The Albany Healthcare System is currently recruiting for one Surgical Technician for their Albany location within the Nursing Service. The Surgical Technician is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures.

Duties

The Surgical Technician (ST) is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the Surgeon and Registered Nurse. A Surgical Technician possesses expertise in theory and application of sterile and aseptic technique and combines the knowledge of human anatomy, surgical procedures, and implementation tools and technology to facilitate a surgeon's performance of invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures. Major Duties and Responsibilities: Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures including but not limited to: gynecology, thoracic, vascular, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedic, urology, plastic, and general surgery procedures. Independently sets up sterile field with all required. items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgeon and/or Registered Nurse (RN), and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure. Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical setups. Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies. and equipment. Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies. Handles all specimens appropriately. In conjunction with the circulating RN, performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning holding retractors, applying skin staples and cutting sutures; Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices ?during procedures. Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and OR procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. During procedures in which implantable devices are used, incumbent must display knowledge and skill necessary for proper handling of prosthesis such as intraocular lenses, total joint prostheses. cervical instrumentation and bone grafts, vascular grafts, penile prosthesis and urethra sphincters. Has an extensive knowledge of a wide variety of complex surgical procedures and possible complications. Is able to anticipate and prepare for the need of the surgical team. Has an in-depth technical knowledge concerning instrumentation, human anatomy and physiology, aseptic technique, and correct positioning of the patient. Communicates effectively with all perioperative team members. Maintains Equipment and Work Areas Perform non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions, example oiling of drills and saws. Maintains OR area. Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (e.g./ frayed cords, water on floor) and takes corrective action. Provides Guidance/Supervision Provides guidance and support to Nursing Assistance and other Surgical technicians. Supervises volunteers, aides, non-surgical team members, students, and other personnel. Provides guidance and support to professional and technical students of an approved program. Other Duties Assists surgical team members in quality improvement activities. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through continuing education courses. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm with on-call possible off tour rotation Compressed/Flexible: Not applicable Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD05506A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/01/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-07 Grade Level Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experiencewould typically include, but are not limited to; Experience in a Surgical clinic or Hospital setting assisting a Surgical OR team and Surgeon. The ability to prepare and protect sterile field during various types or surgery; Ability of handling medical instruments supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures; ability in recognizing and resolving unfamiliar situations, problems, and deviations from standard procedures; Comprehensive knowledge of instrumentation, human anatomy and physiology, aseptic technique, and correct positioning of the patient; ability to assist the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning holding? retractors applying skin staples and cutting sutures; Skill in preparing prosthesis and surgical devices ?during procedures. extensive knowledge of universal precautions and implementing of infection control policies and procedures; extensive knowledge of a wide variety of complex surgical procedures and possible complications. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. : 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 education meets the requirements for GS-7. . OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. . 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; religions; 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. 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. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are in stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeon. Incumbent must demonstrate dexterity in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner that requires little or no effort from the receiving surgeon. 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

For educational substitution at this grade level, one full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7.

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 Samuel S Stratton VA Medical Center - Albany 113 Holland Ave Albany, NY 12208 US
• Name: Tera Coddington
• Phone: 914-737-4400 X202452
• Email: [email protected]