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
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.
Experience and Education.
1) Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work.
OR
2) Education. One (1) 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.
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
GRADE DETERMINATION - GS-10
Experience. One (1) year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Ability to implement and incorporate regulations, policies, and procedures to manage SPS operations.
- Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations.
- Ability to integrate SPS managerial duties, which includes strategic planning of facility organizational goals and integration of SPS vision and values within the organizational mission.
- Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues.
- Skill to initiate and lead interdisciplinary groups in order to facilitate daily SPS functions.
- Ability to analyze and interpret fiscal data in order to forecast resource and equipment needs.
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 GS-10.
Physical Requirements: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation), and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation.
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, personal protective equipment and shoe covers 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 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 sterilizing equipment.