This position is located at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System's Operating Room Suite. This position is within the Surgery Service. Incumbent functions at an advanced level with specific and specialized training and skills required in the Surgery work setting. The Surgical Technician functions independently to provide a wide range of support to the professional nurse and physician in the Operating Room.

Duties

Major Duties: The Surgical Technician performs the following major duties: Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures performed in: Cardiac, Peripheral Vascular, Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Orthopedic, Urology, Plastic, Oral surgery, Thoracic, Gynecology, and General Surgery procedures Set's up Equipment and Surgical Instrumentation: Determines Technical Factors Sets up and test functionality of equipment such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, surgical microscopes, brain navigation systems, lasers, technology advanced robotic surgery, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, and recording devices. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are both available and in working order prior to the surgical procedure. Adjusts equipment controls to clarify readings and prepare for operation. Performs nontechnical equipment maintenance and cleaning, and pre-treatment for all reusable medical equipment and instrumentation. Coordinates repair of potentially hazardous equipment. (frayed cords, malfunctioning controls, etc.) with appropriate staff. Operates equipment and assists surgical team in performance of procedures, able to trouble shoot and adjust, prior to notification of bio-medical engineering. Positions Patients for Procedures Provides direct patient care by performing the following: Assists nursing staff in room preparation and patient transfer to OR Table as needed. Applies positioning aids to table and places patient extremities into the apparatus, if needed Transports procedure items to operating room and prepositions them. Opens sterile items and arranges surgical area and equipment for procedure performance. Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups. In conjunction with the circulating nurse, performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. He/she is responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Observes and responds promptly to each stage of 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 surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, cutting sutures and preparing prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures. In conjunction with the circulating nurse, performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Checks, labels' and processes all labs, and specimens per guidelines Participates with surgical team members in quality improvement activities. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through continuing education courses. Participates in developing and maintaining appropriate and cost-effective inventory practices Utilizes universal precautions in all work functions Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD6306-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment Incentive Authorized for eligible individuals: See Additional Information section* 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, 09/14/2023. 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. Applicants must be eligible under the VA Interchange Agreement, having served continuously for at least one year in the other merit system under this interchange agreement. For more information regarding the VA Interchange Agreement please visit: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/competitive-hiring/. - All Title 38 Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) employees must have served in their Excepted Service position for at least 90 days in order to be eligible for a position within the Competitive Service. - Applicants who were previously selected under a Competitive Delegating Examining Unit (DEU) announcement must have served in their position for at least 90 days prior to being eligible for other positions within the Competitive Service. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of a Surgical Technician. Specialized experience includes utilizing knowledge of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique to prepare and protect sterile field during surgery; exercising sterile technique to include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures; performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies; handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures. NOTE: 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. 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 of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailInfection ControlMedical InformationPatient CareTechnical Competence 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 stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide accessibility of instruments and supplies to the surgeon. Incumbent must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. Work Environment: Duties are performed in the operating room with require OR attire with regular and recurring exposure to toxic and noxious gases such as methylmethracrylate, formaldehyde, exposure to x-rays, and pure oxygen, exposure to blood and body fluids which are often infectious, and laser beams requiring safety precautions. Appropriate scrub attire is required, including sterile gown and gloves, surgical head attire to cover the hair, and surgical mask. Additional attire is required for orthopedic surgical cases that require the donning of "space helmets" or hooded space suits, and heavy x-ray gowns. Protective eyewear, face shield and laser goggles are also additional requirements of attire that needs to be worn. The operating room work environment is complex, intense and fast paced. Good mental and emotional health is required to function at an optimal level. 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

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.

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 Ann Arbor VA Medical Center 2215 Fuller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 US
• Name: Tiffany Robinson
• Phone: 734-905-0237
• Email: [email protected]