Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist

Description:

Employees at this level serve as advanced staff TRTs independently carrying out procedures which have varying assignments. Employee will be assigned the responsibility of emergency on-call treatments, if applicable, and perform simple Monitor Unit calculations; Performing CT simulations, troubleshooting for basic problems and machine issues, maintaining treatment rooms and equipment in a clean, neat and safe condition and assisting patients to and from the treatment room.

Requirements:

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.
• Education: Individuals must have successfully completed a program in therapeutic radiologic technology, evidenced by a certificate or an associate's or higher degree accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology or other accrediting bodies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the subsequent completion of a 12-month ED accrediting body-approved program in therapeutic radiologic technology. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 C.F.R. Part 75. They must have successfully completed an educational program meeting or exceeding the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the ED, and be radiation therapists certified by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy (T).
• Certification: All applicants must be certified in therapeutic radiologic technology by the ARRT in Radiation Therapy-ARRT (T).
• English Language Proficiency. TRTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series that are also performing the duties as described in the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(1) Employees in an occupation not requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted or demoted within the occupation.
(2) Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, 4 or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (3) Employees in an occupation requiring a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher-grade levels.
(4) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

NOTE: Each uncertified TRT permanently employed on June 21, 1986, and whose competence in the safe administration of ionizing radiation was affirmed, in writing, by a VA licensed physician not later than January 1, 1987, is considered fully qualified. These employees may be promoted, up to and including the journey level, demoted or reassigned within the GS-0648 occupational series. Any employee initially retained in this manner who leaves this job series loses protected status and must meet the full requirements in effect at the time of reentry.

Grade determination for GS-10 : must have at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level directly related to Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist that demonstrates the following technical competencies as described at the GS-9 level:

(a) Skill in independently setting up the patient in preparation for basic and complex radiation treatments on a linear accelerator, as prescribed by the radiation oncologist;
(b) Skill in independently performing machine warm-up procedures to interpret output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance;
(c) Skill to independently perform patient chart reviews and effectively document records utilizing an electronic medical records system and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems.

In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Skill in independently performing machine warm up procedures and interpreting output levels compared with established thresholds adhering to the principles of radiation safety and all aspects of quality assurance.
(b) Ability to independently perform patient chart reviews using an electronic medical record and the Record and Verify System or other similar treatment delivery systems.
(c) Ability to independently perform all basic and complex CT simulations, including independently operating the CT equipment, following directives, designing custom immobilization for reproducible set-ups, obtaining optimal imaging, completing accurate data transfer for treatment planning and providing accurate and precise patient documentation.
d) Ability to utilize a LINAC's On Board Imaging system to interpret complex images.

*Note: Please ensure how you meet these KSAs is clearly described in your resume; we may not make assumptions regarding your experience.

Preferred Experience: Graduate of an accredited program, by the Joint Review Committee in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), in therapeutic radiologic technology, evident by certificate or degree. Active ARRT license. BLS certification. 5 year experience as a Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G26 Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist Qualification Standard GS-0648 VHA.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10.

Definitions.

1. Creditable Experience : To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAs), also referred to as core competencies associated with current therapeutic radiologic technology practices.
2. Part-Time Experience: Part-time experience as a TRT is creditable according to its relationship to full-time workweek. For example, a TRT would receive one week of full-time credit for each two weeks of half-time work.
3. Quality of Experience: Experience is only creditable if it is post-certification (as noted in paragraph 3c) experience as a TRT directly related to the position being filled. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to TRT experience at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Experience as a graduate TRT is creditable provided the candidate functioned as a TRT and subsequently passed the certification examination.
4. TRT Professional Definitions: Specialized areas of therapeutic radiologic technology include basic and complex therapeutic treatment delivery, simulation, advanced treatment delivery modalities and mold room.