Surgical Technician

This position is located within the Nursing, Operations Service at the Montana VA Health Care System, and works with the surgical and endoscopy team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the Surgical Nurse Manager.

Qualifications:To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): The Health Aid and Technician Series 0640 has a minimum qualification entry requirement:

• Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. AND,

GS-06 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: knowledge of technical medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology and aseptic technique to prepare and protect the sterile field during surgery; knowledge of sterile technique must include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage and shelf life; knowledge of manufacturer's instruction for use, proper cleaning techniques and the types of detergents to use on various Reusable Medical Equipment (RME); knowledge of proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies, handling of contaminated items, quality control measures and the importance of personal hygiene in relation to infection prevention; in-depth knowledge of universal precautions and ability to implement infection control policies and procedures; knowledge of surgical procedures and potential complications in order to prepare for the procedure, to anticipate the needs of the surgical team, to respond with speed and accuracy and to report observations and immediate procedural needs to the RN circulator; thorough knowledge of appropriate nomenclature, purpose, physical characteristics, function and reprocessing procedures (as applicable) for surgical supplies, instrumentation and equipment; skill with appropriate medication dosages and proper use of all medications administered from the sterile field; sufficient knowledge of anatomy, physiology and protocol to select the correct instrumentation for a procedure, to anticipate the needs of the surgeon during the procedure, and on a regular and recurring basis, to recognize and respond to a variety of critical situations, including emergency and life-threatening conditions; knowledge of pathology and the proper care and handling of specimens are essential for the prevention of damage to or loss of specimens and eventual diagnosis; knowledge and skill necessary for proper handling of prosthesis; knowledge of operations and function of all surgical instruments, supplies and equipment; knowledge of proper postoperative decontamination procedures; knowledge of surgical equipment, instrumentation and supply setup; understanding of safe patient positioning and draping techniques; skill to prepare the operating room for surgery and enough knowledge of surgical procedures and terminology and manual dexterity to pass instruments to the surgeon; knowledge of endoscopy operations, case set-up and functions of all endoscopy equipment, supplies, instruments; knowledge of proper postprocedural decontamination procedures and proper handling of RMD when transporting to SPD; knowledge of concepts and applicability of The Joint Commission, Occupational Safety and Administration (OSHA), Veterans Affairs (VA) and all other safety and occupational health regulations to assure compliance, or to provide methods for bringing medical center surgical programs into compliance with applicable regulations; effective communication skills to interact with physicians, co-workers, patients, patient's families, manufacturer representatives and another medical center personnel. OR,
Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level. Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. OR,
Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-06 level. Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate level education, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position, and must have been obtained in an accredited college or university.
To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-06. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.Education:Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.Employment Type: FULL_TIME