Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

Clarification from the agency

Open to all qualified United States Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

• Collecting, processing and decontamination of soiled supplies, instruments, and equipment.
• Instrument preparation and sterilization.
• Medical equipment maintenance, receiving, storing, and distribution of medical and surgical supplies, instruments, and equipment.
• Decontamination, preparation, case carts, and endoscope reprocessing.
• Decontaminating, cleaning, and pre-sterilizing Reusable Medical Equipment utilized in patient care areas.
• Inventorying and replenishing the medical supply areas RME of the wards, surgical areas, clinics, and all support services throughout the facility, etc.
• Reprocessing of GI endoscopy equipment, or assembling and sterilizing the full range of trays and sets used in a medical and surgical facility.
• Choosing the correct items, inspecting them for removal of gross contamination and properly placing them on trays or sets taking care to protect delicate instruments, points, and cutting edges.

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 identification 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.

• 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.

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:

a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g.)

b. Experience and/or Education

(1) Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or

(2) 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

(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

c. Certification. None.

Grade Determinations:

Grade Determinations. The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

(1) GS-03 (Entry Level)

(a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

(b) Assignment. This is an entry level MST position. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

(2) GS-04 (Developmental Level)

(a) Experience. Six months experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting; or

(b) Education. Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation.

NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience.

(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

1. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
2. Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets.
3. Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.
4. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.

(d) Assignment. This is a developmental level MST position. Performs segments of work 4 pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes. Prepares operating room case carts. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

(3) GS-05 (Developmental Level)

(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or

(b) Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree.

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

1. Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
2. Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility.
3. Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.

(d) Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing. Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room. Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor; prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments.

(4) GS-06 (Full Performance Level)

(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.

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

(c) Assignment. This is the full performance level for the occupation. Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well. Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method, such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical washers, cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents, as determined by manufacturer instructions. Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors. Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.

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 in the range of GS-03 to GS-06.

Physical Requirements:
The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as standing for prolonged periods of time, carrying medical supply items weighing up to 50 pounds, frequent bending and stretching/reaching, and pushing fully loaded medical supply carts weighing as much as 750 pounds which must be negotiated up inclines and over rises, or positioning them on sterilizer track rails. The work requires dexterity in such tasks as inserting small rods into needle openings or precisely aligning component parts while reassembling medical equipment. Tension and stress are induced by the critical nature of producing work results critical to patient care on pre-established time frames and in emergent situations. Workdays can be lengthened without notice by emergency surgery instrumentation needs.

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; 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

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps