The Syracuse VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for two Surgical Technicians. The Surgical Technologist (ST or CST) is a member of the surgical team and provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The ST/CST participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the RN and Physician.

Duties

Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as DaVinci Robot surgery for general, thoracic and urologic surgery, Mako Robot Total Joint surgery, EVAR, TCAR and all other open vascular surgeries, neurosurgery, orthopedic, urology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, plastic, and general surgery. Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure including, but not limited to air-powered and battery-operated equipment, laparoscopic, microscope, lasers, arthroscopic, urologic, robot and recording devices. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical team and assures 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 f the patient, ie. Positioning, prepping and obtaining supplies. Handles all specimens appropriately. In conjunction with the circulating RN, performs sponge, needle blade and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Assists surgen by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures. Prepares prsthesis and surgical devices during procedures. Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, tech students and new OR staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling instruments, and OR procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. Functions as second circulator, under the direction of the RN, for complex surgical procedures. Can act as transport for patients to the OR as needed and directed by the charge nurse. Accounts for the availability of correct prosthetics in the room and follows established facility protocols regarding implant inventory and prosthetic tracking. Follows correct site surgery policies and use of the Time Out board. Assists in implementation and utilization of inventory to maintain adequate surgical supplies, including but not limited to restocking the operating rooms, cabinets, specialty carts and secondary storage containers. Work Schedule: 0700-1530, 0700-1730, 0900-1730, with rotating call/weekends call/holidays call Compressed/Flexible: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD07031A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/20/2023. 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 GS05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS04 or Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position; For a GS06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS05; For a GS07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS06. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience GS05: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization, or Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience with setting up sterile field with all required items for each procedure including, but not limited to air-powered and battery operated equipment, laparoscopic, microscope, lasers, arthroscopic, urologic, robot and recording devices, Experience with planning and discussing each procedure with surgical team and assures all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure, Experience with preparing, organizing and maintaining highly complex sterile surgical setups, Ability to observe and respond 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, Experience utilizing universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment and ability to assist the team members with care of the patient, ie. Positioning, prepping and obtaining supplies. - At this level the incumbent will perform duties with direct supervision. Work is occasionally spot checked for accuracy. Specialized Experience GS06: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience with setting up sterile field with all required items for each procedure including, but not limited to air-powered and battery operated equipment, laparoscopic, microscope, lasers, arthroscopic, urologic, robot and recording devices, Experience with planning and discussing each procedure with surgical team and assures all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure, Experience with preparing, organizing and maintaining highly complex sterile surgical setups, Ability to observe and respond 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, Experience utilizing universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment and ability to assist the team members with care of the patient, ie. Positioning, prepping and obtaining supplies. - At this level the incumbent will perform duties with less direct supervision. Work is occasionally spot checked for accuracy. Specialized Experience GS07: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience with setting up sterile field with all required items for each procedure including, but not limited to air-powered and battery operated equipment, laparoscopic, microscope, lasers, arthroscopic, urologic, robot and recording devices, Experience with planning and discussing each procedure with surgical team and assures all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure, Experience with preparing, organizing and maintaining highly complex sterile surgical setups, Ability to observe and respond 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, Experience utilizing universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies and equipment and ability to assist the team members with care of the patient, ie. Positioning, prepping and obtaining supplies. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpret Instructions, Specifications (includes blueprint reading)ListeningReading Comprehension 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: The position of ST/CST is a physically demanding one. The candidate must be able to lift at least 25 lbs, stand continuously for up to 4-6 hours. The ST/CST must be alert at all times for adverse patient reactions and respond in an effective manner. The ST/CST is certified in BLS and acts as a part of the Code team as directed by the RN or Anesthesiologist. Full Performance is GS 07. 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. 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

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 Syracuse VA Medical Center 800 Irving Ave Syracuse, NY 13210 US
• Name: Tara Lanigan
• Phone: 612-467-6517
• Email: [email protected]