Summary The Advanced Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) position is located at the VA St. Louis Health Care System, St. Louis, MO. The incumbent will demonstrate the ability to assemble highly complex instruments sets including, but not limited to, open heart, major orthopedic total joint, cardiovascular, craniotomy, robotic, and complex endoscopic instrumentation in support of all clinical services provided within the two divisions, both in the surgical suites and outpatient areas. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Advanced Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room. Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods, and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating, and sterilizing Reusable Medical Equipment (RME). Troubleshoots and analyzes mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment. Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures or instructions have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to meet all guidelines. The reprocessing of RME is in support of all clinical services provided within the two divisions, both in the surgical suites and outpatient areas. Care and attention to detail are critical at this level of performance. Major duties and responsibilities of the position: Receive, disassemble, and inspect RME for damage. Determine the extent of damage and takes appropriate action to correct the damage or malfunctioning RME and ensures all involved parties are apprised of the RME being removed from service. Determine the appropriate method for decontamination. Remove soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids and other gross contaminants before proceeding with cleaning. Review mechanical processes to ensure the items have completed their processes, and troubleshoot any errors that occur during decontamination. Correct issues and reprocess as needed. Reassemble RME, including highly complex equipment and items which require skill, careful assembly, and attention to detail. Examine items to ensure gross contamination has been removed. Determine the @type of tray or set to assemble based on procedure, operating room requests, or standard practice. Assemble sets and trays according to standard of practice, lining with drapes and towels as appropriate, managing instruments in the correct manner (hinged instruments open, ring handled on a spreader, etc.), heavy instruments on the bottom. Pre-wraps delicate items. Select the correct wrapping, and prepares it for sterilization. Determine the appropriate sterilization technique based on standard operating policy, and manufacturer guidelines. Receive the sterile items from sterilizer. Perform a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of sterilization based upon indicators used. Places tags or labels indicating date of sterilization expiration and restocks shelves. Assemble case carts for the operating room utilizing case sheets containing all necessary items. Troubleshoot deficiencies and provides feedback on substitutions or status of replacement. And propose potential substitutions for missing items. Determine the right personal protective equipment that is necessary in all areas and ensure compliance of staff with those requirements. Provide staff with appropriate education and information to minimize or eliminate exposure to contamination, chemicals, and potentially infectious diseases. Adhere to established lines of authority and communication; cooperates with team members. Verbalize/ demonstrate awareness of performance improvement activities and participate. Effectively incorporate knowledge and understanding of established customer service standards in all interactions. Respond to customer complaints calmly and seeks the best possible outcome to resolve any issues. Work Schedule: Rotating Tours to include on-call, days, nights, weekends and holidays (shift availability is based on the needs of the Health Care system). Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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). 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. 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 acceptable. Certification: None. 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 have provisions listed in VA Handbook 5005. 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, VA Handbook 5005. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-07 (Advanced 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: Detailed knowledge of complex surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. Ability to assemble specialty operating room and clinic instrument sets. In-depth knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in order to convey information and thoughts to others. Assignment. The Advanced MST assembles highly complex instrument sets including, but not limited to, open heart, major orthopedic total joint, cardiovascular, craniotomy and complex endoscopic instrumentation. Processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room. Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing RME. Troubleshoots and analyzes mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment. Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or instruction for use have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to meet all guidelines. 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-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-07 Physical Requirements: The position requires long periods of standing, walking, bending and lifting. The employee usually stands and moves from one part of the department to another. There is a frequent requirement for lifting baskets of stainless steel instruments weighing in excess of 25 pounds from floor level to chest level. Dexterity and strength are required for lifting and positioning RME. The employee regularly pushes loaded carts weights several hundred pounds and loads them into elevators and through entryways. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and be able to shift priorities based on needs. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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.
