Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent employees of the Madison VA Medical Center and its outreach facilities, including CBOCs and VCS employees. 2) All other current, permanent employees of a VISN 12 facility.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Gastroenterology (Gl) Technician is responsible for assisting the practitioner in endoscopic procedures, such as esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy and bronchoscopy.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Ensures proper performance of equipment, set up and reprocessing of endoscopic reusable medical equipment (RME)
• Selects alternate equipment or adjusts equipment settings to accommodate patient needs
• Has knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions and can disassemble, clean, reassemble and calibrate equipment as needed
• Communicates with Registered Nurses, physicians, and other allied health professional staff using sound interpersonal skills and is constantly aware of sensitive information
• Collects, processes and labels all specimens
• Assists in patient care duties such as obtaining vital signs, dressings and documenting all pertinent information in the patient records

Work Schedule: M-F 7:30am to 4:00pm with call responsibilities
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

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.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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).

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship Citizenship of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.)
• Licensure or Certification Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation; however, it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• English Language Proficiency Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE GRADE REQUIREMENTS AT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING GRADE LEVELS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS:
GS-5 (TRAINEE) Level:
Experience. At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience in operating equipment related to the particular specialization for which application is made or in related functional areas. Experience gained in the operation of equipment for animal diagnosis or treatment may be credited through this grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
OR
Education. Successful completion of [4 academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, or] a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to medical instrument technician functions. AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
1. Knowledge of standard medical terminology to interpret physician orders or instructions.
2. Knowledge of common physical disabilities and ability to position patients for the examination or treatment.
3. Ability to learn the normal and abnormal results for routine procedures to recognize and report obvious abnormalities.
4. Ability to operate the equipment to administer routine/standard diagnostic treatment or 8 procedures.
5. Ability to perform standard operator maintenance on the equipment including the ability to disassemble, clean, reassemble, and calibrate the machine.

GS-6 (GI) Level:
Experience At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-05) which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
1 Ability to set up endoscopy equipment, ensuring endoscopes and ancillary equipment functions properly.
2. Ability to aid the physician with standard and routine procedures such as colonoscopy and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGO).
3. Knowledge of medical terminology and human anatomy in order to assist practitioner with routine standardized gastroenterology procedures.
4. Ability to interact with patients explaining procedures and positioning the patient for the procedure, recognizing disabilities or impaired mobility and assisting the patient as necessary.
5. Ability to reprocess and maintain specialty critical reusable medical equipment (RME), following approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and universal precautions.
6. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies.
7. Ability to manually clean and disinfect non-critical reusable equipment and surfaces, dispose of one- time-use equipment and trash per facility policy, and restock supplies such as linens, suction equipment, and cleaning products.

Certification No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

GS-07 (GI) Level:
Experience At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. This would be experience which provided knowledge of proper performance of endoscopic equipment and procedures.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
1 Knowledge of endoscopic equipment and use in basic and complex endoscopic procedures.
2. Knowledge of anatomy and physiology related to the GI system, with ability to recognize and report obvious abnormalities during procedures.
3. Ability to assist physician with specialized, complex procedures.
4. Knowledge of universal precautions and disinfection techniques and ability to follow SOP's to clean reusable medical equipment (RME).
5. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service skills and interpersonal skills with all healthcare professionals to ensure quality and continuity of care.
6. Ability to use basic computer systems and programs to record patient and endoscopic data, adhering to patient privacy and information security policies.
7. Ability to deliver patient care, including vital sign measurements and medication administration.

• Certification: No certification is required; however, it is desirable that employees at this level have BLS certification.
• Preferred Experience: Certified Nursing Assistant and/or Endoscopy Technician experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-07.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Proof of Marriage Status
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps