Job Title:MEDICAL SUPPLY TECHNICIAN
Department:Department Of Veterans Affairs
Agency:Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Job Announcement Number:VN-15-ARW-1285801-BU
SALARY RANGE:
$28,269.00 to $41,122.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:
Monday, December 22, 2014 to Tuesday, December 30, 2014
SERIES & GRADE:
GS-0622-04
POSITION INFORMATION:
Full Time - Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL:
5
DUTY LOCATIONS:
1 vacancy in the following location:
Huntington, WV
3 vacancies in the following location:
San Francisco, CA
WHO MAY APPLY:
United States Citizens
SECURITY CLEARANCE:
Other
SUPERVISORY STATUS:
No
JOB SUMMARY:
Vacancy ID: 1285801
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise – “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” – by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs employees who possess the energy, compassion, and commitment to serve those who served our Country. Whatever the job title, every position in VA will give you a chance to make a meaningful and personal contribution to the lives of truly special and deserving people - our Veterans. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. Working for VA is one of the most emotionally satisfying and professionally rewarding ways to dedicate the best within you to your Country's service. If you are transitioning from the military or a Veteran already, we invite you to explore the benefits of continuing your career at the VA. The VA is committed to hiring Veterans.
The VA is much more than just another employer. It is an honorable, open and welcoming community of those who care. Gratitude is our motivation and service is our mission.
The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence (“I CARE”).
America's Veterans need you! To find out more, go to http://www.va.gov/jobs/.
TRAVEL REQUIRED
Not Required
RELOCATION AUTHORIZED
No
KEY REQUIREMENTS
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
You may be required to serve a probationary period
Background investigation may be required
Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
DUTIES:
This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-05. At the GS-04 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-05. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.
This position is located at the VA Medical Center, Huntington, WV. The Medical Supply Technician performs a full range of duties required to decontaminate, clean, disinfect, sterilize, process, prepare, store and distribute reusable medical equipment. Major duties include but are not limited to:
· Disassembles and positions all parts of complex technical reusable medical equipment (RME) to ensure the removal of any debris, surgical soil and bio-burdens prior to sterilization or high level disinfection;
· Performs multi-step procedures to effectively reprocess various scopes and other endoscopic instruments;
· Examines items and instruments for damage, deterioration, or imperfection;
· Operates decontamination equipment such as washer decontaminators, ultrasonic washers, automatic endoscope reprocessors, equipment irrigators, automatic cart wash, tube dryers, etc.;
· Reads and understands Material Data Safety Sheets;
· Operates equipment such as Automated Endoscope Reprocessors (AER), Steam Sterilizers, Gas Sterilizers, Low temperature sterilizers, i.e. Sterrad, Steris V Pro, etc.;
· Performs first echelon maintenance and/or troubleshoots medical equipment used for reprocessing Reusable Medical Equipment (RME), i.e. sterilizers, washer-disinfectors, cart washer, AER's, etc.;
· Assembles a wide variety of instrument trays and sets used for medical procedures;
· Performs quality assurance activities including monitoring biological and chemical indicators, Bowie dick tests, etc.;
· Checks for damaged or missing items and arranges for replacement, maintenance or repair;
· Performs all other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Tuesday through Saturday; 3:00pm – 11:30pm
Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:
English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. ~AND~
To qualify for this position at the GS-4 level, you must meet one of the following:
Experience: You must have at least six (6) months experience as a Medical Supply Technician (MST), operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting. Specialized experience includes: processing, assembling, trouble-shooting, preparing, sterilizing, storing, and issuing sterile and unsterile medical supplies and equipment; possess knowledge of the technical names, general uses, physical characteristics, and operating conditions of medical supply items; decontamination, cleaning, preparation, sterilization, and storage procedures; applying aseptic techniques; and skill in operating a washer-sterilizer, ultrasonic instrument cleaners, and gas and steam sterilizers. This work may have been obtained while working as an operating room technician, medical instrument technician, corpsman, or laboratory worker, where your responsibilities included sterilizing, storing and issuing sterile/unsterile medical supplies and equipment. ~OR~
Education: You must have successfully completed two (2) years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation. NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical services specialists, or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience. A copy of your transcripts is required if selecting to qualify under education. You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
1. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
2. Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets.
3. Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.
4. Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position. Employee performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). S/he completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. S/he operates equipment involved in sterilization processes and prepares operating room case carts. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The Medical Supply Technician usually stands and moves from one part of the room to another while performing duties and is frequently required to lift packages weighing 50 pounds, and regularly pushes carts weighing up to 300 pounds for distances up to 2640 feet. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. In both, the employee is required to wear special clothing, hair cover, mask/beard cover, full face shield and shoe covers, which can be uncomfortably warm.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html. All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. 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.
Veteran's Preference: When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of DD-214(s) showing all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.). Additionally, veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more must also submit a copy of their official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying their service-connected disability and/or their receipt of compensation for service-connected disability. If the military member is within 120 days of separation and does not yet have a DD214, the member may instead submit any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed.
Veterans with service-connected disability of less than 10%, non service-connected disability, and Purple Heart recipients, as-well-as those claiming derived preference for a spouse, widow or widower, or natural mother, should refer to and submit a completed " SF15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," (go to http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and required documentation with your application materials. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx.
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