The Lead MST is responsible for the lead duties in the Sterile Processing Service. Incumbent must be able to direct and lead SPS personnel and communicate effectively to ensure user unit needs are met on a consistent basis. Must be organized and detail oriented to provide direction to Medical Supply Technicians GS-0622-6 as to complete tasks in a timely accurate manner.
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 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. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation. (2) MSTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) MSTs who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience: One year experience to the next lower grade level; Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: 1. Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments. 2. Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. 4. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures. 5. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments. Preferred Experience: 1 year of Sterile Processing Medical Supply Technician duties. Prefer HSPA, VA or CBSPD Sterile Processing Technician Certification. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements / Environmental Factors: 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 25 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.
The duties of this position include but are not limited to the following: - Distributes and balances the workload among staff to ensure timely processing. - Keeps in touch with the status and progress of work, and makes just in time adjustments in accordance with established priorities. - Reports on expected time of completion of work and maintains records. Prepares reports as requested. - Instructs employees on specific tasks and job techniques and makes available written instructions and reference materials. - Provides/assists with onboarding and training of new employees. - Maintains current knowledge and answer questions of other employees on procedures, policies, directives, etc. - Spot checks work in progress and assists in reviewing completed work to see that instructions, work sequences, procedures, methods and deadlines have been met. - Amend or reject work not meeting established standards. Refers to the supervisor; questions or issues not covered by standards and/or problems in meeting performance standards. - Monitors working conditions such as seating, ventilation, lighting, safety, PPE, etc. - May inform employees of available services and employee activities. - Will resolve simple, informal complaints of employees, but refer more complex situations to the supervisor. - Reports to the supervisor on performance, progress, and training needs of employees. -Reports all behavior problems to supervisor. The incumbent will have knowledge of the processes for Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) 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 RMD appropriate to this position. The incumbent will be able to demonstrate their ability to utilize an acceptable proficiency in the use of RMD appropriate to this position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 3pm - 11:30pm. Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized