Summary This position is located in the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) Division of Patient Care Services. SPS encompasses cleaning, decontamination, and sterile processing of all critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment (RME), including the RME delivered from Outpatient clinics of Lyons and Brick Campuses. Employees are scheduled to tours of duty within administrative hours, but not limited to weekends and on-calls, as needed. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Must be knowledgeable of decontamination methods and all equipment used in the decontamination process. In this position, the incumbents will receive the soiled instrumentation (for the various clinics and locations within the East Orange VA Hospital, clean and ultrasonically clean the instruments, preparation and assemble of the instruments, either in sterilizable peel pouch, container, or wrapped container; labeling and sterilizing all instrumentation, and release instrumentation appropriately. Employees must be well versed in the operation of the Steam sterilization, Low -plasma sterilization, High Level Disinfecting chemicals and knowledge of a variety of reusable medical equipment (simple to complex), including Endoscopes. The incumbents will use our Instrument tracking system (Censitrac) to log and track each piece of instrumentation that undergoes the process of cleaning and sterilization. The incumbents will document and maintained records information for each process as indicated. The incumbents must be proficient and knowledgeable in the cleaning, sterilization, and assembly of minor and complex trays. Must be knowledgeable of High-Level Disinfection methods available in the facility. Flexibility in covering the needs of the department as necessary, including change of tour or overtime. Perform and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization and high-level disinfection RME and Environmental non-conformances as Temp and Humidity, and Eye Washing stations in our Quality Management meetings and notify SPS Chief or designee. Complies with Standard Precautions, ensures proper disposal of hazardous waste, reports all malfunctioning equipment, uses proper equipment for the required tasks, follows recommended or established guidelines for the use of decontamination and sterilization materials and equipment Cleans all equipment and work areas after use with an approved disinfectant. A basic understanding of medical and surgical terminology, therapeutic procedures and of human anatomy and physiology. Be trained to ascertain and verify that all non-biological implants coming into the Medical Center are sterile/ sterilized before being delivered to the clinical staff by having them go through SPS for inspection and/or sterilization. Knowledgeable of trays and supply requirements for all surgical procedures to facilitate procedures for case carts in the Operating Room. Maintains and continuously applies, training methods in aseptic techniques, handling of contaminated equipment and supplies, decontamination, and sterilization procedures to prevent the spread of disease and cross contamination. Understands and follows principles and procedures for processing of used/contaminated endoscopes, instrumentation, and reusable supplies and equipment. Total compliance with the SPS AAMI/ ISO 2001 Standards and e-QMS, Infection Control Policies and SPS Standard Operating Procedures is expected. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Tours may vary Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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. Functional Statement #: 21W22-A 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications Basic Requirements: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g.) 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. Certification. None. 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. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. 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). (1) Knowledge of Current MST Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as a MST. (2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a MST employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. Grade Determinations: GS-06 (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. 2. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination. 3. Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures. 4. Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation. 5. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures. (c) 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: 2-5 years if experience as Medical Supply Technician (MST) in Sterile Processing Service (SPS) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-06, which is the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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.
