Surgical Technician

Veterans Health Administration • Hines, IL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Hines, Illinois, a level 1A complexity VHA facility, and is organizationally aligned to Nursing, Perioperative. The Surgical Technician assists surgeons and other team members during surgical procedures and participates in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team.

The technician prepares and maintains sterile fields and surgical setups; ensures required supplies and equipment are available; serves as a primary scrub person; handles instruments, supplies, and equipment during procedures; anticipates surgical needs; and responds to changes in the procedure or patient condition. The role also includes assisting with specific tasks such as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, cutting sutures, and preparing prostheses and surgical devices. The technician helps train students and new operating room staff, supports inventory and restocking, processes instruments and supplies after surgery, maintains accurate counts, and follows infection-prevention policies.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with required on-call coverage that includes weekends and holidays. Telework and virtual work are not authorized. The position has physical demands that include assisting with lifting and positioning patients and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and stretching.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship is required.
• Meet the applicable time-in-grade requirement for GS-07 applicants who are current or former federal employees subject to that requirement: 52 weeks at GS-6.
• Qualify through one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-6, including experience with medical instruments, anatomy and physiology, aseptic technique, sterile-field preparation, sterilization, handling surgical equipment and supplies, cleaning and rotating sterile supplies, contaminated-item handling, quality control, universal precautions, and infection control.
• Alternatively, qualify through one full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in directly related subject matter, such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, or aseptic techniques, at an accredited college or university.
• Alternatively, combine qualifying specialized experience and directly related graduate education to meet the qualification requirements.
• Submit transcripts if using education to qualify; education must be from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Meet applicable pre-employment screening, background/security investigation, onboarding, identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Be available for required on-call coverage, including weekends and holidays.
• Meet the physical demands of assisting with patient lifting and positioning and prolonged standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and stretching.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Set up sterile fields with the required supplies and equipment for each procedure, including air-powered, fiber optic, laparoscopic, microscope, arthroscopy, urologic, and recording equipment.
• Handle instruments, supplies, and equipment during surgical procedures, including general surgery, urology, podiatry, ophthalmology, and endoscopy.
• Plan and discuss procedures with surgical professionals and confirm that supplies and equipment are available before surgery.
• Serve as a primary scrub person during surgical procedures.
• Prepare, organize, and maintain sterile surgical setups and fields, including for highly complex procedures.
• Observe each stage of surgery, anticipate the surgeon’s needs, and promptly respond to changes in the procedure or the patient’s condition.
• Assist the surgeon by preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures.
• Prepare prostheses and surgical devices during procedures.
• Train residents, medical students, nursing students, operating room technology students, and new OR staff in equipment operation, sterile technique, instrument handling, and OR procedures, including the scrub role.
• Assist with the Generic Inventory Package and maintain adequate surgical supplies, including restocking OR cabinets, specialty carts, and secondary storage containers.
• Process instruments and supplies after surgery.
• Maintain accurate counts of sponges, needles, and instruments.
• Comply with standard precautions and infection-prevention policies.
• Perform other related unit-based assignments.
• Provide manual assistance with lifting and positioning patients and maintain access to instruments and supplies during procedures.

Benefits

• Federal employees earn annual leave based on years of federal service; selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• A comprehensive federal employee benefits package is available, with eligibility depending on the position and employment status.

What This Job Offers

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