Medical Supply Tech (Sterile Processing)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 35,000 - 49,000; Full time

Job summary

The Durham VA Medical Center seeks a Medical Support Technician (MST) to perform sterile processing duties, including decontamination, sterilization and packaging of reusable medical equipment.

Entry to full performance levels GS-3 to GS-6 involve oversight, adherence to SOPs, and the ability to operate sterilizers and assemble basic sets for operating room use.

Qualifications

• Six months of experience or one year of education in health care related courses.
• Two years of high school education with at least 12 semester hours in related courses OR a Bachelor's degree.
• Demonstrated KSAs include knowledge of surgical instruments, event-related packaging, and sterilization equipment.

Responsibilities

• Removes soil and contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing and scrubbing.
• Inspects packages for proper sterilization and prepares operating room case carts.
• Operates sterilizers and assists in decontamination and sterilization processes.

Skills

Sterile processing

Surgical instruments knowledge

English proficiency

Education

Two years of education above high school incl health care courses

Bachelor's degree with 12+ semester hours in related courses

Tools

Sterrad sterilizer

Steris sterilizer

ETO sterilizer

Steam sterilization equipment

Job description

This position is located at the Durham VA Medical Center, in Durham, NC. 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 RME appropriate to this position.

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.
• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States.
• 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.
• Certification: None.
• 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.
• 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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations

GS-03 (Entry Level)

Experience/Education Requirement: None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignment: This is an entry level MST position. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

GS-4 (Developmental Level)

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.

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)

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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: 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.

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, Sterred, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope re-processor; 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)

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

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.

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, Sterred, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope re-processors. Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.

Preferred Experience

• Hospital experience in sterile processing and decontamination.
• SPD Technician Certification.
• Reusable Medical Equipment (RME)

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.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements

See VA Handbook 5019