Medical Supply Tech (Sterile P

Veterans Health Administration • Northport, NY

6d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in the Sterile Processing Service at the Northport VA Medical Center. The Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing Technician) provides decontamination, sterilization, preparation, and supply support for medical center items and reusable medical equipment.

The role involves collecting used and contaminated equipment, instruments, and supplies; cleaning and decontaminating them; preparing and packing items for sterilization; and operating and monitoring sterilization equipment. The technician inspects items to confirm they are properly cleaned and sanitized, reports equipment problems, and sterilizes, wraps, organizes, and delivers instruments and equipment for surgeries, examinations, procedures, and medical carts. The position also maintains sterilization and equipment records and manages supply inventory, including reordering supplies and checking expiration dates.

The work is performed in decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply, and other areas throughout the medical facility or campus. The employee may work in hot, cold, drafty, or poorly lighted areas. Work requires standing and walking throughout the day, frequent bending and lifting packages occasionally weighing up to 20 pounds, and dexterity and visual acuity for handling, disassembling, and assembling instruments. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 2:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Telework is not available.

The full performance level is GS-06; selection may be at GS-03 through GS-06. Applicants must meet the applicable experience or education requirements for the grade and demonstrate the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities. Basic qualification routes include six months of relevant experience, one year of qualifying education above high school, or an equivalent combination. Higher grades have additional experience or education requirements and knowledge, skills, and abilities, including knowledge of sterile processing, surgical instruments, sterilization principles, safety precautions, and medical terminology.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Meet the applicable experience or education qualification route: six months of qualifying experience, one year above high school including at least six semester hours in health care-related courses, or an equivalent combination.
• For GS-04, six months of relevant experience or two years of related education above high school including at least 12 semester hours; additional knowledge, skills, and abilities include universal precautions, basic medical terminology, basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment, and oral and written communication.
• For GS-05, one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade or four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with at least 12 related semester hours, or a bachelor's degree; additional knowledge, skills, and abilities include knowledge of surgical instruments, event-related packaging and sterility, and sterilization and cleaning equipment.
• For GS-06, one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade; additional knowledge, skills, and abilities include knowledge of surgical instruments, universal precautions, medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures, sterility principles, and the ability to interpret written instructions and procedures.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and, if tentatively selected for a testing-designated position, urinalysis screening for illegal drug use.
• Meet background and security investigation requirements and complete the online onboarding process and required application documentation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment after the period.
• Education used to qualify must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education requires a certificate of foreign equivalency when used to meet qualification requirements.

Responsibilities

• Collect used and contaminated equipment, instruments, and supplies for sorting and decontamination.
• Manually clean supplies, remove waste matter, and operate and maintain decontamination equipment.
• Prepare and pack decontaminated supplies for sterilization.
• Monitor and operate sterilization equipment.
• Inspect supplies to ensure they are properly cleaned and sanitized.
• Test sterilization equipment and report issues or problems.
• Sterilize, prepare, wrap, and organize equipment into instrument trays for medical procedures.
• Prepare and deliver equipment and instruments for surgeries, examinations, medical procedures, and medical carts.
• Maintain records of sterilization procedures, sterilized items, equipment maintenance, and supplies.
• Control inventory, reorder supplies, and check expiration dates.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or agency needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with a child's birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility requirements.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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