The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is a tertiary care teaching hospital providing the highest level quality for more than 75,000 Veterans along the South Carolina and Georgia coast. The Ralph H. Johnson VA is rated is the second fastest growing VA in the U.S. for percentage patient growth. For the past three years, the Charleston VA has been rated a 5-Star medical center for quality and efficiency, the highest possible rating according to VA's Strategic Analytics.

Duties

This position is located in the Operating Room (OR) and is part of Nursing service at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center. The Surgical Technician will work as a team member under the direct supervision of the Nurse Manager or designee to perform a range of duties before during and after patient procedures. The incumbent will assist the physicians, registered nurses and other health care team members in operative procedures and in the care of the surgical patients. Major duties include but not limited to: Works and communicates with nurses, doctors, and other medical and ancillary staff. Plans and discusses procedure with surgical team and assures all supplies and equipment are available. Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex surgical setups. Assists team members by providing direct patient care, i.e. positioning, prepping. Sets up sterile field with all required items, i.e. air-powered, endoscopic, laparoscopic, arthroscopic, urologic equipment, microscopes, drills, staplers, etc. Handles instruments, supplies, and equipment during surgical procedures for all specialties: Gynecology, Otolaryngology, Ophthalmology, Podiatry, Urology, General, Cardiovascular, Cardiothoracic, Major Vascular, Plastic, Oral, Robotic, and Orthopedic surgery. Lift, move, transfer, and transport patients as needed. Initiates CPR according to AHA standards. 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. Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices according to manufacturer's recommendations during procedures. Handles specimens appropriately. Responsible for the accountability of surgical instruments and equipment. Performs sponge, sharp, and instrument counts along with the circulating nurse. Assists with the orientation of new operating room staff. Checks instruments and equipment prior to use for sterility and/or proper functioning. Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. Recognizes potentially hazardous situations, i.e. frayed cords and takes corrective action. Assists surgical team members with quality improvement activities. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through in-services and continuing education. Performs other ancillary duties as assigned (of a related nature). Work Schedule: 7:00 am -5:30 pm, four days per week, alternating days off (Will be required to be on call). Telework: NotAuthorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD07609A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation/Recruitment Incentive is approved for 15%. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): NotAuthorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/06/2024. 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: 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 experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of surgical procedures that enable the technician to anticipate surgeon needs, prepare ahead and contribute to positive patient outcome . Knowledge of and skill with, equipment and implants utilized in all surgical specialties. Use of interpersonal communication skills critical to the interaction with health care team Members, patient and family, peers, students, and other hospital departments. Able to apply aseptic or sterile technique in all phases of surgery: preparing the Operating Room, establishing, and maintaining a sterile field, sterilization of equipment and supplies and guiding students in the development of "surgical conscience." Knowledge of a wide range of instrumentation for all surgical specialties. Able to recognize emergent complications such as hemorrhage, ability to remain calm and react in a correct, therapeutic manner. Knowledge of normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology of all systems, how these systems interact and what impact surgical intervention has on these systems. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one (1) full year 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: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level. 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 who are at 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. The Surgical Technician must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the 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

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 Ralph H Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 109 Bee Street Charleston, SC 29401 US
• Name: Lois Auge
• Phone: 706-002-0094 X20094
• Email: [email protected]