Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 48,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Atlanta VA Healthcare System, seeks a Medical Support Technician in the Sterile Processing Service. The role requires meeting basic requirements including U.S. citizenship, English proficiency, and education/experience in sterile processing.

Duties include removing soil, inspecting packages, operating sterilizers (steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO), and preparing operating room case carts daily.

Qualifications

• Six months of experience demonstrating ability to perform the work.
• 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.
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Certification: None.

Skills

Surgical instrument knowledge

Universal precautions

Medical terminology knowledge

Sterility principles

Reading instructions

Education

One year above high school with health care related courses

Job description

This position is located within the Sterile Processing Service in the Atlanta, Georgia VA Healthcare System. 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.
• English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j,
• 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.

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).

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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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

In addition to the Basic Requirements, you must also meet the grade level requirements.

Experience

One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05). Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Removing soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing; Inspecting packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembling basic sets and trays used throughout a medical facility including those used in the operating room; preparing, loading, and operating sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1. Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
2. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
3. Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures.
4. Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation.
5. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures.

Preferred Experience

• six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• Knowledge of all areas with Sterile Processing to include: decontamination, preparation and assembly, sterilization, endoscope reprocessing, sterile storage and distribution.
• Knowledge of sterility principles of decontamination and high-level disinfection

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ This position is at the Full Performance level GS-6.

Physical Requirements

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 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 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.