Summary

Serves as a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) in the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) Section. The incumbent is a member of the SPS team that performs a wide area of duties - including various cleaning - decontamination - assembly - sterilization - and distribution processes associated with medical - surgical - and Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) throughout all services at the facility.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is notpossible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - Section A - paragraph 3g.) Experience and/or Education Experience
• Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• or 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 Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification
• None
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U
• S
• programs
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - this part
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: GS-03 (Entry Level) (a)Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-04 (Developmental Level) (a)Experience
• Six months experience as a MST - operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting
• or (b)Education
• Two years of education above high school that included at least 12semester hours in courses related to the occupation
• NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians - hospital corpsmen - medical service specialists - or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces - the U.S. Maritime Service - or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision - may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience
• (c)Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: 1.Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• 2.Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• 3.Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• 4.Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• GS-05 (Developmental Level) (a)Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade 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 KSAs: 1.Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• 2.Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility
• 3.Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• GS-06 (Full Performance Level) (a)Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• (b)Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1.Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• 2.Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• 3.Working knowledge of medical terminology - anatomy and physiology - microbiology - medical conditions and procedures
• 4.Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation
• 5.Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures
• Preferred Experience: Medical Terminology - understanding of sterilization - high level disinfection and reprocessing of reusable medical devices (RMD)
• 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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers
• This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest
• As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care - you will operate in a model with three core elements - seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran
• This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community
• This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being
• Major duties include but are not limited to: Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RMD in the decontamination area
• Disassembles the RMD and determines the correct cleaning method
• Adheres to quality control procedures throughout the decontamination and sterile preparation/processing areas
• Reprocesses and inventories medical devices used throughout the facility
• Assumes continuous training in support of the reprocessing for numerous services and activities
• Maintains a working knowledge of medical terminology - anatomy and physiology - microbiology - medical conditions and procedures
• Responsible for the collection and receipt of all used - soiled reusable critical and semi-critical RMD - utilizing proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and infection control procedures to prevent cross-contamination of other equipment and personnel during the collection and transport of the soiled RMD
• Responsible for the proper disassembly of technical medical instrumentation and equipment
• Responsible for thorough inspection of instrumentation for cleanliness - damage - deterioration - or imperfections
• Responsible for the systematic manual and automated cleaning - disinfection and sterilization of instrumentation and equipment according to strict Manufacturer Instructions for Use (IFU)
• Responsible for ensuring that quality assurance testing of the effectiveness of the equipment operation is completed and documented
• Operates a variety sterilization equipment - that include steam - and low level gas plasma
• Prepares the full range of trays and sets necessary for use in various areas of the medical center
• Responsible for determining the proper techniques for pick-up - transportation - cleaning and disinfecting of contaminated items per SOPs
• Adheres to and/or monitors Medical Center and SPS Infection Control Guidelines pertaining to workflow in regard to the separation of soiled and clean/sterile activities
• Responsible for determining proper instrument selection - instrument function/operation - need for instrument protection - and arrangement of items to ensure effective penetration of the sterilant
• Determines proper packaging method - based upon size - number and weight of the assembled items - and labels these items appropriately
• Utilizes computer programs - to include Microsoft Office components - Censitrac to perform record keeping - tracking operations - maintain quality assurance records - and communicate with other personnel - both internal and external to the Medical Center
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 9:30am to 6:00pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized