Summary

This position is located within the Sterile Processing Service in the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System at Bay Pines - FL. The Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team. *** Offering Recruitment/Relocation Incentive to highly qualified candidates***

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:

• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Chapter 3 - Section A - paragraph 3g.) English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy
• 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
• Grandfathering Provision
• All MSTs that are employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• (Only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• 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
• Creditable Experience Knowledge of Current MST Practices
• To be creditable - the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge - skills - and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MST
• Quality of Experience
• Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled
• Part-Time Experience
• Part-time experience as a MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek
• For example - a MST employed 20 hours a week - or on a 1/2-time basis - would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service
• GRADE REQUIREMENT Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - GS-6 - Full Performance Level Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) which are: 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
• 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
• ***Preferred Experience*** National Certification by the Certification Board of Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD) and/or by the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA - formerly IAHCSMM) is preferred but not required
• Knowledge of all areas with Sterile Processing to include: decontamination - preparation and assembly - sterilization - endoscope reprocessing - sterile storage and distribution
• Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures
• Physical Requirements
• This position may require shift work and or rotation of tour assignments
• Routinely requires heavy lifting (45 lbs
• and over) - heavy carrying (45 lbs
• and over) - straight pulling and pushing (up to 8 hrs.) - walking (8 hrs.) - standing (8 hrs.) - kneeling (8 hrs.) - repeated bending (8 hrs.) - both legs required - near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 - depth perception - ability to distinguish colors - ability to distinguish shades of colors - hearing aid permitted - and ability to operate transportation equipment
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6. References
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• Duties and responsibilities include - but are not limited to: Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• Disassembles complex RME and determines 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
• Removes soil - blood - tissue fragments - body fluids - and other contaminants by wiping - soaking - rinsing - and scrubbing
• Assembles instruments
• including the most complex sets - and other surgical items - by selecting appropriate items - trays - instruments - etc
• and assembles them in the correct manner to ensure appropriate sterilization
• Inspects - assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam - hydrogen peroxide - ETO - and high-level disinfecting scope re-processors
• Labels all sterilized items correctly according to AAMI and VHA Directive 1116(2) standards
• Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment
• Builds the full complement of Operating Room case carts to include RME - implants - and disposable
• Identifies suitable replacement if requested item is not available
• Utilizes advanced functions of instrument tracking system
• Provides guidance and training to staff members with less experience Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 3:30pm -12:00am (w/Rotating Weekends) Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized to highly qualified candidates 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior 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) Functional Statement #: 20819F