Health Technician (Surgical)

Indian Health Service; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 54,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The Indian Health Service's Phoenix Indian Medical Center is seeking a Health Technician (Surgical) to provide scrub technician support for a range of procedures. The role involves preparing sterile fields, handling instruments, maintaining aseptic technique, and assisting the surgeon with grafts, suctioning, retractors, staples and suturing under pressure.

Candidates must pass background checks and meet federal requirements. This position requires U.S.

Qualifications

• Experience maintaining aseptic technique throughout procedures.
• Knowledge of positioning patients to provide exposure for the procedure.
• Ability to coordinate with surgical team and equipment.

Responsibilities

• Handle instruments, supplies and equipment during all procedures.
• Set up sterile field with all required items for each procedure.
• Observe infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment.
• Assist surgeon with grafts, suctioning, retractors, staples and suturing; prepare prosthesis and devices.
• Identify potentially hazardous situations and take corrective actions.

Skills

Aseptic technique

Infection control

Team support

Education

Certified Surgical Technician (CST)

Job description

Summary

The Health Technician (Surgical) position is located in the Operating Room Nursing Services at the Phoenix Indian Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona. The purpose of this position is to provide surgical scrub technician support for surgical operations ranging from minor to more complex and extensive surgical procedures.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

• Responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures. Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure, ensures all supplies and equipment are available prior to surgical procedures.
• Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment.
• Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time.
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures. Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures.
• Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (e.g., frayed cords, water on floor) and takes corrective actions.

Total Compensation Package

Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Health Technician Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

This position is being announced concurrently under Excepted Service/Merit Promotion procedures. Please review vacancy announcement number IHS-27-PX-13087173-ESEP/MP; for eligibility requirements. NOTE: Applicants must apply separately for each announcement in order to be considered.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Selectee may be subject to a probationary period
• U.S. Citizenship is required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.
• You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you.
• This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.
• On-call hours or standby duty may be required.
• Physical Demands: The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients.

Background Investigation Requirement

• This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.
• A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.
• Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Financial Suitability Requirement

• This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.
• Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).
• Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.

Qualifications

This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served, and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same.

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Individual Occupational Requirements for Health Aid and Technician Series 0640: Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS for GS-0640-07

you must meet one of the following:

Experience: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks, Examples include: Monitoring and maintaining aseptic technique throughout procedures; coordinate or participate in the positioning of patients, using body stabilizing equipment or protective padding to provide appropriate exposure for the procedure or protection; and maintaining an unobstructed operative field, using surgical retractors, sponges, or suctioning and irrigating equipment.

OR

Education: Your resume must demonstrate successful completion of 1 year (18 semester hours) of graduate education that is directly related to the work of the position;

OR

Combination: Your resume must demonstrate a combination of qualifying education and experience that meets the minimum qualifications described above. The total percentage equals at least 100 percent to qualify for this GS-07 grade level.

Note: Only education beyond a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation can be used to qualify as education when using the combination of education and experience option and transcripts are required to qualify using this option.

SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR FOR GS-0640-07

In addition to the minimum requirements, the following certification is determined to be essential to perform the duties and responsibilities of a particular position. Applicants who do not meet a selective placement factor are ineligible for further consideration. Must attach copy of certification.

• Certified Surgical Technician (CST) by the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA); OR
• Certified Technician in Surgery (TS-C) by the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT).

This announcement is advertised as Open Until Filled, applications should be submitted ASAP to ensure you will be considered for this position. The first application cutoff date for referral consideration will be five business days after the announcement opens. Subsequent cutoff dates will be each Friday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time through the announcement's closing date.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements and submit all required documents by the applicable cutoff date to receive consideration.

Additional selection(s) of candidates may be possible within 240 days from the date the certificate of eligibles was issued for this announcement.

Essay Questions

• How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
• In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
• In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation.
• How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?
• Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
• However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
• You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.