Clarification from the agency

U. S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U. S. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Provide service for all the Medical Center care areas, including related outpatient services. Incumbent(s) must be well versed in the processing and distribution of supplies and equipment utilized by all areas.
• Perform all duties involving aseptic processing in the Processing and Decontamination Section. This work involves preparation, storage and dispatch of medical supplies and equipment used by all patient care and treatment entities of an active General Medical & Surgical teaching hospital. Duties are grouped according to their aseptic or clean tasks. Work is assigned as with either contaminated, clean or aseptically clean as the latter applies to material handling of sterile items.
• Support the need of OR preparing instruments and complete procedure trays of utilization according to the next day's operative schedule.
• Identify damaged and malfunctioning instruments, reassembling multi-part or complex sets, inspecting them for gross contamination, properly placing instruments in the set according to the pick for specific tray. Employee must understand priorities from both a time and event related perspective as this would affect the surgical patient's welfare. This requires constant attention to all details and integration with the OR staff to effectively respond to their emergent and elective surgical needs. The work involves the provision of sterile instrumentation to the OR, in house clinics and off-site regional VA CBOCs.
• Decontamination - receive and collect all soiled RME from OR, GI and clinics.
• Identify, inspect for damage and systematically segregates by soaking, flushing, scrubbing, rinsing, and use of ultrasonic equipment, by use of mechanical instrument washers and by use of AERs for HLD of endo scopes. RME can also consist of handheld instruments, delicate instruments, lumen instruments, power, batteries, cords, metal implants, and robotic instruments.
• Preparation - receive from decontamination all supplies and equipment for sterilization and assembly. Must have an understanding of the relationship of microbiology to disease, know basic principles of sterilization (Steam/Low Temp H2O2) and have a thorough knowledge of and ability to apply these methods for processing supplies and equipment. Incumbent(s) are required to assemble and position items carefully on sterilizer carrier, so the complete penetration of the sterilizing agent is possible.
• Select correct sterilizing method, cycles and operates sterilizer.
• Must watch gauges on all sterilizers and report deviations.
• Responsible for checking effectiveness of the sterilizer by ensuring color changes on marker tapes and spore tests in addition to checking for excessive wetness of packages.
• Responsible for identifying, labeling, dating and application of control numbers and outdated for all trays and processed equipment.
• Advise medical personnel on availability of supplies, possible substitutions and effective use of equipment.
• Responsible for daily storage inventory and issuance of supplies and equipment to designated areas.
• Responsible for inspection and examination of storage areas for outdated supplies and ensures removal for reprocessing.
• Must complete the SPD Level I training program over a 8 week time frame and receive a passing grade of 80% in each end of chapter test. Incumbent will be allowed to take the den of chapter tests as many times as necessary for satisfactory completion. Incumbent receives periodic training by videos, in services, lectures, etc. in the use and functioning of new medical supplies, instruments, and equipment, new or improved sterilization practices, developments in microbiology, bacteriology and therapeutic practices as they affect the sterile supply operation.
• Sterile Storage- use OR pick sheets to pull medical dry goods and sterile RME trays for next days' cases.
• Check scopes for outdates in scope hanging cabinets.
• Checks shelves and does daily QA audit of trays for exterior nonconformities possible issues.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 3:00PM - 11:30PM
Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station: Not Authorized
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 21N87-A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.
• Experience and 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
  • Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• 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.

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.


Grade Determinations:
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE GRADE REQUIREMENTS AT THE GS-5 LEVEL TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS GS-06 (Full Performance Level): Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. This includes removing soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspecting packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Preparing, loads, and operating sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; preparing operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
2. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
3. Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures.
4. Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation.
5. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures.

Preferred Experience: VA, CBSPD or HSPA certification for SPS recommended. One year of professional work in SPS preferred. Must be computer literate. Knowledge of medical anatomy terminology recommended. Must be able to clean, assemble, sterilize or HLD, any surgical instrumentation for Operating Rooms and Medical Specialty Clinics.

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-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is at the GS-06 .

Physical Demands: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation), gastrointestinal intestinal endoscope reprocessing hub, and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, ventilated and well lighted. The work requires proper body mechanics when standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages/instrument trays (occasionally weighing as much as 25 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation. Work is not sedentary and demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light (up to 25#) items at various times.

Work Environment: Work is performed in a sterile, medical setting with risks that requires safety precautions (clean and dirty room PPE); the area is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. 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, gowns, gloves, face shields, masks and shoe covers for personal protective equipment (PPE) 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 or washing equipment.

How you will be evaluated

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• License
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps