The Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) will work with the Chief and Assistant Chief of the Sterile Processing Services within Nursing Operations with the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. This position will be responsible for leading a team of employees, as well as supporting the decontamination, preparation, and distribution of critical and semi-critical reusable medical devices (RMD) within the hospital.

Duties

The duties of the Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) include, but are not limited to the following: Leads a unit/team of employees performing work at the GS-06 grade level or below. Provides guidance and technician direction of accomplishing the work of the unit/team. Ensures work assignments of employees are performed accurately. Distributes and balances workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflow, job specialization and/or the capabilities of the individual. Responsible for filling in and for distributing the workload in case of personnel shortages or short notice priorities, ensuring a smooth workflow. Explains work requirements, methods and procedures, as needed, giving special instructions on difficult or different operations and answering technical questions about the task. Monitors status and progress of work and makes day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. Trains or arranges for the training of team members in the accomplishment of tasks or projects. Gives on-the-job training to new employees. Ensures items are safe to use, delivered on time at the proper place, and in the correct condition to be properly used for VA patient care. Conducts and records competencies on individuals for the proper reprocessing of reusable medical devices (RMDs), following established checklists devised by supervisory staff and approved by Infection Control. Performs quality assurance inspections of instruments and equipment in the Sterile Preparation are of the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) prior to items being wrapped and sterilized. Conducts inspection of the Decontamination are of SPS to verify that proper techniques and processes are being followed by staff and that all equipment is working properly. Inspects all instrumentation for cleanliness and good working order. Effectively processes and sterilizes a wide variety of instrumentation and ensures objects are held for the required time to post-sterilization. Work Schedule: Rotating shifts Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:00pm; 3:30pm - 12:00am; 11:30pm - 8:00am, with rotating weekends and holidays. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 635-57842-O Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. English Language Proficiency: Medical Supply Technicians (MSTs) must be proficient in spoken and written English. Experience: Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; OR Education: One (1) year above high school that included at least six (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). Grade Determinations: GS-08, Lead Medical Supply Technician: Experience: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level of GS-07. In addition to the basic requirements and one (1) year of experience at the next lower grade, the applicant must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs): Ability to read and interpret written procedures and select appropriate action in order to instruct staff in correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments. Ability to communicate orally and in writing to ensure staff 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 decontamination procedures. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments. References: VA Handbook 5005/83, Part II, Appendix G47 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility and campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. The employee wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm. The employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. 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. These physical requirements will be consistent with VA Directive Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Oklahoma City VA Health Care System 921 Northeast 13th Street Oklahoma City, OK 73104 US
• Name: Jason Luper
• Phone: (405) 421-2158
• Email: [email protected]