Surgical Technician

About the role

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration, at the Salt Lake City Health Care System in the Nursing Service, Critical Care. The Surgical Technician is a member for the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team.

Responsibilities

• Performing reception duties by assisting visitors to the office.
• Using a computer to perform administrative duties.
• Providing training to new personnel on clinical and administrative duties.
• Performing simple treatment procedures such as changing sterile dressings and applying slings or bandages.
• Using techniques to appropriately de-escalate disruptive patients.
• Instructing patients and families the requirements of home self-care for injuries or ailments.
• Observing patients and reporting changes in condition (deviation in color, pulse, respiration, temperature, and blood pressure).
• Positioning and draping patients.
• Interviewing patients to document complaint, medical history, and personnel information.
• Taking and recording vital signs.
• Documenting electronic patient medical records.
• Scheduling patient appointments, tests, and procedures.
• Performing blood glucose testing.
• Setting up patient examination rooms while adhering to infection control procedures.
• Collecting, labeling, and packaging specimens such as blood and urine.
• Performing electrocardiograms (EKGs).

Requirements

• US Citizenship.
• Operating room experience in multiple services; general, urology, ENT, ortho (joints, shoulders, spine, hand), plastic hand, thoracic, cardiothoracic, etc.

Physical Requirements

• The position primarily involves work performed in both sitting and standing positions. Standing and bending for prolonged period, walking, lifting up to 50 pounds, kneeling, and some climbing of stairs may be required.
• The work requires manual dexterity, a large degree of concentration, and working at top speed for several hours at a time.
• The ability to distinguish colors and color intensity are required.

Promotion Potential

The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2026.
• Individual Occupational Requirement: Specialized Experience or Education and Training.
• Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.
• Education and Training: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.