Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (COVID-19 - VA 002) in-accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3304(a)(3) and 5 CFR 337.205(b)(1)-(4).

This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 30, 2023. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 4th, 2022, with subsequent dates every two weeks. Eligible applications will be referred at regular intervals until position is filled.

Major duties consist of the following:

• Sets up the sterile field with all required items for each procedure, such as robotic equipment, air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment.
• Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and ensures that all supplies and equipment are available before the surgical procedure.
• Prepares, organizes, and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups.
• Observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining mental focus for extended periods.
• Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment.
• Assists the team members with the care of the veteran, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies.
• Handles all specimens appropriately.
• In conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse (RN), performs soft goods, sharps, and instrument counts to prevent retention of surgical items and verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure.
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, and cutting sutures. Prepares prostheses and surgical devices during operations and calibrates instruments/equipment in the sterile field.
• Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, operating room technology students, and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and OR procedures, including the scrub role in surgical procedures.
• Functions as a runner for complex surgical procedures under the direct supervision of an RN.
• Assists circulating nurse with veteran care during each phase of perioperative interventions, such as gathering equipment and supplies, opening sterile items, setting up the surgical field, veteran transferring and positioning, providing comfort measures, monitoring and maintaining sterility pre- and intra-operatively, staying inside the OR from the time of sterile field set-up to the time of veteran transfer out of the OR to ensure the integrity of the sterile environment, and participating in veteran care activities related to induction of and emerging from anesthesia.
• Functions as laser technician (operator) within the operating room environment monitoring compliance with the organization's policy and procedures, supervising usage and safety, documenting treatment parameters, and reporting any adverse outcomes to Nurse Manager and Laser Safety Officer.
• Maintains Equipment and Work Areas
• Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions.
• Maintains OR area.
• Assesses equipment needs and maintains an adequate stock of supplies and materials.
• Recognizes potentially hazardous situations (e.g., frayed cords and water on the floor) and takes corrective action.
• Collaborates with engineering and biomedical services, promoting the use and maintenance of VA property safely that preserves the equipment.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirements
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.

GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-6 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: utilizing knowledge of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique to prepare and protect sterile field during surgery; exercising sterile technique to include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures; performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies; handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures, etc

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-07 level. Applicants may substitute graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. 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-07. 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.

Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience in operating room scrubbing in ANY of the following surgical specialties: General Surgery, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, Cardio-Thoracic, Vascular, Ophthalmology, ENT, Urology, Neurosurgery, and Podiatry.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.