Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

About the role

This position is located in the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) section at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center. The Censitrac Systems Administrator medical supply technician manages the oversight of the SPS automated equipment tracking system (Censitrac) in the Sterile Processing Services.

Qualifications

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.
• Experience: Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work OR One year of experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the work or understanding of the work.
• 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.
• Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Highly desired

• Certification CHL & CRCST

Grade Determination

You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the lower grade level (GS-7) directly related to Medical Supply Technician work.

• 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 instrumentation
• Processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room
• Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing RME
• Troubleshoots 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 equipment
• Informs 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 guidelines

Assignment: Supervisory MST

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 work.

• Oversees attendance and leave, including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules
• Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload
• Recommends promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance, retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel
• Holds corrective interviews with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management
• Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters
• Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit

GS-8 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

• Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds
• Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed
• Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME
• Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues

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).

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

Duties

The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (SPS) position duties and responsibilities are exercised throughout all clinical and patient care areas of the Medical and Surgical hospital with a specialty Spinal Cord Care Unit. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Responsible for the direct supervision of day-to-day operations in SPS
• Communicate daily with customers to facilitate uninterrupted and consistently accurate flow of necessary RMD supplies for procedures
• Identifies developmental and training needs of employees, providing for and arranging for needed development and training
• Advises 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 discipline; recommendation may include termination, especially separation during the probationary period
• Collaborates 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 procedures
• Ensures appropriate instrument marking techniques are utilized for the identification of and tracking of instrumentation
• Performs data entry for new instrument sets, equipment, and procedural trays; uses a consistent format and naming nomenclature for instrumentation and containers
• Initiates tracking reports and data analysis for SPS
• Assists in the development and implementation of electronic competency assessment to include for orientation, training and ongoing changes as new features are added
• Review performance Electronic Instrument Tracking System problems/errors as they occur and suggest ways to prevent reoccurrence
• Works with Electronic Instrument Tracking System Vendors (i.e., Censis Technologies, Inc) in troubleshooting documentation issues or system performance issues
• The position may be assigned to work "as needed" on other tours of duty

Physical Requirements

This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation), endoscope reprocessing room and in other SPS services areas throughout the medical facility/campus.

• The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly or brightly lighted
• The work requires proper body mechanics when standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending, twisting and lifting of packages / instrument trays, transport bins (weighing as much as 50 pounds)
• Transportation of RME between buildings and clinics requires the loading and unloading of soiled, clean and sterile RME
• Requires the pushing and pulling of case carts and flatbed hand trucks weighing several hundred 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 sterilizers or accidentally touching hot items
• The employee may be exposed to sterilizing gasses and liquids during their normal workday
• The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and bits of tissue, bone, 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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-8.

Work Schedule

Flexible with rotating evenings and weekends.

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).

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off 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 experience