Cardiovascular Technologist (Cvt) Jobs

NEEDED: CARDIOVASCULAR TECHNOLOGIST (CVT)

LOCATION: 3350 la Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161

UNIT: Cardiac Catheterization and Electrophysiology Lab

STATUS: Full-Time / PRN

HOURS: CVTs will be expected to be available 24/7, including holidays. The normal tour of duty is an 8-hour day and 40 hours per week. CSs shall be available to work Monday through Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

ON-CALL: Shall participate in call coverage a minimum of two weeks per month

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 2 years hospital experience
• Shall be Basic Life Support certified; Advanced Cardiac Life Support is preferred.
• CVTs shall have performed catheterization laboratory procedures for a minimum of 24 months in a hospital setting, excluding training.
• Certifications: Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS); or Certified Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT); or Certified Radiologic Technologist (CRT)
• Completion of an accredited Cardiovascular Technologist Program (CVT) or Certified Radiologic Technologist Program (CRT)
• Shall have performed catheterization laboratory services a minimum of six (6) months within the past 12 months.
• Licensure: CRT Board of Health California or Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) for Registered Cardiovascular Invasive Specialist (RCIS)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Shall have knowledge and understanding of electrocardiography (EKG), how to perform the procedure accurately; understanding of abnormal cardiac rhythm during catheterization so that proper therapy be initiated.
• Shall be able to perform daily calibration of equipment.
• Shall performs daily calibration of equipment, prepare physiologic monitoring equipment such as ECG, Oximetry, Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP), balloon catheters, code cart, Intravascular ultrasound, Fick cardiac output device, Therapeutic Pressure wire, defibrillator, and various other complex equipment.
• Shall also perform other monitoring procedures such as oximetry, blood pressure, arterial monitoring, intracardiac monitoring and can recognize abnormal readings.
• Review test results with the interpreting physician.
• Shall support both inpatient and outpatient procedures at VASDHS.
• Generate reports and keep records.
• Recognize and provide for the psychosocial needs of patients and their families; including explaining procedures to patients to reduce anxieties and gain cooperation.
• Shall be familiar with the use of other simple computer-based data entry forms for recording preliminary data from each recorded examination.
• Recognize normal anatomy and functional anatomy in diseased conditions and shall have knowledge and clear understanding of the coronary arteries and cardiac chamber anomalies as well as pressure requirements of the heart to anticipate and set up for the specific catheterization procedure needed to make a diagnostic evaluation.
• Shall be able to generate real time 2-D, M-mode, doppler (with continuous wave and pulsed), color flow, transesophageal, and dobutamine echo studies. Using these imaging modalities, the CS shall evaluate all cardiac structures and flows, and shall have knowledge of the physical properties of sound generation and the transmission characteristics of ultrasound equipment.
• Shall monitor cardiac rhythms and recognize abnormal and life-threatening rhythms.
• Shall operate the angiographic pressure injector to control the rate of pressure development and limits the onset of ejection to minimize ventricular irritability during the procedure.
• Shall function as the first assistant to the Cardiologist during the cardiovascular procedure.
• Perform elementary preventative maintenance of laboratory equipment and coordinate emergency and preventive services with Biomedical Engineering and outside service companies.
• Shall prepare the various computer software and peripheral devices (disk and magnetic tape drives and video formatters) to quantify coronary lesions and to generate ventricular analysis reports, cardiac output (thermodilution, Fick determinations), and maintains logs of patient data and library of videotapes and hardcopy tracings.
• Perform a quality assessment of the 35mm cine film processor, daily, validating sensitometer exposures and ensuring correct parameters are used.
• Be scrubbed and gowned and shall be responsible for preparing catheters, guide wires, transducers, angioplasty balloons, stents, and manifold assembly.
• Perform quality checks for various lab analysis equipment such as blood gas, coagulation studies that are used throughout the procedure, and ensures that emergency medication is available in the suite, performing quality checks to verify outdates and competency of like containers to ensure sterility and correct medication dosage.
• Shall set up the Procedure Suite, ensuring sterile supplies and other required equipment are carefully selected and properly presented as determined by the procedure being performed.
• May also function in the nonsterile, role (circulator) by preparing the vascular access site on the patient, positioning the patient, operating the electric exam table and radiologic equipment, opening sterile supplies and monitoring patient physiologic response to the procedure. During cardiac arrest the CVT shall operate the defibrillator and initiate CPR to restore the patient to a normal cardiac rhythm.
• Diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures include coronary angiograms, coronary angioplasty, coronary arteriography, left and right ventricular angiography, ventricular biopsy, thrombolytic procedures, electrophysiology catheter ablation, aortic balloon pump counter-pulsation, post coronary bypass graft studies and Pacemaker/Automatic Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (AICD) implantation.
• Coordinate the scheduling of patients.
• Shall set up Mac Lab and the GE Innova x-ray computers, perform quality checks to ensure readiness for use during the procedure, set up the GE x-ray diagnostic system (angio/fluoroscopic) so that appropriate views of cardiac anatomy can be obtained and recorded for analysis, and perform a check of lead shielding equipment in compliance with National Standards (Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Radiation Exposure – as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA).
• Operate radiologic fluoroscopy equipment to allow the medical team to appropriately visualize images during the procedure, assists/performs testing such as electrocardiograms (ECG), Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) echocardiograms, Intracoronary Pressure Wire, Drug exercise challenges, and the administration of Dynamic Electrocardiograph (EKG’s) analysis.
• Perform a wide range of diagnostic tests and support duties such as the collection of blood samples for analysis for research, coagulation studies and blood gas determination.
• Perform patient care procedures such as applying dressings, and collection of specimens or blood samples for analysis.
• Shall be familiar with the use of an electronic medical record to obtain scheduling information, patient exam notes and results, etc.

BENEFITS: (Based on number of hours worked) Competitive hourly pay rate, Accrued Vacation, Accrued Sick Leave, 11 Paid Federal Holidays, 401K opportunity, and Healthcare Benefits Contribution.