and maintains (at the user level) the various blood chemistry analyzers and associated equipment in the OR STAT Lab.
• Maintains in the anesthesia carts, a constant inventory of the medication, intravenous solutions, inhalation anesthetic agents, endotracheal tubes, and many other expendable supplies required by the Anesthesiology Service.
• Insures that the correct anesthesia equipment and necessary supplies are available for each anesthetic procedure.
• Knowledge of physics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology sufficient to understand the capabilities and limitations of analytical, monitoring, and therapeutic medical devices when applied in a variety of clinical settings.
• Knowledge of expected hemodynamic and blood chemistry values reflecting health as well as diseased states to detect anomalous patient waveforms or data and determine whether the information is valid or in error due to technological constraints.
• Knowledge of surgical and anesthetic practices sufficient to anticipate the equipment and supplies required for a scheduled procedure. Assist the anesthesiologist during both routine and emergency situations, such as a difficult intubation.
• Ensures that each procedure has a complete and properly functioning life support system available.
• Uses aseptic techniques when assembling sterile monitoring systems, and when assisting the anesthesiologist with procedures such as spinals, and the insertion of specialized catheters.
• Decontaminates anesthesia equipment and re-useable goods with infection control procedures to prevent patient cross-contamination or the spread of nosocomial infections.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient and employee information.

Requirements

• Knowledge of physics, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology sufficient to understand the capabilities and limitations of analytical, monitoring, and therapeutic medical devices when applied in a variety of clinical settings.
• Knowledge of expected hemodynamic and blood chemistry values reflecting health as well as diseased states to detect anomalous patient waveforms or data and determine whether the information is valid or in error due to technological constraints.
• Knowledge of surgical and anesthetic practices sufficient to anticipate the equipment and supplies required for a scheduled procedure.
• Knowledge and understanding of arterial pressure line wave forms including the ability to recognize and distinguish normal from abnormal, artifact from abnormality, and forewarn the physician or anesthetist of an impending life-threatening situation.
• Knowledge of anesthesiology supplies, medications, and equipment appropriate to more difficult anesthetic procedures such as those found in inpatient settings with more acutely ill patients.

Skills

• Ability to troubleshoot equipment, often while the patient is anesthetized.
• Ability to maintain sterility during procedures.

Benefits

• Full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8.
• Requires BCLS certification.
• May qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Not specified.