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Surgical Technician is an integral member of the surgical team and provide, assistance to surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures ranging from local anesthesia cases (biopsies and excision,) to vascular and micro-vascular surgery, including ear, hand. facial, and vascular reconstruction. Must be prepared to adapt to new procedures in a changing surgical environment participating with surgical team planning and implementing complex procedures under supervision of surgical team.
05/02/2025 to 05/23/2025
$54,365 - $70,678 per year
GS 7
2 vacancies in the following location:
No
No
Not required
No
Permanent
Full-time
Competitive
None
No
Yes
CBTG-12732456-25-TMB
836385200
U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
Federal employees whose job, agency or department was eliminated and are eligible for priority over other applicants.
ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.
Surgical Technician functions as primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, equipment during all surgical procedures such as thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery & total joint replacement surgery. He/she set up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopic, lasers. arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording device, & other operating room supplies & equipment. Plans, anticipates need for unique specialty equipment & instrumentation, hyperthermia equipment, fracture tables; assures the surgical team of functioning equipment & assures proper lighting.
Plans, discusses each procedure with surgical professionals & assures that all supplies & equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure. Prepares, organizes & maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups to facilitate type of surgical procedure. Maintains the sterility of the environment & independently plans for easy access to emergency instruments & equipment.
Scrubs on complex surgical procedures utilizing strict aseptic techniques. Assists in preparation, positioning, & draping of patients to facilitate safe surgical intervention. Observe & responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedures & anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended period- of time. ls proficient in handing instruments/equipment to the surgeon & anticipates the surgeon's needs during the procedure. Recognizes non-verbal signals by the surgeon md responds quickly & appropriately.
Utilizes universal precautions & follows all infection control policies & procedures when handling specimens, supplies, & equipment. Handles all specimens appropriately. Observes the surgical site continuously, remaining attentive for potential adverse situations/emergencies & breaks in sterile techniques/fields.
Conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse (RN), performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments & equipment during the surgical procedure. Reports correct/incorrect counts to the surgeon. Assumes joint responsibility with the surgeon for tissue specimens, culture & hardware, assuring that critical specimen information is transmitted to the circulating nurse.
Assists in training residents, medical student, nursing students, operating room technology students & new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments & OR procedure to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. Independently recognizes & remedies errors in sterile technique. Provides guidance & support to other Surgical Technicians, professional & technical students of an approved surgical technology program.
Lifts, moves & transport patients from surgical wards within the OR suite, recovery room & holding areas, assuring sate transport of the anxious, sedated/anesthetized patients. Safe transport includes being aware of drains. hemodynamic lines, IV's, pumps, catheters, & proper positioning & protection of the surgical wound & maintenance of O2 to support airway when indicated.
Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Maintains complicated surgical equipment & instrumentation for assigned specialty areas, including inventory & establishment of levels for specialty supplies. Reviews & revises instrument sets to provide adequate instrumentation, deleting unnecessary items to avoid duplication. Assures that instruments are in good working order. Continually assesses equipment needs & maintains adequate stock of supplies & materials. constantly updates knowledge of new surgical procedures & equipment. Recognizes potentially hazardous equipment situations, (i.e., frayed cords, water on floor) & takes corrective action.
Assists surgical team members in quality improvement activities. As time permits, works closely with OR RN staff to develop educational programs for presentation to peers.
Other duties as assigned in addition to the above
Work Schedule: Day tour of duty with on call and weekend requirements
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD30189A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
"Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act."
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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:
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12732456. The application process is as follows:
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required assessments and documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued, and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.
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.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/836385200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.