Supervisory Medical Supply Tech (Sterile Processing)

Summary

This is a Supervisory Sterile Processing Service (SPS) Medical Supply Technician position. The position is located in Sterile Processing Department under the Associate Director for Patient Care Service. This Supervisory level MST is a member of the nursing care team and is responsible for the support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team and educator.

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Duties

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Major Duties to include but not limited to:

Sterile Storage and Distribution :

• Inventories, replenishes shortages from sterile supply, inspects for sterility integrity for instrument sets and expendable items
• Adheres to and reports any non-compliance towards facility regulations regarding application and removal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Participates in environment of care rounds, accreditation surveys and required department or VAMHCS inspections
• Ensures RME rotates at the appropriate intervals
• Initiates assigned tasks on requests for items based on the daily schedule of needs
• Rounds with leadership to ensure areas have performed daily housekeeping duties
• Coordinates needs for stocking individual surgical case carts with required instruments
• Ensures staff operates automation equipment according to facility procedure to prepare, store, retrieve or process information
• Trains new and/or lower graded employees in coordination with Lead Technicians and educator

Decontamination :

• Coordinates the assignments to receive a full range of reusable medical supplies, instruments and equipment from hospital wards, and clinics.
• Adheres to and reports any non-compliance facility regulations regarding application and removal of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Ensures staff decontaminates reusable items
• Reviews adherence of staff in relation to disassembly, decontamination, and infection control practices
• Ensures staff operate automated reprocessing equipment in accordance with the device Instructions for Use (IFU)
• Monitors High-Level Disinfection (HLD) procedures
• Assists with random quality audits by examining items and instruments for damage, deterioration or imperfection
• Provides assistance in first echelon maintenance and/or troubleshooting reprocessing equipment

Assembly and Sterilization :

• Ensures that staff follow all device specific Instructions for Use (IFU)
• Conducts rounds to review staff adheres to facility regulations
• Ensures quality checks for damaged or missing items of all instrument sets and arranges for replacements, maintenance, or repair as needed.
• Coordinates the workflow for assembly to include prioritization from a variety of sterilization phases for intricate surgical trays and microsurgery instruments for the operating room
• Ensures that daily spore testing and sterilizer control measures
• Monitors and reports biological testing for each sterilization cycle
• Maintenance of all preparation and packaging quality data
• Assists with applying the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA) standards

Lead, Preceptor and Mentor:

• Responsible for assisting with formal and informal written plans for the SPS training program
• Facilitates training through educational programs and job specific instruction
• Oversees work and will assist management with the distribution and prioritization of workload among employees
• Assists with the assignment of tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required
• Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion
• Instructs employees on work related activities, policies, procedures and goals

Work Schedule : Monday- Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm

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 offer 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 # : 512-260049-F

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.
• 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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.
• English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.
• 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.

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).

Grandfathering Provision . All MSTs that are employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

(1)Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation.

(2)MSTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(3)MSTs who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation

Grade Determinations :

GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

1. Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds.

2. Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed.

3. Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME.

4. 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.

Preferred Experience:

• 5 years of Sterile Processing experience
• Advanced Lead or Lead Tech experience
• Certified Registered Central Service Technician Certification
• Knowledge of flexible endoscopes- care and cleaning
• Knowledge of steam sterilization and low temperature sterilization

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08.

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:

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.

Additional information

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.