The position is within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care | Veterans Affairs in the Sterile Processing Services (SPS), and reports directly to the Associate Director, Patient Care Services (ADPCS).
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 Citizenship. 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. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. Experience and/or Education. Experience. Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work. OR Education. One (1) 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. 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 DETERMINATION - GS-08 Experience. One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds. Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed. Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues. 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-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation and packaging) 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. Talking during the entire day and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as much as 50 pounds). Standing for greater than 8-hours, pushing, pulling, and lifting throughout the shift are a requirement of the position. The work requires dexterity and visual and auditory acuity for manipulating, disassembling, and assembling of instrumentation. On a regular and reoccurring 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 gases are unknown. Technician may be exposed to fumes from various high-level disinfectants and cleaning chemicals. Technicians are periodically monitored and tested for exposure to certain hazardous chemicals. The employee often works around body fluids, mucus, 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 RMD. the work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre sterilization equipment.
VA offers a Comprehensive Total Rewards package: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Supply Aide and Technician: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Supply-Aide-Career-Flyer.pdf This position is located at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care | Veterans Affairs. The Supervisory MST functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work. The duties include but are not limited to the following: Performs the personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised in SPS in the VA ECHCS, including establishing guidelines for performance expectations for staff that are clearly communicated through the formal employee supervisory performance management systems. The incumbent ensures adequate staffing levels and resources to meet workload demands; ensures a comprehensive learning and training plan exists for all SPS personnel involved in using RME, including validation of both initial and recurring competencies; and ensures staff compliance with all mandatory education and training requirements. Gives advice, counsel, and instruction to leads and employees on work and administrative matters to include hearing and resolving group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints that require a higher-level supervisor or manager; advises and counsels supervisory technicians on disciplinary measures. The incumbent interviews candidates for unit positions to include lead and supervisory technicians; recommends appointments, promotions, and reassignments to unit positions; identifies and provides for training needs; and finds ways to improve production or increase quality of work within area of authority. The incumbent sets deadlines, priorities, develops operating instructions, performance standards, identifies equipment requirements, and recommends methods to improve the quality and productivity of SPS. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids and other contaminants 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, RMR clinical departments and Community Based Outpatient Clinics, (CBOC). Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, V-Pro, and a high-level disinfecting scope reprocess; may prepare operating room case carts daily utilizing surgery schedule. Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization, and inspection of RMD. Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday | 10:00pm to 6:30am. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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: Ad-hoc, as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 554-55034-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.