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
• English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Experience and/or Education: Experience: Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• OR 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 Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U
• S
• programs
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates: GS-03 Experience or Education (Entry Level) None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-04 Experience or Education: (Developmental Level) Experience: Six months experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting
• OR Education: Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation
• NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• GS-05 Experience or Education: (Developmental Level) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS 4)
• OR Education: Four academic years above high school leading to a Bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings
• Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility
• Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• GS-06 Experience: (Full Performance Level) One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS 5)
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating 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
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 6
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 3 to GS 6
• References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/83 PART II APPENDIX G47The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-03 to GS-06
• Physical Requirements: Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes incumbent to biohazards, hazardous chemicals, and hazardous medications common in a health care environment
• Such exposure will be mitigated, in accordance with local policies and operating procedures, as per USP800 standards, OSHA guidance, and local risk assessment practices
• Standard safety precautions and PPE are required and specified per local policies
• 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 25 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, and 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
• In the performance of official duties, the employee must be able to utilize office automation equipment, personal computers, bar code scanners, fax and copier machines and CENSITRAC software programs, and possesses the ability to apply skills to ever changing office/inventory technologies
• The employee must be proficient in utilizing the CENSITRAC and other VA automated systems.