Summary
The Surgical Technician is within the Nursing, Perioperative service within Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center within VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. The Surgical Technician (ST) functions as a member of the surgical team and aids the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures.
This is an open continuous announcement until September 27, 2024. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available.
Clarification from the agency
ALL US CITIZENS.
DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.
Duties
This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open untilSeptember 27, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be January 31, 2024, with subsequent cut-off dates on the last Friday of every month thereafter. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.
Major duties include, but are not limited to:
- Functions as a scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during complex ambulatory surgical procedures performed.
- Sets up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment.
- Performs, plans, and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure.
- Prepares, organizes, and maintains complex sterile surgical set-ups.
- Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure.
- Anticipates needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time.
- Utilizes standard precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
- Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e. positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
- Handles all specimens appropriately.
- Performs sponge, sharps, and instrument counts in conjunction with the Registered Nurse circulator.
- Responsible for the accountability for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure.
- Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during procedures.
- Assists in training other members of the Operating Room (OR) team in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and OR procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures.
- Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions.
- Maintains OR area.
- Completes all applicable and required training and competencies in setup, use, reprocessing, and maintenance of reusable medical and sterilization equipment.
- Demonstrates awareness of the confidentiality requirements regarding medical information.
- Assists surgical team members in quality improvement activities.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm or 7:00 am to 5:30 pm, depending on needs of service, which may include on-call (evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime).
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician (Surgical Technician) / PD11576A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are within 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. Incumbent 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.
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
- Subject to a background/suitability investigation
- Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
- May serve a probationary period
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
- A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) in Health Aid and Technician 0640 Series:
Specialized Experience (IOR): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.
In addition to Individual Occupational Requirement, you must also meet Grade Level Requirement:
GS-07 Grade Level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Preparing and managing sterile field, specimen management, and assisting team members with care of the patient; following and adhering to intraoperative standards, guidelines, policies, and procedures; performing customer service and adhering to professional expectations; planning and discussing each procedure with surgical professionals; assuring that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure according to the surgeons' preference cards; maintaining a high level of concentration for an extended period of time; preparing prosthesis and surgical devices during procedure; handling all specimens appropriately; maintaining Operating Room (OR) area; performing sponge, sharps, and instrument counts in conjunction with the Registered Nurse circulator. 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 on their resume.
OR,
GS-07 Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education. (Transcript Required)
OR,
GS-07 Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. Only education beyond a bachelor's degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. (Transcript Required)
To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
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.
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.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- Other (1)
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Documents Required:
Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.
Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.
Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/27/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12278890.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
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