Medical Supply Technician - Sterile Processing

Veterans Health Administration • Salem, VA

10d • Onsite

About The Position

This is a GS-0622-6 Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) position in the Sterile Processing Service at the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia. The role performs full-performance sterile processing duties involving the decontamination, assembly, sterilization, storage, and distribution of reusable medical devices and surgical instrumentation. It is an instrument cleaning and sterilization position, not a supply-ordering position. The technician applies knowledge of infection control, sterilization methods, medical terminology, and instrument tracking systems to support safe patient care.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 3:15 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., with occasional call. This is a permanent, non-virtual position; telework is not available. Recruitment or relocation incentives and permanent change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

The employee alternates between contaminated and carefully controlled clean environments and wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment, and shoe covers. The work may involve exposure to body fluids and tissue, unpleasant odors, noise, hot items and burn hazards, and minute quantities of sterilizing gases. Insulated gloves are used to remove carts from sterilizers.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Six months of qualifying experience; or one year of education above high school including at least six semester hours in health-care-related courses; or an equivalent combination of experience and education. Applicable grandfathering provisions may also qualify current VHA employees.
• For GS-06, one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-05, including relevant sterile processing duties such as removing contaminants, inspecting packages, assembling sets and trays, operating sterilizers or high-level disinfecting equipment, and preparing operating-room case carts.
• Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinics.
• Knowledge of universal precautions and prevention of cross-contamination.
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions, and procedures.
• Knowledge of sterility principles as they relate to instrumentation.
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program for VA health-care personnel.
• Subject to urinalysis drug screening for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions, background/security investigation, and completion of online onboarding and other application requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Responsibilities

• Receive contaminated critical and semi-critical reusable medical equipment (RME) in the decontamination area.
• Disassemble RME and determine the appropriate cleaning method according to manufacturers’ instructions, using equipment and chemical agents as appropriate.
• Remove debris, soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants through wiping, soaking, rinsing, brushing, flushing, and scrubbing.
• Inspect, prepare, and assemble RME; select appropriate packaging and sterilization or high-level disinfection methods.
• Perform quality audits of critical and semi-critical RME for proper cleaning, assembly, and sterilization.
• Assemble RME sets and trays, including those used in operating rooms and clinics.
• Operate equipment in all areas of sterile processing and perform and document daily operational checks on sterilization and decontamination equipment.
• Assemble trays and peel packs, including identifying contents and internal chemical indicators, recording lot control numbers, wrapping and labeling items, and selecting sterilization methods.
• Monitor and document required information for each sterilization and disinfection load and sterilizer.
• Participate in the department Quality Improvement Plan, including biological spore testing, efficacy testing, and documenting sterilization and high-level disinfection testing results.
• Handle and transport sterilized items appropriately, place them in storage, and identify breaks in package integrity.
• Restock sterile storage and other areas to maintain defined PAR levels of supplies, instrument trays, and other inventory items.
• Assemble case carts according to the surgical schedule and procedure-specific preference cards.
• Transport clean and soiled case carts between procedural areas and Sterile Processing, and transport additional instrumentation as needed.
• Maintain cleanliness and appropriate supply levels at workstations throughout the department.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child-care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed