Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

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.

01Basic Requirements

U.S. Citizenship: Must be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English. 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.

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).

02Grade Determinations

GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Specialized Experience: Must have one year of experience equivalent to the next lower (GS-06) grade level. Facilitates shift-to-shift huddles. Leads a team of employees performing work at the GS-6 level or below. Provides guidance and technician direction for accomplishing the work of the team. Ensures work assignments of employees in the team are carried out.

Works with the Supervisors and Assistant Chief in the equitable assignment of functions to team members in order to meet routine and unusual deadlines and priorities. Communicates those priorities to the rest of the team. Distributes and balances workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflow, job specialization and/or capabilities of individual. Breaks out tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform the task.

Is a working Lead Technician, responsible for filling in and for distributing the workload in case of personnel shortages or short notice priorities, to ensure a smooth workflow. Monitors and reports on the status and progress of work, and when necessary, revises daily assignment schedule to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload.

Explains work requirements, methods and procedures, as needed, giving special instructions on difficult or different operations and answering technical questions about the task. Keeps up to date with current procedures, policies, guidelines and directives. Assists in implementing changes. Aids in training of team members in the accomplishment of tasks or projects. Gives on-the-job training to all employees in accordance with established procedures and practices.

• Conducts and records competencies on individuals for the proper reprocessing of RMD, following established checklists devised by supervisory staff and approved by Infection Control.
• Performs quality assurance inspections of instruments and equipment in the Sterile Preparation area of SPS prior to items being wrapped and sterilized.
• Conducts inspection of the Decontamination area of SPS to verify that proper techniques and processes are being followed by staff and that all equipment is working properly.

Inspects to verify that all instrumentation is disassembled to the simplest form. Employee consistently communicates in person and on the phone in a courteous and professional manner, identifying self and department, with customers, visitors, and staff. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments.

Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on sterilization and decontamination procedures. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments.

03Preferred Experience

Leadership; SPS; VA Level II, HSPA/IAHSCMM/CBSPS certification (one, not all). 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 .

04Physical Requirements

The work requires frequent bending and lifting of equipment (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds), pushing/pulling of heavy carts that weigh up to 400 pounds; walking and/or standing for up to six hours at time, and wearing required Personal protective Equipment for up to six hours at a time. The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation.

The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling. Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical equipment. The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment.

VISN 12 is committed to fostering and sustaining an environment which celebrates diversity, provides equitable opportunities for employment and promotion, and supports inclusiveness in our culture. Together, we strive to create and maintain working and learning environments that promote professional growth and teamwork, and are inclusive, equitable and welcoming. We embrace our differences as individuals and unite as a team toward a common goal: to serve our nation's Veterans.

05Duties

The Lead MST at this level oversees a work team that includes Medical Supply Technicians, Health Aides, and various program volunteers. The Lead distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations. Assures an even distribution of the workload. When necessary, revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload.

Assigns tasks as necessary to provide new employees with the experience and training required to perform decontamination of scopes and instrumentation in the work area. Monitors and reports on the status of work. Ensures SOPs and SPS directives are followed during the performance of workflow. Reviews or spot checks work to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions (e.g., work sequences, procedures, methods, and deadlines).

Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of flexible endoscopes, medical equipment, material, and instrumentation (Re-useable Medical Equipment). Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion. Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures, and goals.

All personnel that are in any way involved in the reprocessing of RMD must have documented training in the setup, reprocessing and maintenance of specific equipment. Validation of competency will be done according to national policy guidelines.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 7:00AM - 3:30PM Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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 Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 07172F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required