Incumbent is under the administrative and technical supervision of the Chief of SPS and Associate Director of Patient Care Services/Nurse Executive. The incumbent completes work based on accepted work procedures.

Duties

The position is in the Department of Veterans Affairs {VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), VA Medical Center, in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS), Salisbury, VA including Charlotte and Kernersville Health Care Centers. 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. In addition to performing Medical Supply Technician work at the full performance level, this position is established a supervisory technician that oversees and directs a team consisting of GS-7 lead MSTs that help assist in workflow management per the assigned area and entry level GS-3 MSTs to full performance level GS-6 MSTs. The supervisor assigns work appropriately and ensures assignments are carried out, providing technical guidance and training to employees, enforces quality control methods and guidelines and performs limited personnel management functions. IV. FUNCTIONS OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS The Medical Supply Technician Supervisor is responsible for demonstrating knowledge and practice of the following four critical performance elements. 1. Medical Supply Technician Supervisor Duties 2. Interpersonal Communication/ Customer Service 3. Safety 4. Education/Training PERFORMANCE ELEMENT: SUPERVISORY DUTIES: Reviews daily workload and equitably distributes work assignments and task to staff in accordance to established workflow, job specializations and capabilities of the individual. Assigns work, including overtime, disagreeable assignments, or choice task equitably among the staff. In the circumstance of a shortage of personnel due to scheduled or unscheduled leave, the supervisor will be responsible for filling in and/or redistribution of workload to present staff members to ensure smooth workflow and workload completion. The supervisor ensures assigned task are completed and staff are in their assigned workstations working. Performs a daily huddle with staff highlighting the day's workload, staff assignments and any pertinent updates on education, policy, or procedure. The supervisor evaluates new employees training progress and will train or assign training staff to them in the areas where the training and education needs of the employee can be met. The supervisor maintains current knowledge on policy and procedures, evidence-based practices and explains work requirements, methods and procedures to staff as needed. Gives special attention to difficult or rarely performed task answering technical questions about the task. PERFORMANCE ELEMENT: EMPLOYEE COMMUNICATION & CUSTOMER SERVICE Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. PERFORMANCE ELEMENT: SAFETY - Environment of Care Follows and enforces Life Safety Management (fire protection) procedures. Reports safety hazards, accidents, and injuries. Reviews and follows hazardous materials/ Safety Data Sheets for waste management and emergency spills. Follows Emergency Preparedness plan. - Infection Control Demonstrates and enforces infection control practices for disease prevention (i.e., hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirement/precautions). On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. PERFORMANCE ELEMENT: EDUCATION/ TRAINING Adheres to the Health Care System policies related to patient confidentiality, patient's rights, courtesy, conduct, customer service, and computer use. Guidelines pertaining to this position consists of Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Association of perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), and International Association of Health Care Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM). The VHA Directives 2009-031 Improving Safety in the Use of Reusable Medical Equipment through standardization of Organizational Structure and Reprocessing Requirements and Directive 2009--004 Use and Reprocessing of Reusable Medical Equipment in Veterans Health Administration Facilities will be followed. Work Schedule: Flexible (supervisors discretion) Compressed/Flexible: Yes Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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 Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English. Experience and/or Education (1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or (2) 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with Veterans Affairs Handbook 5005. 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: In addition to the basic requirements, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds. 2. Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed. 3. Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME. 4. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues. Preferred Experience: SPS Lead experience References: VA Handbook 5005/76, Part II, Appendix G47, Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Qualification Standard, GS-0622, Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of 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/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.

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 WG Bill Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center 1601 Brenner Avenue Salisbury, NC 28144 US
• Name: Hunter Akers
• Email: [email protected]