Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/04/2024. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. English Language Proficiency: Medical Support Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Experience and/or Education (1) Experience: Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant’s ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or (2) Education: One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Grade Determinations: GS-08: Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level which are: 1. Ability to instruct staff on the correct procedures and protocols for completing assignments. 2. Skill in communicating with staff to ensure compliance with written directives, rules and regulations. 3. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. 4. Knowledge of sterility principles in order to instruct staff on decontamination procedures. 5. Ability to lead individuals, manage priorities, and schedule work assignments. Candidate must also demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds. 2. Ability to direct staff and manage tasks to be completed. 3. Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME. 4. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues. NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Excepted Service. This is not a Bargaining Unit position. Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans’ preference for this job announcement. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA Boston campuses and assist with Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) support during periods of required coverage. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Assignment. The Supervisory MST functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work. Oversees attendance and leave, including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules. Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. Recommends promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance, retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel. Holds corrective interviews with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management. Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters. Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit. References: VA Handbook 5005/83, Part II, Appendix G47, Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Qualification Standard GS-0622. The GS-08 is above the full performance level for this vacancy. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-08. Physical Requirements: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work 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. The employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. The employee 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 reusable medical equipment. The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment. The incumbent will be responsible for promoting a culture of safety and will fully cooperate in efforts to improve patient safety and eradicate potential events including the reporting of events resulting in actual or potential injury to a patient. Incumbent must demonstrate knowledge of the reporting procedures involving safety issues relating to patients.
This Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) position is in Nursing service at the VA Boston Healthcare System, located at the West Roxbury, MA campus. This position is a full-time at 40 per week. .