The Lead Medical Supply Technician (MST) works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team. Distributes and prioritizes an even workload in all SPS areas, decontamination, preparation, high level disinfecting & storage of RMD in the operating rooms, clinics and CBOC's. Revises work schedules, assigns work to staff based on experience and training needs, monitors and reports on the status of work & ensures SOPs & SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow.

Duties

The incumbent provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion. Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures, and goals. All personnel must have a thorough understanding of the importance in reprocessing of RMD and the significant impact on our Veteran population through the risk of infectious disease. The work involves segments of the overall function of the service, ensuring the availability of a large number of medical instrument sets and equipment to medical center clinical service, operating room, dental, and other customers. The employee's work directly affects patient care at the medical center and other organizations serviced. Distributes and balances the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job to ensure timely accomplishment and meet all quality assurance support report activities. Thorough knowledge of the use, operation, maintenance, assembly, and disassembly of the full range of simple and complex in nature RMD and the specific cleaning, decontaminating, high-level disinfecting, assembly, sterilizing, and storage requirements of each to ensure that the integrity of the RMD is available for patient use and is not compromised. Working knowledge of aseptic principles, techniques, and reprocessing equipment operations, Including: characteristics of various types of detergents/enzymatic solutions/high level disinfectant solutions and the many types of cleaning brushes, cleaning techniques, knowledge and operations of technical equipment such as; ultrasonic equipment, sterilizers and automatic scope preprocessor, heat sealers, integrity testers, sterilizer parameters, tests to determine effectiveness of sterilization, and packaging, storage and shelf-life characteristics to ensure that RMD is sterilized and stored according to manufacturer specifications for individual RMD. Incumbent takes active role in the problem solving of sterilization process concerns to include the various types of reprocessing equipment utilized in the sterile processing service. Reports to supervisors on performance, process, training behavior concerns, and personnel needs of employees. Facilitate on the job training, instructs employees, observes, and validates competency of staff, spot checks, ament or reject work, reviews completed work, documentation, and record control activities, ensures supervisor's instruction has been met in accordance with established procedures and practices. Maintains a current knowledge to answer questions regarding department's procedures, policies, directives, etc. Determines the criticality category of RMD using the Spaulding Classification System and interprets standard operating procedures and manufacturer's instructions to determine the proper method of reprocessing. Performs appropriate and safe reprocessing for all RMD by strictly adhering to the Quality Management Program (e.g., uses testers, bioburden checks and instrument integrity checks). Reports to supervisors on performance, process, training behavior concerns, and personnel needs of employees. Facilitate on the job training, instructs employees, observes, and validates competency of staff, spot checks, ament or reject work, reviews completed work, documentation, and record control activities, ensures supervisor's instruction has been met in accordance with established procedures and practices. Maintains a current knowledge to answer questions regarding department's procedures, policies, directives, etc. Suspends the reuse of any RMD if there is suspicion that the device was not properly cleaned, disinfected, or sterilized according to the SOP and/or manufacturer's guidelines. Understands the critical nature of reprocessing RMD according to manufacturer guidelines and the significant risk and impact infectious diseases can have on our Veteran population and employees. Complies with all local, federal, state, and other requirements to include safety/fire prevention rules/regulations, waste/management principles, using protective equipment when required and provided. Reviews Safety Data Sheets (SDS) promptly reports all accidents and notifies supervisor of unsafe/unhealthy conditions in the workplace. Knows fire drill and emergency plans for work area, including location of all emergency fire equipment. Guidelines include agency regulations, VA and VHA directives, Nursing Service manuals and accepted practice. Must have in-depth knowledge and practice all guidelines set forth in VHA Directive 1116(2) Sterile Processing Services (SPS). Must follow guidelines/standards set forth from both AORN and AAMI. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 3:30pm - 12:00am Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 50870-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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. Experience and/or Education: Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or 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 (Note: A transcript must be submitted with your application). Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. (To calculate the percentage, divide the total months of qualifying experience by 6. Then divide the total number of completed semester of graduate education by 30. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify). Grandfathering Provision. All MSTs that are employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Employees grandfathered into the GS-622 occupational series as MSTs may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation. MSTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. MSTs who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. English Language: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Preferred Experience: Sterile Processing OR surgical service, infection control experience. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U. S. programs. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-07 Lead Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments. Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments. Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) is insufficient to determine your qualifications. Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. Assignment. The Lead MST works in support of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS) management team. Distributes and prioritizes workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations. Assures an even workflow and distribution of the workload. Revises work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload. Assigns work to staff based on experience and training needs. Monitors and reports on the status of work. Ensures SOPs and SPS mandates are followed during the performance of workflow. Reviews work in progress or spot checks work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines. Assesses the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation. Provides information to management officials concerning performance issues, assignment changes and task completion. Instructs employees on work-related activities, policies, procedures and goals. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-7 to GS-7. Physical Requirements: The employee usually stands and moves from one part of the room to another in performance assigned duties and is also required to travel throughout the medical center observing the processing, determining best practices, and ensure all requirement for RMD reprocessing, par levels, integrity and storage is maintained. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. The employee is required to wear special clothing, hair cover, mask/beard cover, full face shield and impervious shoe covers. While handling contaminated medical supplies, the employee also uses rubber gloves and an impervious gown. The employee must use padded gloves to remove carts from sterilizers and trays from the carts. The employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items, to cuts from both sterile and contaminated instruments, knife blades, sharps, and needles and dermatitis from frequent contact with cleaning agents.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Memphis VA Medical Center 1030 Jefferson Avenue Memphis, TN 38104 US
• Name: Tymeke Howell
• Phone: (202) 351-1238
• Email: Tymeke.Howell@va.gov