Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

About the role

The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician is responsible for direct supervision of day-to-day operations in Sterile Processing Service regardless of tour of duty. Communicates daily with customers to ensure open communication that results in uninterrupted and consistently accurate flow of necessary reusable medical equipment. Resolves informal complaints and grievances.

Responsibilities

• Resolves informal complaints and grievances
• Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary
• Provides advice and counsel to workers related to technical work and administrative matters
• Makes operational decisions based upon findings, observations, or challenges presented by subordinate technicians and direct observation
• Directly oversees the work of employees under supervision, orients new employees to their duties, validates competencies of employees, identifies equipment requirements, and recommends methods to improve the quality and productivity of the service
• Manages, interacts, and deals with individuals of varying backgrounds
• Directs staff and manages tasks to be completed
• Oversees and supervises all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of reusable medical equipment (RME)
• Performs a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning, and evaluating work; recommending awards; approving leave; identifying training needs; and resolving staff issues
• 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

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 Policy
• Experience and/or Education:
  • Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's 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, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position
  • OR equivalent combination of experience and education qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification: None
• English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. 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-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
  • 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

Assignment

• 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

Physical Requirements

This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation), gastrointestinal intestinal endoscope reprocessing hub, 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 work requires proper body mechanics when standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages/instrument trays (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