Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Full Job Description

The Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) position is assigned to the Sterile Processing Services department of the nursing service at the Martinsburg WV VA Medical Center.

Basic Requirements: To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following: 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.

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-4).

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-5).

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.

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 6.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 3 to GS 6.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as instrument trays, manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients.

The work requires above average agility and dexterity.

The incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or Non-VA clinical care sites and possession of a valid driver's license may be required Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Responsible for re-processing and transportation of critical and semi-critical RMD by disassembling, cleaning, decontaminating, sterilization, HLD, and storage within SPS.

Adheres to standard operating procedures (SOP) based on the manufacturer's instructions for use (mIFU) per individual item. Identifies and communicates non-conforming RMD to SPS leadership.

Responsible for the proper decontamination of all critical and semi-critical RMD by strictly adhering to device SOP's, ensuring the utilization of appropriate specific chemicals, cleaning tools, and rinsing procedures for each individual item including but not limited to complex items such as flexible endoscopes and orthopedic instrumentation.

Performs and documents the appropriate quality assurance testing to assure proper decontamination is achieved. Visually inspects each item for cleanliness and function.

Visually inspects all items prior to assembly, packaging, and sterilization and ensures that any items with damage, deterioration or imperfections such as rust, pitting and cracks are taken out of service and repaired or replaced.

Performs leak tests and bioburden test on all endoscopic devices prior to processing.

Tests all items in SPS to determine that they operate correctly and sends malfunctioning or damaged equipment for repair utilizing the work order process.

Work Schedule: Multiple tours available 7:00am - 3:30pm, 10:00am - 6:30pm, 3:00pm - 11:30pm with rotating on-call schedule to include nights, weekends and holidays.

Shift availability will be based on unit need upon the completion of training.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized 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 #: 25174F, 25118F, 25119F. 25120F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized