The Surgical Health Technician is assigned to the Podiatry Outpatient Clinic which is organizationally responsible to the Podiatric Division of the Department of Surgery.

Duties

Major duties, include but are not limited to the following: Sets up and assists Podiatric surgeons and other providers in the performance of treatments and procedures following aseptic technical to include minor surgical procedures. Reviews patient charts for verification of identity and proper documentation including surgical consent following site and procedure verification process. Responsible for setup of equipment for all procedures including excisional biopsies, tissue removal, incisions and drainage of abscesses, and amputations. During these procedures, incumbent is responsible for the proper functioning of the equipment used during the process and through procedure completion. Incumbent cleans and replaces all surgical equipment. Sets up and preserves a sterile field for minor surgical procedures such as intra-articular injections, aspirations, soft tissue mass excisions, and subcutaneous hardware removal. Sets up and maintains specialized equipment such as fracture tables, injections, etc. Demonstrates familiarity with routine clinic and departmental procedures and performs certain basic nursing functions. Performs standard diagnostic tests or procedures. Notifies appropriate staff of test/procedure results and ensures they are made part of the medical record. Secures the confidence and cooperation of patients during various surgical procedures; position patients in the surgical outpatient clinic, urgent care, and/or procedure room positioning patient, along with utilizing specialized surgical instrumentation. Independently explains procedures and positions patients for a variety of difficult invasive surgical interventions and other treatments as necessitated. Notifies appropriate staff of test/procedure results and ensures they are made part of the medical record. Answers patient's questions before, during, and/or after procedures. Work Schedule: Full Time. Monday-Friday. 8:00am-4:30pm. Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/ PD 00748A/ PD 00749-A Physical Requirements: The position includes physical exertion such as regular and recurring walking, stooping, bending, reaching and lifting of equipment and supplies, lifting and positioning of patient limbs and/or patients (average 150 lbs adult male) with assistive devices, such as patients' lift for transfers. Hand-eye coordination to apply casts and braces and to assemble and maintain DME and reusable surgical equipment. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. All applicants must meet the basic requirement/individual occupational requirement in order to be considered for this position. Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. (This experience must be well documented in your resume.) In addition must also meet the below requirements: GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Knowledge of sterilization procedures used to clean instruments to prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases. Maintains/cleans reusable medical equipment (RME) according to manufacturer's instructions. (This experience must be well documented in your resume.) GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Demonstration knowledge of OSHA safety standards for blood borne pathogens and universal precaution techniques to protect patient and self from infections. Knowledge of sterilization procedures used to clean instruments to prevent the spread of infectious and contagious diseases. Maintains/cleans reusable medical equipment (RME) according to manufacturer's instructions. Thorough knowledge of methods, techniques and the sequence undertaken in the development of casts and braces, a thorough knowledge of materials and their applications and a high level of skill in the use of tools and equipment. (This experience must be well documented in your resume.)(This experience must be well documented in your resume.) OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-07 level must have successfully completed one full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7 progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a major field of study related to the work of the position which provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of this position. (NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH THE APPLICATION MATERIALS. CONFERRAL OF DEGREE(S) EARNED SHOULD BE PRESENT ON TRANSCRIPT(S). UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT(S) IS OK.). OR Applicants may also combine education and specialized experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. Education must be beyond bachelors degree to combine education and specialized experience. (NOTE: TRANSCRIPT(S) MUST BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION MATERIAL. CONFERRAL OF DEGREE(S) EARNED SHOULD BE PRESENT ON TRANSCRIPT(S). UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS OK). To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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.

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.

Contacts

• Address VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Sydnee Holmes
• Phone: 504-635-8084
• Email: [email protected]