This position is in the Sterile Processing Service, New York Harbor Healthcare System and is responsible for reprocessing critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) received from internal and external customers.

Duties

Lists the major duties: Incumbents in this position serve as Medical Supply Technicians (MST) at the full performance level. Duties include, receiving and reprocessing reusable medical equipment which will be used by various customers within the NY Harbor Health Care system for scheduled or emergency procedures. The assignment also includes advising surgical teams and other customers on the availability and time required to provide specific instrumentation which has a direct effect on surgical and ambulatory care procedure outcome and patient safety. In this position, employee will provide decontamination, preparation, sterilization and distribution support of critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment for the NY Harbor Health Care System. The term reusable medical equipment refers to reusable items for patient care including basic instrumentation, equipment, instrument trays/sets and various other items that could be assembled and processed through the decontamination and preparation areas of the Sterile Processing Service. The MST will have extensive knowledge of the processes for reusable medical equipment (RME) as required by this position. The MST will be required to learn and maintain current knowledge of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) / high risk protocols (HRPs) which document the processes and procedures for cleaning, disinfection, preparation and sterilization of RME appropriate to this position. The employee must complete training coursework and VA SPS certification as required for a MST position in the VA. Maintain certification by completing approved, annual Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and annual in-service training. Receives a variety of reusable medical equipment (simple to complex) from the Perioperative Patient Care Center (i.e. OR, GI/Endoscopy, and IR), including inpatient and ambulatory care clinics. Sorts and 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 solutions, as determined by manufacturer instructions. Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Low Temperature Sterilization System (Sterrad/V-PRO), ethylene oxide gas (ETO), and automated endoscope re-processors (AER) for high level disinfecting endoscopes. Assigned Tasks: Enters temporary work orders (TWOR). Maintain individual workstations in the Preparation room and Decontamination room. Performs daily environmental cleaning duties in all assigned work areas. Routinely cleans storage shelves, cabinets, and surfaces of work stations/tables at the end of each shift and as needed, and cleans all sterilizers weekly. Routinely utilizes share point system to locate manufacturer instructions, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)/High Risk Protocols (HRPs), upload intake count sheets, upload training documents and CEU's, and enters nonconformities. Routinely operates reprocessing equipment including monitoring and documenting load/cycle information. Prepares individual surgical case carts using the daily surgical schedule with required instrumentation/reusable medical equipment for scheduled and emergency procedures based on procedure guides and availability of supplies. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 11:00am-7:30pm,1:00pm- 9:00pm (one Saturday a month) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21P15A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Physical Requirements: The MST may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty, noisy, with fumes, smoke or gases, slippery or uneven walking surfaces, working around machinery with moving parts, working with hands in water, accidental splashing, working closely with others and working alone. The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing for prolonged periods of time, frequent bending and stretching/reaching, walking and pushing fully-loaded/heavy carts which must be negotiated up inclines and over rises or positioning them. Employee must be acutely aware of safety requirements when moving these carts as they have areas that extend outside the visible areas that can cause harm to other staff or equipment. The employee usually stands and moves from one part of the room to another while performing duties. There is frequent requirement for lifting and carrying individual instruments/trays and items weighing at least 25 to 50 pounds. Employee is expected to use proper body mechanics in all aspects of work.Dexterity and normal visual acuity with or without corrective lenses is required for manipulating, disassembly, assembly and inspecting and assembling reusable medical equipment. Computer work and instrument sorting requires periods of intense visual concentration.

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. 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). Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-03 (Entry Level)Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. Assignment. This is an entry level MST position. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. GS-04 (Developmental Level)Experience. Six months experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting. or Education. Two 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 service 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: 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 orally and in writing. Assignment. This is a developmental level MST position. Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes. Prepares operating room case carts. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. GS-05 (Developmental Level)Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings. 2. Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility. 3. Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment. Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such. GS-06 (Full Performance Level)Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. .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 .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 re-processors. Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment. References: VA Handbook 5005/83; Part II, Appendix G47. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06. Work Environment: The work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation and assembly, sterilization, sterile storage/supply and in other services and departments throughout the NY Harbor HealthCare System. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a controlled clean environment. The employee must wear hospital scrub tops and bottoms, protective equipment such as bouffant hair covers, cover jackets, shoe covers. If assigned to the Decontamination room, the employee must wear protective personal equipment such as impervious gowns, knee high shoe covers, heavy duty impervious long sleeve gloves, face mask/face shield and bouffant hair cover. This attire can be uncomfortably warm. The employee must also wear insulated gloves when unloading washer disinfector racks and sterilization racks and cart washers. The employee may also be subjected to burns from accidentally touching hot items. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises and other injuries. The employee often works around biohazardous materials such as: blood and body fluids, mucous, excretions, and bits of tissue which may be foul smelling. The employee may also be subject to strong, unpleasant odors while decontaminating and disinfecting instrumentation or RME and noise hazards due to clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of cleaning, disinfecting and sterilization equipment.

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 VA NY Harbor Healthcare System 423 East 23rd Street New York, NY 10010 US
• Name: Maritza Cazares
• Phone: 718-584-9000 X6668
• Email: [email protected]