The Sterile Processing Service is the central point within the Medical Center providing the technical supply functions of collection, decontamination, processing, packing, sterilization & distribution of all patient care re-usable medical equipment & instruments. Advanced Medical Supply Technician (MST) functions at an independent level in which they help distribute & prioritize workload in accordance with established workflow &/or job specializations.
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: 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. 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. Grade Determinations: GS-07 (Advanced Level) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-6. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-6 include but are not limited to: Receiving contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area; disassembling the RME and determining 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; inspecting, assembling and determining the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors; performing and documenting daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-7 include but are not limited to: assembling highly complex instrument sets including, but not limited to, open heart, major orthopedic total joint, cardiovascular, craniotomy and complex endoscopic instrumentation. Processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room. Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing RME. Troubleshoots and analyzes mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment. Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or instruction for use have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to meet all guidelines. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Detailed knowledge of complex surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. Ability to assemble specialty operating room and clinic instrument sets. In-depth knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in order to convey information and thoughts to others. Preferred Experience: One year experience reprocessing endoscopic devices. 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-7. Physical Requirements: The work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. 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 form accidentally touching hot items. 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 equipment.
Receives, disassembles, & inspects for damage reusable medical, dental & surgical instruments & equipment. Determines correct method for manual cleaning & disinfection. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, & other gross contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, scrubbing, & use of ultrasound equipment. Loads and operates washer disinfector, cart washer & sterilizers. Removes items from washer/disinfector & determines type of tray or set to assemble based on recognition of key items & the operating room & clinic schedules. Examines items to ensure that gross contamination has been removed. Assembles sets & trays by selecting appropriate tray, lining it with a towel, & arranging instruments in the tray in the correct manner. Selects correct sterilizing medium & cycles and operates sterilizer. Monitors operation of sterilizer with prescribed tests. Assembles a full range of sets & trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Assembles delicate micro-surgical sets such as micro-surgical ear set, ear-nose-throat (ENT), plastic surgery, micro-surgical eye instruments, etc. Assembles & selects the correct sterilizing method for a variety of costly & delicate equipment such as flexible colonoscopies, flexible gastroscopes, bronchoscopes, choledochoscopes, resectoscope, & other flexible & rigid endoscopes. Disassembles, cleans, lubricates, reassembles, & sterilizes dental handpieces, numerous dental specialty instruments & trays. Disassembles, leak tests, manually cleans, brushes, aspirates & flushes numerous flexible endoscopes. Loads & operates sterilizers such as steam, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, & a high-level disinfecting scope re-processor. Selects correct sterilization method for items to be sterilized. Properly handles sterilized trays, sets & packs from sterilizers. Places a written date & control number on each sterilized item indicating the sterilization date. He/she stocks sterile items on shelves or delivery carts on a first-in, first-out basis for rotation. Receives sterilized trays, sets, & equipment from the sterilizer, checks for effectiveness of sterilization (color change on marker tapes, dampness of the packages), place tags on sterilized material indicating date of sterilization & expiration date, & stocks shelves with sterilized material. Assembles & loads ward & operating room carts according to schedules & fills special and emergency request for supplies. Advises medical personnel on availability of instrumentation, possible substitutes, & effective use of equipment. Accurately assembles instrument sets on surgical case carts. Maintains storage & transport of sterilized items. Operates a wide range of sterile processing equipment; ultrasonics, washer/disinfectors, dental service units, trophon, automated endoscopic reprocessors, leak testers, Insulation tester, electronic leak tester, endoscopic flushing devices, pre-vacuum steam sterilizers, gravity sterilizers, hydrogen peroxide plasma sterilizers, cart & utensil washers, heat sealers & biological incubators. Disassembles, check functionality & troubleshoots complex surgical equipment prior to sterilization. Advises medical personnel on the proper use of the equipment & on problems that arise about its use. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not eligible for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51158-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.