Surgical Technician

Veterans Health Administration•Ann Arbor, MI

12d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is in the Surgery Service in the Operating Room Suite at the LTC Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Surgical Technician performs at an advanced level and uses specialized training and skills to support surgical procedures across a wide range of specialties, including cardiac, vascular, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopedic, urology, plastic, podiatry, oral, thoracic, gynecological, and general surgery. The incumbent prepares and operates surgical equipment, instruments, supplies, and sterile setups; supports patient positioning and safety; assists the surgical team during procedures; processes equipment and supplies; maintains the operating room and inventory; and provides guidance to students and novice scrub support staff. The role also involves quality improvement, continuing education, cost-effective inventory practices, universal precautions, and required on-call availability. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, either 0900–1730 or a compressed 0700–1730 schedule. Flexible or compressed scheduling is available. This is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized, and the position is not approved for a Critical Skills Incentive.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required.
Applicants must complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
For GS-7 qualification, applicants must meet one of the following: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-6; one full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) in directly related coursework or a relevant internship; or a qualifying combination of graduate education and specialized experience.
Specialized experience includes knowledge of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique; preparing and protecting the sterile field; sterilizer operations and tests; packaging, storage, and shelf life of sterile supplies; handling surgical instruments, supplies, and equipment; cleaning and rotating sterile supplies; and handling contaminated items and applying quality control, universal precautions, and infection-control procedures.
Applicants claiming education as a qualification basis must submit transcripts; education must be from an accredited institution and directly related where applicable.
Applicants must provide detailed resume descriptions of relevant duties, responsibilities, and hours worked to receive experience credit.
Selected applicants are subject to urinalysis drug screening, background and security investigation, and an online onboarding process.
Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
The position requires a one-year probationary period.
On-call availability is required.

Nice To Haves

Graduate of an accredited school of Surgical Technology.
At least one year of work as a surgical technician.
AST certification.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary scrub person, handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during surgical procedures across multiple specialties.
Set up and test surgical equipment and instrumentation, determine technical factors, and ensure supplies and equipment are available and functional before procedures.
Operate, troubleshoot, and adjust surgical equipment; perform nontechnical maintenance, cleaning, and pretreatment of reusable equipment and instrumentation; coordinate repairs of potentially hazardous equipment.
Plan and discuss procedures with surgical professionals and prepare the operating room, equipment, sterile items, and surgical area.
Assist nursing staff with room preparation and patient transfer to the operating room table; apply positioning aids and ensure patient positioning and safety measures are maintained.
Prepare, organize, and maintain complex sterile surgical setups; perform sponge and instrument counts with the circulating nurse and account for instruments and equipment during procedures.
Assist surgeons by preparing skin grafts and prostheses or surgical devices, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures.
Maintain the operating room and storage areas, assess equipment and supply needs, manage stock, order supplies through logistics, and put supplies away.
Recognize and correct potentially hazardous conditions, such as frayed cords or water on the floor.
Process instruments and supplies after surgery and cooperate with equipment inventory, trials, and procurement processes.
Provide guidance and support to health technicians, technical students, professional students, and novice scrub support staff, including demonstrating complex instrumentation.
Participate in quality improvement activities, continuing education, and development of cost-effective inventory practices.
Use universal precautions in all work functions.
Meet required on-call responsibilities.