Surgical Technician

Veterans Health Administration • New Orleans, LA

19d • Onsite

About The Position

The Surgical Technician (Health Technician (Surgical)) reports to Nursing Service through the Nurse Manager Operating Room (OR)/Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) and serves as an integral member of the surgical team at a 1B Tertiary Care Medical Center. The technician functions as the primary scrub for procedures and sets up and implants equipment for surgical procedures while maintaining sterile technique.

The position requires knowledge of medications used on the sterile field, proper specimen handling, and the ability to set up and use surgical instrumentation, endoscopic towers, powered equipment, and accessories. The technician supports surgeons during procedures by preparing grafts and prosthetic items, suctioning, holding retractors, applying staples, and managing other surgical devices. The role also includes performing counts, identifying and correcting safety or sterility problems, and following regulatory guidelines and practice standards.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday on rotating shifts of 6:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. or 9:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m., with on-call duties and hours adjusted as patient and facility needs dictate. Emergency call coverage is rotational and includes weekends and holidays; employees may be required to respond to emergencies when not on call and stay beyond their shift when more than one operating room is running. This is an onsite position, not virtual. A pre-placement evaluation examination is required.

Requirements

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-6 level for the GS-7 position, applying knowledge, methods, and techniques relevant to surgical technician work.
• Experience with surgical subspecialties including General, Laparoscopic, GU, GYN, Ortho, Neuro, ENT, Plastics, Robotic, and CV/Thoracic.
• Experience scrubbing for complex, robotic, and open-heart procedures.
• Knowledge of normal and abnormal anatomy and physiology across body systems, how systems interact, and the effects of surgical intervention.
• Skill using instrumentation across surgical specialties, including identifying, assembling and disassembling, testing and calibrating for safety and accuracy, troubleshooting malfunctions during surgery, maintaining, disinfecting, and sterilizing instruments.
• Skill in draping techniques that establish and maintain a sterile field, protect patient privacy, and secure delicate instruments such as electrocautery hand pieces, scopes and cameras, and laser hand pieces.
• Ability to communicate clearly and interact effectively with medical-center staff, visitors, patients, and students at all levels.
• Ability to correctly perform CPR and the Heimlich maneuver.
• Ability to use appropriate patient and staff safety assistive devices.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must complete the required application steps, questionnaire, and online assessment.
• Selected applicants are subject to urinalysis for illegal drug use, background/security investigation, and online onboarding.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.
• A pre-placement evaluation examination is required.
• No educational substitution is available at this grade level.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary scrub for surgical procedures and set up for all surgical procedures.
• Maintain sterile technique, independently set up instrumentation using sterile technique, and promptly identify and correct breaks in sterile technique.
• Prepare grafts and prosthetic items; suction; hold retractors; apply staples; and prepare other surgical devices during procedures.
• Set up endoscopic towers, powered equipment, and accessory equipment.
• Know the names, uses, dosages, physical characteristics, and adverse effects of medications used on the sterile field.
• Handle specimens correctly.
• Perform instrument and sponge counts correctly for all procedures.
• Identify and take action to correct actual or potential infection-control and equipment-malfunction hazards when setting up complex systems.
• Correctly perform the Heimlich maneuver and CPR.
• Use and care for critical, semi-critical, and non-critical items.
• Use appropriate assistive devices, such as lifts and transfer devices, and other personnel to promote patient and staff safety.
• Apply regulatory guidelines and practice standards in work practices.
• Provide manual assistance with lifting and positioning patients, including sedated or unconscious patients.
• Respond to rotational on-call emergency procedures, including weekends and holidays, and remain beyond the shift when required by multiple operating rooms.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• VA may grant service credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service to determine annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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