This is an external job announcement. Current, permanent VA Medical Center employees and current, permanent VA employees from another facility MUST apply under internal announcement CBSR-11384739-22-RC Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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. 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: Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-04: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 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. 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: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; 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: 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:Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/76, Part II, Appendix G47, Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Qualification Standard. 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. ["Serves as a Medical Supply Technician completing reprocessing of critical and semi critical Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) and quality assurance tasks for Sterile Processing Services (SPS) under Nursing Service. Responsible for accurately completing work performed in all work areas of the department, including but not limited to, decontamination, instrument preparation/assembly, high-level disinfection, sterilization and case cart preparation (instrumentation), in support of the Operating Room (OR), clinical areas throughout the facility and outlying clinics. Completes reprocessing tasks associated with flexible and rigid endoscopes. Must be able to accurately identify hundreds of instruments used for a variety of surgical and diagnostic procedures. Must have extensive knowledge and experience using reprocessing equipment to successfully fulfill this role. In addition to instrument identification and knowing how they are used, must accurately demonstrate applicable caring and maintenance of instruments per manufacturer instructions. Incumbent must be knowledgeable and experienced handling extremely delicate, costly, sophisticated instruments as well. Duties include but are not limited to: The incumbent will have knowledge of the processes for Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) as required by this position. The incumbent will be required to maintain current knowledge of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) which document the processes and procedures for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and preparation of RME appropriate to this position. The incumbent will be able to demonstrate their ability to utilize an acceptable proficiency in the use of RME appropriate to this position. This is a developmental performance level position in Sterile Processing Service as a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing Technician). In this position, the incumbent will provide sterilization, preparation, supply items and reusable medical equipment decontamination and distribution support for the medical center. The term \"supply item\" as used in this functional statement refers to disposable and reusable items for patient care including instrumentation (scissors, forceps, retractors, etc.), reusable medical equipment (suction machines infusion pumps, etc.), surgical trays and sets and various other items that could be processed or assembled through the Preparation and Decontamination areas of Sterile Processing Service. In the decontamination area of the department, incumbent is responsible for initiating instrument and equipment reprocessing within 30 minutes of receipt from end users. Endoscopes must be started immediately upon receipt to avoid reprocessing delays that can cause irreversible damage. Incumbent must notify the end user as soon as he/she becomes aware that instruments are missing or damaged. If instruments are missing, incumbent will make an effort to retrieve the missing items from the end user. If the missing instruments cannot be located and efforts to retrieve from the end user are unsuccessful, incumbent will document the event via email. Incumbent will check department inventory for replacement instrument. If replacement instrument is not available, incumbent will coordinate with the front-line Supervisor with item number and description so replacement instrument can be ordered. Service specialty instruments will be ordered by the end user. Incumbent will notify the end user electronically via email (Outlook) and verbally so replacement orders can be generated by the service. Incumbent will notify SPS Supervisors of actions taken. Accurately completes all department required documentation to include, but not limited to, documentation of biological indicator results, signatures where applicable, time and temperature, load control sticker with correct sterilizer number, cycle and date of reprocessing. Completes sterilization and high-level disinfecting of Reusable Medical Equipment by following manufacturer instructions, VHA directives, AAMI/ANSI ST 79, IAHCSMM and facility standard operating procedures. Demonstrates a working knowledge of the use of biological indicator controls and testing, as well as the principles and methods of sterilization/high-level disinfecting and packaging. Work Schedule: Night Shift - 11:30 pm - 8 am or Afternoon Shift - 3:30 pm - Midnight. Tour specifics to be discussed at interview. Tour will include rotating weekends and holidays.\nCompressed/Flexible: Not Available\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - GS-621\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]