Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

About the role

The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System is hiring one Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) for the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6; the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected ranges from GS-3 to GS-6. Functional statements: PD53553-A, PD53554-A, PD53555-A, and PD53556-A.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g.
• Experience and/or Education: One of the following:
  • Six months of experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or
  • 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, operating room and surgical technician courses, or other courses related to the position; or
  • Equivalent combination of experience and education qualifying for entry level.
• Certification: None required.
• Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (applicable only to current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the criteria).
• Foreign Education: Education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization specializing in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and deemed at least equivalent to 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.

Grade Determinations

The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-03 (Entry Level)

• Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Assignment: Entry level MST position. Receives guidance from more experienced staff members and requires frequent and direct supervision.

GS-04 (Developmental Level)

• Experience: Six months experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician, or other position demonstrating 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. 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, U.S. 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
  • Basic knowledge of medical terminology to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
  • Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
  • Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• Assignment: Developmental level MST position. Performs segments of work pertaining to decontamination, sterilization, and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME); completes segments of work pertaining to assembly of basic sets and trays; operates equipment involved in sterilization processes; prepares operating room case carts. Receives guidance from more experienced staff and requires 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:
  • 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: Developmental level MST position. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants 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, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule. Receives guidance from more experienced staff for more complex tasks and requires 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:
  • 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: Full performance level for the occupation. Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area (and may receive noncritical equipment); disassembles RME and determines correct cleaning method (ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical washers, cart washers, chemical cleaning/decontamination agents per manufacturer instructions); inspects, assembles, and determines correct method and packaging for sterilization (steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, high level disinfecting scope reprocessors); performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.

Preferred Experience

• 1 year experience as a sterile processing or scrub tech in an outpatient or hospital setting
• Knowledge of instrument tracking systems (ITS)
• Attention to detail

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

Responsibilities

• 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
• Receives contaminated instruments from operating rooms, dental clinics, endoscopy, nursing units, eye clinics, wound care, podiatry; inspects for damage and ensures good working condition
• Determines correct method for decontamination and cleaning per manufacturer's instructions
• Removes blood, tissue, bone fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants by soaking, scrubbing, brushing, rinsing, and use of ultrasonic equipment
• Disassembles and inspects for damage reusable medical supplies, instruments, and equipment
• Determines correct method for manual cleaning and disinfection
• Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other gross contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, scrubbing, and use of ultrasound equipment
• Loads and operates washer disinfector, cart washer, and sterilizers
• Removes items from washer/disinfector and determines type of tray or