Summary

The Washington - DC - VA Medical Center Sterile Processing Department supports direct patient care by ensuring proper reprocessing - maintenance - and storage of critical and semi-critical Reusable Medical Devices (RMDs) throughout the medical center and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in compliance with national and local policies and procedures.

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: Experience
• Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• OR 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
• OR Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are accepted
• Foreign 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 U
• S
• programs
• Certification
• None
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Grade Determinations: GS-03 (Entry Level) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Assignment
• This is an entry-level MST position
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• GS-04 (Developmental Level) Experience
• Six months of experience as an MST - operating room or surgical technician - or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting
• Education
• Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation
• NOTE: 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 - the 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
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross-contamination
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• Assignment
• This is a developmental-level MST position
• 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
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require 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
• In addition to the experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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: This is a 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 a high-level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• prepares operating room case carts daily using the surgery schedule
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
• This is the full performance level for the occupation
• Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method - such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners - mechanical washers - cart washers - and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents - as determined by manufacturer instructions
• Inspects - assembles - and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization - such as but not limited to steam - Sterrad - Steris - ETO - and high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment
• Preferred Experience: One year of hospital experience preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06
• Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing for prolonged periods of time - carrying medical supply items weighing up to 50 pounds - frequent bending and stretching/reaching - and pushing fully loaded medical supply carts weighing as much as 750 pounds - which must be negotiated up inclines and over rises - or positioning them on sterilizer track rails
• The work requires dexterity in tasks such as inserting small rods into needle openings or precisely aligning component parts when reassembling medical equipment
• Tension and stress are induced by the critical nature of producing work results that are critical to patient care within pre-established time frames and in emergent situations
• Workdays can be extended without notice due to emergency surgical instrumentation needs.

Duties

• Functions: The position is assigned to the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) under the Chief of SPS at the Washington - DC - VA Medical Center
• SPS is the central point within the Medical Center - providing the technical supply functions of collecting - processing - and decontaminating soiled supplies - instruments - and equipment
• preparing and sterilizing instruments
• maintaining medical equipment
• and receiving - storing - and distributing medical and surgical supplies - instruments - and equipment
• The section comprises four main areas of responsibility: decontamination - preparation - case carts - and endoscope reprocessing
• Completely and thoroughly disassembles and positions all parts of RMD to ensure the removal of bioburden - proper cleaning - and disinfection prior to sterilization
• Performs leak tests on Endoscopes to ensure that the watertight integrity of the scope is intact before initiating the cleaning and high-level disinfection process or terminal sterilization
• Operates decontamination equipment such as washer decontaminators - sonic washers - irrigators - automatic cart wash and tube dryers
• Interprets mechanical printouts and biological indicators to validate that sterilization of RMD is within acceptable parameters
• Assembles minor and complex tray sets and instrumentation packs used for a variety of general and specialized medical and surgical procedures
• Performs high-level disinfection using appropriate hospital-approved solutions according to the manufacturer's guidelines - documents - and validates that chemicals are tested and meet requirements to ensure that disinfection has occurred
• Follows established safety practices - including proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Conducts manual or automated high-level disinfection using facility-approved disinfectants and prescribed exposure times
• Assists with pre-cleaning of reusable medical equipment in accordance with written SOPs and manufacturer instructions
• Performs quality assurance activities including but not limited to monitoring biological and chemical indicators and integrators - Bowie Dick tests - time and temperature logs - and ensures appropriate RMD checks are documented after sterilization or reprocessing
• Performs other quality assurance activities - including verifying the accuracy of labeling - contents - cleanliness - working order - and sterilization parameters
• Evaluates gathered data and - based on findings - makes recommendations to improve effectiveness or processes
• Assures an even workflow and distribution of the workload
• Assists with internal audits using systematic reviews and quality assurance protocols in SPS - adhering to strict compliance with all established policies and regulations as well as compliance with HSPA - AAMI/ANSI - TJC - OSHA & VHA requirements
• Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning - reprocessing - and distribution of technical medical equipment - material - instrumentation and documentation
• Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues - assignment changes - and task completion
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 7:00 am - 3:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 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
• Parental 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 child
• Child 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 $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 688-26261F - 26262F - 26263F - 26256F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized