• 2214221

Associate Safety Officer

Job Summary:

Assist Health Physicist with health physics support for clinical and research activities at VUMC and VU involving ionizing radiation. Reports directly to Health Physicist.

Department/Unit Summary:

Vanderbilt Environmental Health & Safety (VEHS) provides a full range of safety, environmental and sustainability services to support the teaching, research, service and patient care missions for Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Position Shift:

• First Shift

View how Vanderbilt Health employees celebrate the difference they make every day:

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:

Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded and your abilities challenged. It is a place where your diversity — of culture, thinking, learning and leading — is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

VUMC Recent Accomplishments

Because we are committed to providing the best in patient care, education and research, we are proud of our recent accomplishments:

• US News & World Report: #1 Adult Hospital in Tennessee and metropolitan Nashville, named to the Best Hospitals Honor Roll of the top 20 adult hospitals, 10 nationally ranked adult specialty programs, with 3 specialties rated in the top 10 nationally, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt named as one of the Best Children’s Hospital in the nation, with 10 out of 10 pediatric specialties nationally ranked.

• Healthcare’s Most Wired: Among the nation’s 100 “most-wired” hospitals and health systems for its efforts in innovative medical technology.

• Becker’s Hospital Review: named as one of the “100 Great Hospitals in America”, in the roster of 100 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs and to its list of the 100 Hospitals with Great Heart Programs.

• The Leapfrog Group: One of only 10 children’s hospitals in the to be named at Leapfrog Top Hospital.

• American Association for the Advancement of Science: The School of Medicine has 112 elected fellows

• Magnet Recognition Program: Received our third consecutive Magnet designations.

• National Academy of Medicine: 22 members, elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding achievement

• Human Rights Campaign Healthcare Equality Index: 6th year in a row that Vanderbilt University Medical Center was a Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality.

Additional Key Elements/ Responsibilities:

• Conduct laboratory surveys/audits.
• Assist and lead the decontamination of therapy rooms.
• Perform close out surveys for radioactive material rooms and equipment.
• Provide health physics support for outpatient 131I therapies, 177Lu therapies and brachytherapy (90Y microspheres and 125I eye, mesh, prostate implants).
• Appropriately respond to radioactive spills
• Provides support to radioactive material ordering.
• Receive, check-in and deliver radioactive material packages in a timely manner.
• Perform sealed source inventory and leak tests.
• Perform safety device tests on accelerators and devices containing radioactive material.
• Calibrate survey instruments for contamination and dose rate.
• Assist with radioactive material shipping.
• Maintain databases and electronic files.
• File radiation safety documents in a timely manner.
• Reconcile radioactive material inventory.
• Support radioactive waste management.
• Other duties as assigned

Internal

Frequent contact with clinic and laboratory employees which requires a working knowledge of VUMC and VU policies and procedures.

External

Occasional contact with consultants, regulators and vendors

Patient/Student Contact

Frequent contact with personnel in laboratories and radiation therapy patients

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Frequent exposure to biological and infection agents, hazardous chemicals, and ionizing radiation.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES:

DOCUMENTATION & WRITING SKILLS (NOVICE):-Demonstrates knowledge, training, and experience in documentation and writing to provide high quality products that will engage an audience and speak for the organization. Delivers documentation services in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT (FUNDAMENTAL AWARENESS): Planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

COMPUTER/ELECTRONIC KNOWLEDGE (INTERMEDIATE): Knowledge of the use of applications and tasks on computers and other electronic devices as part of regular work responsibilities. It includes knowledge of software such as word processors, spreadsheets, text editors, and graphics.

DATA ANALYSIS (FUNDAMENTAL AWARENESS): The ability to analyze data in an accurate manner.

COMMUNICATION (INTERMEDIATE): Clearly, effectively and respectfully communicates to employees or customers.

REGULATORY COMPLIANCE (NOVICE): Demonstrates knowledge of the appropriate rules and regulations and apply them in difficult, stressful and complex situations. Able to interpret and explain rules and regulations that are ambiguous or unclear. Directs others in interpreting rules and regulations on the job and trains others in them.

SAFETY (NOVICE): The knowledge of and attentiveness to safety as well as compliance with the rules regarding safety.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Organizational Impact: Delivers job responsibilities that impact own job area/team with some guidance.
• Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Uses existing procedures, research and analysis to solve standard job related problems that may require some judgement.
• Breadth of Knowledge: Requires subject matter knowledge within a professional area to meet job requirements.
• Team Interaction: Individually contributes to project/ work teams.

CORE CAPABILITIES:

SUPPORTING COLLEAGUES:

• Develops Self and Others: Continuously improves own skills by identifying development opportunities.
• Builds and Maintains Relationships: Seeks to understand colleagues' priorities, working styles and develops relationships across areas.
• Communicates Effectively: Openly shares information with others and communicates in a clear and courteous manner.

DELIVERING EXCELLENT SERVICES:

• Serves Others with Compassion: Invests time to understand the problems, needs of others and how to provide excellent service.
• Solves Complex Problems: Seeks to understand issues, solves routine problems, and raises proper concerns to supervisors in a timely manner.
• Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Listens carefully to understand the issues and provides accurate information and support.

ENSURING HIGH QUALITY:

• Performs Excellent Work: Checks work quality before delivery and asks relevant questions to meet quality standards.
• Ensures Continuous Improvement: Shows eagerness to learn new knowledge, technologies, tools or systems and displays willingness to go above and beyond.
• Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Demonstrates basic knowledge of conditions that affect safety and reports unsafe conditions to the appropriate person or department.

MANAGING RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY:

• Demonstrates Accountability: Takes responsibility for completing assigned activities and thinks beyond standard approaches to provide high-quality work/service.
• Stewards Organizational Resources: Displays understanding of how personal actions will impact departmental resources.
• Makes Data Driven Decisions: Uses accurate information and good decision making to consistently achieve results on time and without error.

FOSTERING INNOVATION:

• Generates New Ideas: Willingly proposes/accepts ideas or initiatives that will impact day-to-day operations by offering suggestions to enhance them.
• Applies Technology: Absorbs new technology quickly; understands when to utilize the appropriate tools and procedures to ensure proper course of action.
• Adapts to Change: Embraces change by keeping an open mind to changing plans and incorporates change instructions into own area of work.

Position Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent experience) required and <1 year of experience

Preferred Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree in physical sciences or related field is preferred

Job Related Skills

Applicant should possess basic math skills, good communication skills, and ability to work with minimal supervision. Familiarity with computer and basic Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Access) and other office machines is essential.

Physical Requirements/Strengths needed & Physical Demands:

• Light Work category requiring exertion up to 20 lbs. of force occasionally and uses negligible amounts of force to move objects.

Movement

• Occasional: Carrying under 35 lbs: Transporting an object holding in hands, arms or shoulders, with help of coworkers or assistive device.
• Occasional: Crouching/Squatting: Bending body downward and forward by bending legs and spine.Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
• Occasional: Reaching above shoulders: Extending arms in any direction above shoulders.
• Occasional: Fingering: Picking, pinching, gripping, working primarily with fingers requiring fine manipulation.
• Occasional: Sitting: Remaining in seated position
• Occasional: Standing: Remaining on one's feet without moving.
• Occasional: Lifting under 35 lbs: Raising and lowering objects under 35 lbs from one level to another
• Occasional: Push/Pull: Exerting force to move objects away from or toward.
• Occasional: Bending/Stooping: Trunk bending downward and forward by bending spine at waist requiring full use of lower extremities and back muscles
• Frequent: Bimanual Dexterity: Requiring the use of both hands.
• Frequent: Walking: Moving about on foot.
• Frequent: Reaching below shoulders: Extending arms in any direction below shoulders.
• Frequent: Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hand or hands.

Sensory

• Occasional: Auditory: Perceiving the variances of sounds, tones and pitches and able to focus on single source of auditory information
• Frequent: Vision: Clarity of near vision at 20 inches or less and far vision at 20 feet or more with depth perception, peripheral vision, color vision.
• Frequent: Communication: Expressing or exchanging written/verbal/electronic information.
• Continuous: Smell: Ability to detect and identify odors.
• Continuous: Feeling: Ability to perceive size, shape, temperature, texture by touch with fingertips.

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