Duties
Primary Scrub Person 50 Percent
- The incumbent functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures including but not limited to the following procedures: orthopedics, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, general, urology, plastics, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, total joint replacements, robotic procedures, vascular and endovascular surgery.
- The incumbent sets up the 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.
- 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 highly complex sterile surgical setups.
- Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended periods of time; he/she reacts quickly and decisively during emergent situations.
- Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
- The ST assists the surgical team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
- Follows Universal Protocol and fully participates in the surgical Time-Out.
- Knowledgeable on appropriate preventative actions for surgical procedures with low, moderate, and high fire risk scores.
- Handles all specimens appropriately. In conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse (RN}, performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy.
- The ST is responsible for the accountability for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure.
- Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures.
- The ST prepares prostheses, surgical devices, and biological implants for use during surgical procedures.
- Prepares sterile dressings, cleans and prepares instruments for terminal sterilization according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Reusable Medical Equipment (RME).
- The incumbent assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, surgical technician students, and new OR staff in the operation of equipment, OR procedures conducted in the Operating Room and the endovascular suite, handling of instruments, sterile technique, and set-up/preparation of the Operating Room for complex procedures, and the scrub role in surgical procedures.
Maintains Equipment and Work Areas 30 Percent
- The incumbent performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Maintains OR area.
- Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials.
- Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (i.e., frayed cords, water on floor) and takes corrective action.
- Performs necessary unit audits for expired surgical supplies, records temperature and humidity for each surgical suite and takes corrective action if parameters are outside of recommended guidelines.
Provides Guidance/Quality Improvement 20 Percent
- The incumbent participates and assists surgical team members in quality improvement activities and risk management functions.
- Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through continuing education courses.
Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday - Friday 8:30 am to 5:00pm, 8:30am -7:00 pm, 1030 am- 7:00 pm, PST.
Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD13376-A and PD13229 A
Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are 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. Hand dexterity is essential in passing instruments. Both hands required. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously. Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4. Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other. Ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors; and hearing without aid.
Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.
Requirements
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 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-06. 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.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.
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.
Required Documents
Documents Accepted:
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- PCS Orders
- Performance Appraisal
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- 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.
How to Apply
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 03/06/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12699089.
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.