SHSMD Career Center

The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) at the Charlotte HCC. The Medical Supply Technician performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). Basic Requirements: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Experience and/or Education: (1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or (2) 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Grade Determination: GS-3 Medical Supply Technician Experience, Education and Licensure: 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-4 Medical Supply Technician Six months experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting OR, Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination. (b) Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets. (c) Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment. (d) Ability to communicate both orally and in writing. GS-5 Medical Supply Technician One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level OR, 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 above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. (b) Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility. (c) Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment. GS-6 Medical Supply Technician 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 all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. (b) Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination. (c) Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures. (d) Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation. (e) Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. References: VA Handbook 5005/76 Part II Appendix G47 ["Responsible for sterile preparation which is accomplished through inspection, assembly, packaging, and terminal sterilization of all trays, sets, and packs for use throughout the facility Assemblies range from simple sets of four or five instruments to very complex sets of up to ninety instruments such as Total joint sets, femoral vascular, radical nephrectomy, abdominal vascular, chest sets, thoracic, orthopedic implant sets, carotid vascular, general surgery sets, etc Assembles delicate micro-surgical sets such as the micro-surgical ear set, ENT plastic set for procedures requiring plastic surgery, micro-surgical eye instruments, and other surgical specialties Assembles and selects the correct sterilizing method for a variety of costly and delicate equipment such as flexible resectoscopes and other flexible and rigid endoscopes Tests instruments for functionality and assembles instruments in accordance with manufacturer's guidelines Selects appropriate methods for sterilizing, balancing time constraints with possible detrimental effects of quicker methods Independently prepares the full range of trays and sets necessary to be used in the wards, clinic areas, dental clinic and surgery Updates trays and count sheets as needed Considers surgery schedules and Clinic schedules along with considering time factors for processing order to determine how many items to stock based on the turnaround time for processing, preparation and frequency of use Effectively processes and sterilizes a wide variety of implant devices in accordance with manufacturer's recommendations, and ensure that they are held for the required time post sterilization per regulations Responsible for the quarantine of implantable devices for 48 hours or upon signature for early release by the Chief of Staff, not less than 4 hours after cooling phase of sterilization Responsible for the collection and receipt of all used soiled supplies, instruments, or equipment 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 Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, scrubbing and use of ultrasonic equipment Possesses the knowledge to determine what specific means are utilized to accomplish cleaning, disinfecting, or pre-sterilization of complex diagnostic equipment where the internal parts may become contaminated, and requires skill, careful positioning of parts and the complete elimination of particles Tests the operation of the equipment and obtains any needed repair requires knowledge of equipment functions Uses approved/recommended germicidal detergent to clean items that cannot be submerged Assumes leadership responsibilities to perform peer training as well as provide user training and instruction pertaining to correct operating and preventative maintenance procedures of medical equipment Identifies trends, recommends solutions, and implements quality improvement initiatives and program related activities related to program effectiveness Regularly tests operations and cleaning of equipment for effectiveness of sterilization 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 re-processors Monitors performance of sterilizers for quality control by conducting bacteriological tests (bacillus stearothermophitus spores for evaluation of steam and Sterrad sterilizers and bacillus subtillis for evaluation of gas sterilizers) Conducts daily biological monitoring on numerous different sterilizers throughout SPS Updates the documentation tracking system with results of biological tests Conforms to and ensures that all safety and infection control rules, regulations and requirements (e.g., dress code and traffic control procedures) in the decontamination and preparation areas are followed by all personnel working in, or entering, the work area Utilize computers to perform record keeping, tracking operations Conducts inventory of all sterilized trays checking package integrity and expiration dates Demonstrates infection control practices for disease prevention (i.e. hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirement/precautions) Reviews and follows hazardous materials/ Safety Data Sheets for waste management and emergency spills Work Schedule: 9:30 am - 6:00 pm\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]