Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

Videos

The Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes. Prepares operating room case carts.

Other duties may include but are not limited to:

• Receives contaminated instruments from the operating rooms, dental clinics, endoscopy, nursing units, eye clinics, wound care, podiatry and inspects these items for damage and ensures that they are in good working condition. The technician determines correct method for decontamination and cleaning per the manufacturer's instructions. Removes blood, tissue, bone fragments, body fluids, and other contaminants by soaking, scrubbing, brushing, rinsing and use of ultrasonic equipment.
• Disassembles, and inspects for damage reusable medical supplies, instruments, and equipment.
• Determines correct method for manual cleaning and disinfection. Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other gross contaminants by wiping, soaking, rinsing, scrubbing, and use of ultrasound equipment. Loads and operates washer disinfector, cart washer and sterilizers.
• Removes items from washer/disinfector and determines type of tray or set to assemble based on recognition of key items and the operating room and clinic schedules.
• Examines items to ensure that gross contamination has been removed.
• Assembles sets and trays by selecting appropriate tray and arranging instruments in the tray in the correct manner.
• Selects correct sterilizing medium and cycles and operates sterilizer.
• Periodically monitors operation of sterilizer with prescribed tests.
• Disassembles, cleans, lubricates, reassembles, and sterilizes dental handpieces and numerous dental specialty instruments and trays. All instruments are processed per manufacturer's guidelines.
• Properly loads and operates sterilizers such as Steam, and hydrogen peroxide gas plasma. He/she selects correct sterilization method for items to be sterilized.
• Monitors performance of sterilizers for quality control by conducting bacteriological tests (bacillus stearothermophilus spores for evaluation of steam and bacillus subtillis for evaluation of hydrogen peroxide gas plasma sterilizers). The bacteria challenge tests are properly recorded.
• Properly documents load contents on sterilization records.
• Receives periodic training in such areas as the use and functioning of new medical, dental and surgical instruments, and equipment. This is accomplished by scheduled training sessions that include instructional webinars, lectures, demonstrations, and keeping abreast of new developments and techniques by reading sterilization periodic journals and literature and maintaining communications with manufacturer representatives.

Incumbent must possess and maintain a current valid state drivers license. The employee will drive a government vehicle for the sole purpose of disposing of reusable medical equipment (RME) from Community Based Clinics to the main campus. This may involve highways and city traffic in excess of 100 miles per day.
Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 0800-1630
Telework: Not Available
Functional Statement #: PD53553-A, PD53554-A, PD53555-A, and PD53556-A

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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

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
(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.

Certification.
None.

Grandfathering Provision.
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).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.

English Language Proficiency.
MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.

Grade Determinations The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates

GS-03 (Entry Level)
(a) Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.
(b) Assignment. This is an entry level MST position. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

GS-04 (Developmental Level)
(a) 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
(b) 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.
(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

1. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
2. Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets.
3. Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.
4. Ability to communicate both orally and in writing.

(d) Assignment. This is a developmental level MST position. Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME). Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center. Operates equipment involved in sterilization processes. Prepares operating room case carts. MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision.

GS-05 (Developmental Level)
(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level; or
(b) 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.
(c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
2. Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regards to sterility.
3. Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.

(d) Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position. 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.

GS-06 (Full Performance Level)
(a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
(b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
2. Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.
3. Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures.
4. Knowledge of sterility principles in regards to instrumentation.
5. Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures.

(c) Assignment. This is the full performance level for the occupation. Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well. Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method, such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical washers, cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents, as determined by manufacturer instructions. Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high level disinfecting scope reprocessors. Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.

Preferred Experience:

• 1 year experience as a sterile processing or scrub tech, outpatient or hospital setting
• Preferred if applicant has knowledge for instrument tracking systems (ITS)
• Attention to detail

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-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-3 to GS-6.

Physical Requirements: Work is performed in decontamination, preparation, clean supply areas, and other hospital departments. Conditions may be hot, cold, drafty, or poorly lit. The role requires standing and walking for the full shift, frequent bending, and lifting up to 50 pounds. Dexterity and visual acuity are needed for handling and assembling instruments. The employee regularly moves between contaminated and clean environments and must wear required protective equipment, which may be warm or uncomfortable. There is exposure to hot surfaces, strong or unpleasant odors, body fluids, and noisy equipment. These requirements align with VA Directive/Handbook 5019.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.