Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Qualifications

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. 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.) Experience and/or Education (1) Experience
• Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• or (2) 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification
• None
• 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
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part
• Grade Determinations The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• GS-03 (Entry Level) (a) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• (b) Assignment
• This is an entry level MST position
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-04 (Developmental Level) (a) 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 (b) 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
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• 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 in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• (d) Assignment
• This is a developmental level MST position
• Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME)
• 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
• Prepares operating room case carts
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-05 (Developmental Level) (a) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• or (b) 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
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
• (d) Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position
• Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments 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
• Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments
• GS-06 (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• 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
• (c) Assignment
• This is the full performance level for the occupation
• Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• Disassembles the 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
• Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment
• 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: Work is performed in decontamination, preparation, clean supply areas, and other hospital departments
• Conditions may be hot, cold, drafty, or poorly lit
• The role requires standing and walking for the full shift, frequent bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds
• Dexterity and visual acuity are needed for handling and assembling instruments
• The employee regularly moves between contaminated and clean environments and must wear required protective equipment, which may be warm or uncomfortable
• There is exposure to hot surfaces, strong or unpleasant odors, body fluids, and noisy equipment
• These requirements align with VA Directive/Handbook 5019.

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