Summary The Surgical Technician reports to the Nursing Perioperative Service. Provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. Participates in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team. is also a primary clinical site for training of resident physicians, medical students, nursing students, surgical technology students and ophthalmology technology students while in the peri-operative setting. Responsibilities Include but not limited to: Performs sharp, sponge, and instrument counts of surgical items before and after surgical procedures. Handles instruments, supplies and equipment during a variety of surgical procedure. Determines the effectiveness of sterilization, packing, storage, and shelf life. 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 specimen. Assists surgical team members to identify and implement performance improvement measures. Follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Utilizes universal precautions to protect patients and staff from exposure to any infectious material. Utilizes medical terminology when interpreting requests and provide proper documentation for surgical procedures. Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing assistance in lifting and positioning patients. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments for the surgeon. You must be dexterous in "passing' instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. Appropriate scrub attire is required, including sterile gown and gloves, surgical caps to cover your hair, appropriate eye protection, and surgical mask in order to provide an aseptic environment in the operating room. If you are assisting with a total joint replacement, you are often required wear special attire, which may be confining, such as a "space helmet" or hood. You may need to wears X-Ray protective lead attire (up to 20 pounds in weight) for prolonged periods of time. May be required to wear special respirator mask in the presence of highly contagious airborne pathogens such as tuberculosis. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD09870A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Requirements 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. 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 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. 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, 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, 08/17/2026. This occupational series has a Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) Health Aid and Technician Series, 0640 Specialized Experience: 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. Preferred Experience: Two or more years of surgical technologist experience within a hospital operating room setting. Certification: (CST). (preferred but, not required) GS-05 Level Minimum Qualification Requirement: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Handling instruments used in basic surgical procedures. Operates and monitors commonly used equipment performing simple surgical cases to more complex cases. Applying guidelines to emergent and non-emergent situations. Provides transportation of patients to and from the surgical/operating room. Manage assignments. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four years above high school education leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of GS-04 level specialized experience directly related to the work of the position and graduate-level education beyond the first 60 semester hours. (beyond the second year) GS-06 Level Minimum Qualification Requirement: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 directly related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:Handles the instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures to include extremely complex procedures independently. Assists surgical team with patient positioning, prepping, and setting up the operative field. Recognizes changes in patient condition and takes appropriate actions in response to the situation. Prepares prosthesis and/or surgical devices during procedure. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. GS-07 Level Minimum Qualification Requirement: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 directly related to the work of the position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Responsible for correct identification and proper handling of all surgical specimens passed off from the surgical field. Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical setups. Follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Recognizes changes in patient condition and takes appropriate actions in response to the situation. Provides guidance and support to staff regarding infection control and patient safety protocol. Handles instruments, supplies and equipment during a variety of surgical procedures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full year of graduate level education. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of GS-06 level specialized experience directly related to the work of the position and education beyond a bachelor's degree may be used to qualify. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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 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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
