Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Summary The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (SPS) position is in the Sterile Processing Service at the VA Boston Healthcare System located at the West Roxbury - MA location. This position is full time at 40 hours per week. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEnglish Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d)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 workOR 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 positionOR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptableForeign 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 USprogramsGrade Determinations: GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS 7)Assembles highly complex instrument sets including - but not limited to - open heart - major orthopedic total joint - cardiovascular - craniotomy and complex endoscopic instrumentationProcesses all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory - bronchoscopy laboratory - urology and operating roomReviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning - decontaminating and sterilizing RMETroubleshoots 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 equipmentInforms 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 guidelinesAssignment: The Supervisory MST functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs - with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the workOversees attendance and leave - including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedulesInforms higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workloadRecommends promotions - reassignments - recognition of superior performance - retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnelHolds corrective interviews with employees - referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of managementResolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel mattersProvides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unitIn addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSA's): 1Ability to manage - interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds2Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed3Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination - preparation - sterilization - monitoring - and distribution of RME4Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties - including assigning - planning and evaluating work - recommending awards - approving leave - identifying training needs - and resolving staff issuesReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/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/campusThe incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot - cold - drafty and poorly lightedThe employee is subject to the possibility of falls - scrapes - cuts - bruises - and other injuries from material handling equipmentThe 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 instrumentationOn a regular and recurring basis - the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environmentThe employee wears special clothing - hair covers - personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warmThe employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizersThe employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot itemsThe hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknownThe employee often works around body fluids - mucous - excretions and bits of tissue - some of which may be foul smellingStrong - unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical equipmentThe work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments - rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment. Duties The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (SPS) position duties and responsibilities are of necessity - exercised throughout all clinical and patient care areas of the Medical and Surgical hospital with a specialty Spinal Cord Care UnitDuties include - but are not limited to: Responsible for the direct supervision of day-to-day operations in SPSCommunicate daily with customers to facilitate uninterrupted and consistently accurate flow of necessary RMD supplies for proceduresIdentifies developmental and training needs of employees - providing for and arranging for needed development and trainingAdvises the Assistant Chief and Chief - SPS of problems in the organization's activities - and provides input to the Assistant Chief that may lead to disciplinary actions - such as counseling and formal disciplinary action - within the framework of progressive disciplinerecommendation may include termination - especially separation during the probationary periodCollaborates with the SPS Leadership - directs the overall activities of ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT TRACKING SYSTEM (i.e. - Censitrac)Generates and reviews ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT TRACKING SYSTEM reports to ensure compliance with all SPS policies and proceduresEnsures appropriate instrument marking techniques are utilized for the identification of and tracking of instrumentationPerforms data entry for new instrument sets - equipment - and procedural traysUses a consistent format and naming nomenclature for instrumentation and containersInitiates tracking reports and data analysis for SPSAssists in the development and implementation of electronic competency assessment to include for orientation - training and ongoing changes as new features are addedReview performance ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT TRACKING SYSTEM problems/errors as they occur and suggest ways to prevent reoccurrenceWorks with ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT TRACKING SYSTEM Vendors (i.e. - Censis Technologies - Inc) in troubleshooting documentation issues or system performance issuesThe position may be assigned to work as needed on other than normal working tours of duty or shifts - either in the evenings or on weekendsSuch scheduling for other than normal working tours of duty will be assigned as needed by the SPS Associate Chief Nurse - SPS Assistant Chief and/or SPS Deputy ChiefWork Schedule: Full-Time Monday-Friday - 8am to 4:30pm - with rotation to evenings and WHEN hours per departmental needsOn-call rotation requiredTelework: Not authorized Compressed Schedule: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: F02670 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experienceParental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a childChild Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VAInsurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)Notifications: This position is in the Excepted ServiceThis position is NOT in an AFGE Bargaining UnitThis position is covered by a special salary rateThe incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC'sCurrent and former Federal employees may submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously heldNo award SF50's will be acceptedNarrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.