Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g.) Experience and/or Education Six (6) months of experience that demonstrates ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work, OR
• One (1) year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours of health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position, OR
• Equivalent combination of experience and education
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification
• None
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Creditable Experience Knowledge of Current MST Practices
• To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as a MST
• 3 Quality of Experience
• Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Grade Determinations: GS-06 (Full Performance Level) One year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• Examples of specialized experience include, but not limited to: Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing
• Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room
• Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the one year of specialized experience, applicants must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operation rooms and clinic settings
• Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures
• Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures
• Preferred Experience: Minimum of 3-5 years of hands-on experience in Sterile Processing within an accredited healthcare facility, preferably in a VA Medical Center or similar large hospital setting
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• Physical Requirements: Work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation), gastrointestinal intestinal endoscope reprocessing hub, and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus
• May be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted
• Requires proper body mechanics when standing for up to 8 hours per day and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages/instrument trays should height (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds)
• Requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation
• On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment
• The employee wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm
• Uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers, subject to burns form accidentally touching hot items
• The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gases are unknown
• Often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling
• Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or RME
• The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment
• Will require reading on a computer screen and other documents
• Corrected vision via glasses or contacts is appropriate and use of a hearing aid or other device to correct hearing to within normal adult frequencies is allowed and appropriate
• Use of fingers to type on computer keyboard, sign documents, etc
• is required.