Advanced Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)

The incumbent serves as the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) Advanced Medical Supply Technician (MST) for the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center (JJP VAMC) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri under the Associate Director, Patient Care Services (ADPCS).

Assigned Duties:

• The incumbent serves as the Sterile Processing Services (SPS) Advanced Medical Supply Technician (MST) for the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center (JJP VAMC) in Poplar Bluff, Missouri under the Associate Director, Patient Care Services (ADPCS).
• SPS provides support to JJP VAMC and Cape Girardeau Health Care Center (HCC). The incumbent at the GS-07 advanced level holds and maintains certifications for Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), and Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS).
• Certification is a condition of this grade level, failure to maintain certification will result in demotion to the next lower grade level.
• The Advanced MST assembles highly complex instrument sets including, but not limited to, major orthopedic, major surgical, and complex endoscopic instrumentation.
• Processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those medical devices used in the gastroenterology, bronchoscopy, urology, and operating room.
• Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating, and sterilizing reusable medical equipment (RME).
• Trouble shoots and analyzes mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment.
• Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures (SOP) or instruction for use have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to meet all guidelines.
• The incumbent will provide sterilization, preparation, supply items, and reusable medical equipment decontamination and distribution support for the medical center.
• The term "supply item" as used in this functional statement refers to disposable and reusable items for patient care including instrumentation (scissors, forceps, retractors, etc.), reusable medical equipment (suction machines infusion pumps, etc.), surgical trays and sets and various other items that could be processed or assembled through the
  Preparation and Decontamination areas of Sterile Processing Service.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:00am- 4:30pm
Functional Statement #: 000000

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.

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: GS-7

(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:

• Detailed knowledge of complex surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.
• Ability to assemble specialty operating room and clinic instrument sets.
• In-depth knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment.
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing in order to convey information and thoughts to others.

(c) Assignment. The Advanced MST assembles highly complex instrument sets including, but not limited to, open heart, major orthopedic total joint, cardiovascular, craniotomy and complex endoscopic instrumentation. Processes all complex endoscopic instrumentation to include those
medical devices used in the gastroenterology laboratory, bronchoscopy laboratory, urology and operating room. Reviews manufacturer guidelines to ensure the correct methods and parameters are followed when cleaning, decontaminating and sterilizing RME. Troubleshoots and analyzes mechanical failures and makes necessary adjustments to complex decontamination and sterilization equipment, as well as interprets alarm conditions which may occur while operating the equipment. Informs management and healthcare staff when cleaning and processing standard operating procedures (SOPs) or instruction for use have been changed or updated to assure the changes have been validated to
meet all guidelines.


Preferred Experience: At least 1 year experience VA SPS. Obtained the following HSPA Certifications:
Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST), Certified Endoscope Reprocessor (CER), and Certified Instrument Specialist (CIS)

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-7.

Physical Requirements:

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 lit. 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 50 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, 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 gases 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.

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/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 examination.
• 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 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.