Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Summary

In this position - the incumbent will perform segments of work pertaining to the decontamination - preparation - sterilization - high level disinfection - transportation of clean and soiled Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) and preparation of case carts.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States
• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English
• 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
• Grade Determinations GS-03 (Entry Level) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignment
• This is an entry level MST position
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-04 (Developmental Level) 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
• Experience at this level includes - but is not limited to: performing segments of work pertaining to the decontamination - sterilization - and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME)
• completing segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center
• operating equipment involved in sterilization processes
• preparing operating room case carts
• and receiving guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• OR Education
• Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester 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
• TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• GS-05 (Developmental Level) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• Experience at this level includes - but is not limited to: removing soil - blood - tissue fragments - body fluids - and other containments by wiping - soaking - rinsing - and scrubbing
• inspecting packages for indications of proper sterilization - assembling basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room
• preparing loads - and operating sterilizers such as steam - Sterrad - Steris - ETO - and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• preparing operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule
• receiving guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments
• OR 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
• TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED AT TIME OF APPLICATION Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility
• Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• GS-06 (Full Performance Level) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• Experience at this level includes - but is not limited to: receiving contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• disassembling the RME and determining the correct cleaning method - such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners - mechanical washers - cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents - as determined by manufacturer instructions
• inspecting - assembling and determining the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam - Sterrad - Steris - ETO - and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• performing and documenting daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Working knowledge of medical terminology - anatomy and physiology - microbiology - medical conditions and procedures
• Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures
• References: VA Handbook 5005/76 - Part II - Appendix G47
• This can be found in the local Human Resources Office
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06
• Physical Requirements: This work is performed in 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 during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 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 accidentally 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 area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments - rumbling of carts and operation of pre­ sterilizing equipment
• Preferred Experience: One to two years of Sterilization Processing experience.
  
  

Duties

• Major duties include but are not limited to: Disassembles RME and determines the correct cleaning method - such as - but not limited to: ultrasonic cleaners - mechanical washer-disinfectors - cart washer and chemical cleaning decontamination agents - as determined by manufacturer instructions
• Inspects - assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization - such as - but not limited to steam - Sterrad - Steris - and high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• Rotates - restocks outdated sterile supplies & instruments - and maintains stock levels of surgical instruments and equipment for wards - clinics - and the operating room
• Receives a full range of reusable medical equipment (RME) - instruments and supplies from hospital wards - clinics - operating rooms - and CBOCs
• Assembles a wide variety of instrument trays and sets used for medical procures including the operating room
• Processes - assembles - and performs all phases of sterilization for intricate surgical trays and microsurgery instruments for the operating room (trays contain large numbers of unique - non-interchangeable - specialized surgical instruments of similar appearance - with minor variations in size - conformation - and nomenclature - but with major variation in application)
• Cleans and maintains a wide variety of medical equipment
• cleans interiors and exteriors of sterilizers and aerators - loading carts - delivery carts - specialty carts - isolation cart - crash cart - work area - storage shelves
• using chemical solutions - detergents and alcohol according to written procedure to prevent cross contamination
• Work Schedule: Night shifts - Monday - Friday 3:30pm to 11:00pm OR 11:00pm to 7:30am with on call weekends/holidays
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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 #: 07475F - 07476F - 07477F - 07478F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized