Surgical Technician

Summary

The Surgical Technician (ST) is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The ST participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team.

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Duties

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• Assists the surgical team with patient positioning, prepping, and setting up the operative field.
• Provides transportation of patients to and from the surgical/operating room.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex surgical setups.
• Recognizes changes in patients conditions and takes appropriate actions in response to the situations.
• Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
• Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment
• Assists the team members with care of the patients, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
• Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals to determine proper positioning and assurances of all supplies/ equipment are available.
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures.
• Prepares prosthesis and/or surgical devices during procedures.
• Assists in training staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and operating room/surgical procedures.
• Utilizes medical terminology when interpreting requests and provide proper documentation for surgical procedures.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical setups.
• Utilizes universal precautions to protect patients and staff form exposure to any infectious materials.
• Follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
• Monitors and maintains sterile practices throughout surgical procedures.
• Cleans and sterilizes surgical equipment using appropriate methods, germicides and sterilizers.
• Handles instruments, supplies and equipment during a variety of surgical procedures.
• Sets up sterile field with all required items(equipment, instruments, supplies and/or devices)for each procedure
• Anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time.
• Understands and follows protocols for handling various specimens.
• Performs sharps, sponge, and instruments counts of surgical items before and after surgical procedures.
• Assists surgical team members to identify and implement performance improvement measures.
• Monitors proper functioning of instruments and equipment at the surgical field.
• Determines the effectiveness of sterilization, packing, storage and shelf life.
• Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/ PD02975A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/27/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. 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.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Use of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique to prepare and protect sterile field during surgery
• Exercising sterile technique to include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life
• Use of handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures
• Use of performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies
• Handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.