This is a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) position for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) of the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System - located in Biloxi, Mississippi. This position supports the documentation, preparation and distribution of the hospital's critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment.
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 - You must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency - English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d) Experience and/or Education - Experience - Six months of experience that demonstrates the 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. 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: The full performance level for this qualification standard is the GS-06 grade level. GS-03 Medical Supply Technician - Experience/Education Requirement: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-04 Medical Supply Technician - Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-04 you must meet one of the following experience or education requirements: 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 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 US. 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. 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 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 Medical Supply Technician - Experience/Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-05 you must meet one of the following experience or education requirements: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-04). Examples of specialized experience include but are 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; 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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 Medical Supply Technician (Full Performance Level) - Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-06 you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Examples of specialized experience include but are 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 a medical facility including those used in the operating room; preparing, loading, and operating sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, you 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 regard to instrumentation. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures. Preferred Experience: 1 year of Sterile Processing experience 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-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: The work performed requires the incumbent to work and perform in various settings to include decontamination, preparation, clear sterile supply and other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. Must be able to walk, stand, bend, push, and pull for 8 hours per day. Must be able to lift/pick up items (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). Must be able to work under noisy conditions. Environmental Factors: 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.
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 will provide sterilization, preparation, supply items and reusable medical equipment decontamination and distribution support for the medical center. Duties performed may include, but are not limited to the following: Clean and (when appropriate) disinfect critical and semi-critical Reusable Medical Equipment/Reusable Medical Devices (RME/RMD) through manual and mechanical processes that employ sinks, ultrasonic cleaners, washer-disinfectors, automated endoscope reprocessors (AER), ultra-violet sanitizing cabinets (UVC), and automated cart washers, as well as a variety of decontamination agents and high-level disinfectants. Processes non-critical equipment when necessary. All cleaning and disinfecting done in accordance with (IAW) industry standards, manufacturer's instructions for use (IFUs), VA directives, and department protocols. Assemble, package, sterilize, store, and distribute RME and RMD for all Sterile Processing Services (SPS) customers IAW industry standards, manufacturer's IFUs, VA directives, and department protocols. Conduct quality assurance testing on the SPS environment, equipment and processes IAW department and regulatory guidelines and manufacturer's IFUs. Monitor all mechanical, chemical, and biological sterilization indicators; as well as all department-wide environmental indicators. Verify and record all sterilization, environmental, and mechanical outcomes as needed and submit repair request when necessary. Wear appropriate work attire and personal protective equipment (PPE) while in both the SPS decontamination and sterilization areas IAW industry standards and VA directives. Observe standard precautions and aseptic technique when applicable. Monitor department's humidity, temperature, air exchange rates, and floor-plan integrity for each SPS section. Practice strict adherence to department workflow and traffic-flow patterns. Perform daily assigned duties in their entirety, according to designated competency level without the need for additional guidance or correction from supervision or other team members. Complete all assigned duties and other work-related actions with IAW department guidelines, VA directives, regulatory guidelines, and with utmost integrity. Meet all deadlines to include daily work assignment deadlines, administrative deadlines and training deadlines. Maintain current knowledge of the department's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that is commensurate with this position. Exhibit knowledge of current industry-standard for cleaning, assembling/packaging, sterilizing, storing, and distributing RME/RMD. Demonstrate acceptable knowledge of the correct form and function of RME/RMD being processed. Work Schedule: SPS is 24-hour operations that offers a variety of shifts Monday-Friday. Staff are required to be on call outside of normal hours to include weekends and holidays. Tour of Duty will be set based on the needs of the service and will be discussed during interview. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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). 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 #: 520-00642-F, 520-00643-F, 520-00644-F, 520-00645-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.