Duties

Summary

Work Schedule: 40 hours per week. 8 Hour Tours. Various shifts and days available include rotating, may include weekends and on-call duties. Subject to change based on needs of patients and/or section. Management reserves the right to determine and/or change tour of duty.
Supervisory Position: No
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized
Probationary Period: May be required
Financial Disclosure: Not Required

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Responsibilities

The Central Sterile Technical/Medical Supply Technician receives sterilized and high level disinfected critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) in the surgical/procedural area and may receive non-critical equipment as well. Ensures event related sterility is maintained. Correctly organizes RME on shelves, insuring that rotation of stock using First In First Out (FIFO) method and proper RME par levels are maintained. Ensure case carts are complete for procedures per the pick sheet. Maintains RME inventory par levels. Monitors and documents sterilization according to procedure. Documents all required information for each sterilization load and sterilizer. Acts as a resource for instrumentation handling and location. Coordinates and ensures that instruments needed for the next day or as a turnover are properly cleaned, packaged, and sterilized and inventories instruments. Manages standard and rapid turnover of instrumentation, including processing of instrumentation for immediate use steam sterilization, maintains daily records/logs within the standards, and performs regular instrument set and case cart audits. Monitors Quality Assurance /Quality Improvement by inspecting packages for event related sterility, cleanliness, completeness, and timeliness of instruments, supplies, and case carts.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
5

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/23/2019.

Basic Requirements:
a. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
b. Experience and/or Education
(1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or

(2) Education. One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or

(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

c. Certification. None.

d. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English

Grade Determinations:
a. Creditable Experience

(1) Knowledge of Current MST Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MST.

(2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) 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.

(3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MST employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service.

b. Grade Determinations. The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-05 (Medical Supply Technician)
a. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower level; or
b. Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree.
c. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSA's:

Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinical settings.

Basic knowledge of event related packaging in regard to sterility.

Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.

Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors; prepares, operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule. MST's receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments.

References: APPENDIX G47. MEDICAL SUPPLY TECHNICIAN (STERILE PROCESSING) QUALIFICATION STANDARDS, GS-622, Veterans Health Administration.

Physical Requirements: This work is performed is various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking, pushing carts that weigh several hundred pounds. Much of the work is performed in tiring positions such as standing, stooping, kneeling, etc. The incumbent may use a pallet jack as well as carts of varying sizes and weights. The incumbent is tasked regularly with lifting packages weighing up to 50 pounds. The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly, and assembly of instrumentation. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. The employee wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm. The employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is subject to burns from accidently touching hot items. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions, and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling. Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical equipment. The work is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts, and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

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, résumé, 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.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Required Documents

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

Required Documents

CV or Resume. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, full-time or part-time, start/end dates in mm/dd/yy format, AND average number of hours worked per week.

VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/search_action.asp?FormNo=2850&tkey=&Action=Search . Application must be signed and dated within 12 months of the announcement's closing date. The application must contain updated information, i.e., licensure expiration dates, and ink signatures on pages 3 and page 4. Outdated and incomplete applications will be ineligible for consideration.

If prior military service, include all copies of your DD Forms 214 or proof of service (required). Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf ). If currently employed for Federal agency, include latest SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action. (except current Richmond VAMC employees). SF 50 must show your tenure code, position occupied and highest grade and step. In addition, if you have or had service in a Federal Law Enforcement position covered by law enforcement or firefighter retirement provisions, including early or mandatory retirement, the SF-50 must show the retirement code. An award SF-50 does not contain the required information. Copies of college transcript(s) (Official copy will be required for appointment if selected). The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to 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.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.