Clinical Perfusionist

Full Job Description

A Perfusionist is a person, qualified by academic and clinical education, to operate the extracorporeal circulation equipment during any medical situation where it is necessary to support or replace a person's cardiopulmonary, circulatory, or respiratory function.

A perfusionist is responsible for the selection of appropriate equipment and support, treat, measure, or other conditions under an order and under the supervision of a physician. BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

Citizenship. Be a Citizen 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 3.g., this part.) See 38 U.S.C. § 7401 (3); 38 U.S.C.

§ 7405(a)(1 )(B); 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Education.

Candidates must hold a degree in perfusion as described below in paragraphs (1) and (2) that has been accredited by either CAAHEP or EQualTM Canada at the time the program was completed.

(1) Bachelor's or master's degree in perfusion from a program in the United States or Canada accredited by the CAAHEP or EQualTM Canada.

OR (2) Bachelor's or master's degree in addition to a post-baccalaureate certificate in perfusion from a program accredited by CAAHEP or the EQualTM Canada.

NOTE: The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Board Certification.

Persons hired or reassigned to CP positions in VHA must be board-certified in the field of clinical perfusion as a Certified Clinical Perfusionist by the ABCP.

The board certification must be current, and the applicant must abide by the certifying body's requirements for continuing education. Licensure.

None required, but a license or license eligibility or State required credential is strongly preferred. Grandfathering Provision.

All persons employed in VHA as a CP or Medical Instrument Technician (Perfusion), GS-0649 on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including education and/or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to apply the principles of program management and oversight required to develop program goals and objectives, administer and monitor programs, evaluate program outcomes/accomplishments, set and redefine priorities and implement effective solutions as needed to present findings and recommendations to the appropriate management officials.

Ability to provide oversight, judgement and management of the application of clinical perfusion to patient care, organization processes and/or systems and long/short range goals, with a focus on delivering patient care and achieving program outcomes.

Expert level of knowledge of best practice in the perfusion profession.

Ability to validate or identify barriers to safe effective care, and manage all aspects of clinical perfusion, technical, fiscal, and administrative including daily assignments and call schedule preparation.

Ability to serve as a liaison, interfacing with other departments to incorporate the expertise of all disciplines in a comprehensive, integrated approach to patient care.

Ability to develop, coordinate, review organizations and accrediting agencies, and manage a perfusion regulatory program including follow-up actions to ensure departmental compliance with regulatory agencies as required.

Grade Determinations: Clinical Perfusionist, GS-12 Experience, Certification and Education.

In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of CP experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and have obtained their ABCP certification as a CCP.

License is preferred, but not required.

Preferred Experience: A Certified Clinical Perfusionist (CCP) validates his/her mastery of these clinical skills, knowledge, and abilities through certification and meets ongoing continuing education and practice requirements through recertification.

Perfusionists have multiple duties and responsibilities when assisting medical teams in operating rooms.

The main responsibility of a perfusionist is ensuring the safe operation and monitoring of heart-lung machines, some of the specific duties include: Administrative duties, including equipment monitoring and maintenance, assisting entry-level perfusionists and involvement in purchasing equipment and supplies Assessing medical histories of patients to prepare for upcoming surgeries Administering medications and blood products to patients during surgical procedures through heart-lung bypass machines Operation of heart-lung machines, intra-aortic blood pumps, ventricular assistance devices and blood transfusion machines Monitoring and assessing vital signs and physiologic functions throughout surgical procedures to ensure patient safety Experience, Certification, and Education.

In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of CP experience equivalent to the next lower grade level and have obtained their ABCP certification as a CCP.

License is preferred, but not required. 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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Work requires intermittent standing, walking, bending, and reaching in the operating room and clinical environments.

The incumbent must be able to lift and carry light to moderate loads (generally under 25 pounds), including equipment, supplies, and components of the cardiopulmonary bypass circuit.

Requires manual dexterity and fine motor skills for assembly, monitoring, and adjustment of perfusion equipment.

Must be able to use computers and monitoring devices for documentation and real-time clinical data review.

Requires visual acuity (correctable) for reading monitors and assessing perfusion parameters, and hearing (with or without assistive devices) sufficient to respond to alarms and verbal communication in a high-acuity environment.

Emotional and mental stability are required to function effectively during prolonged surgical procedures, emergencies, and high-stress situations.

Work involves close collaboration with surgeons, anesthesia staff, nurses, and technicians, as well as independent decision-making.

Position involves exposure to blood, body fluids, biohazardous materials, and operating room conditions. Major Duties:

The duties of the position may include but are not limited to the following: Assignment. This assignment is the full performance level.

CPs at this level perform at the highest level of perfusion clinical practice and independently perform tasks of unusual difficulty or complexity.

The CP assesses, plans, and evaluates the clinical perfusion program to ensure proper coordination of care. CPs oversee all aspects of perfusion documentation for the clinical perfusion department.

CPs evaluate the delivery system of patient care within the area of assignment, present findings, and recommendations, and contribute to changes that enhance the quality and timeliness of care.

At this level they provide clinical oversight and consultation for lower graded perfusionists and medical center staff within the CP's scope of practice and its potential applications in other medical, surgical and specialty areas.

Individuals in this role create, implement, update, and maintain all perfusion related documents and databases (policies/procedures, functional statements, perfusion records, paper and/or electronic).

Individuals in this role implement and manage the proper storage of perfusion related documents according to established guidelines, requirements, and protocols.

The CP at this level instructs perfusionists, students and other facilities on perfusion related subject matter, provides educational opportunities, and serves as an educational resource.

Individuals in this role develop, implement, execute, and coordinate education programs to provide the appropriate resources to meet the training needs of staff.

Individuals in this position perform clinical teaching, didactic teaching and provide recurring in-service training to ensure the competency of staff.

CPs support evidence-based and goal directed practice with the overall goal of improving clinical practice.

They also share other pertinent medical literature research findings with colleagues to enhance patient care delivery.

CPs may be responsible for the development and maintenance of a system of internal reviews, direct quality control, and performance improvement studies.

This includes the collection and tracking of metrics in a database and analytic software and oversight of the quality performance of perfusion devices.

Their duties may include conduction and/or participation in collaborative research/adjunctive therapies and communication of findings through reports, abstracts, presentations, and publications.

CPs at this level may serve as the clinical education coordinator for perfusion students; establishing, negotiating, and maintaining perfusion student agreements; coordinating clinical training rotations; and designing, conducting, and evaluating educational experiences with the affiliated university.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91774-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized