Medical Supply Tech (Sterile Processing)

The position is within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) in Sterile Processing Services (SPS).

The primary purpose of the technician is to clean, decontaminate, inspect, and perform quality assurance and inventory functions; prepare instruments for sterilization; and sterilize and/or disinfect medical instruments, surgical instruments, and other reusable medical devices (RMD).

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

At the GS-6 level, the incumbent functions with substantial independence in carrying out the full range of SPS duties and is expected to resolve routine workflow and technical issues using SPS procedures, manufacturer IFUs, prior training, and accepted standard practices. Duties include but are not limited to:

1. Decontamination (manual and automated cleaning):

• Collects and receives all used, soiled reusable critical and semi-critical RMD using appropriate PPE and infection-control procedures to prevent cross-contamination of equipment and personnel during collection and transport.
• Performs systematic manual and automated cleaning, disinfection, and decontamination of instrumentation and medical equipment using ultrasonic cleaners, washer/disinfectors, cart washers, automated endoscope reprocessors, electrical conductivity testing devices, and other approved SPS equipment.

2. Quality Assurance and Safety:

• Conducts thorough inspection of RMD and instrumentation for cleanliness, damage, deterioration, rust, pitting, cracks, dullness, imperfections, and functional problems that could affect patient care.
• Performs and documents quality assurance testing for equipment and reprocessing operations, including mechanical, chemical, and biological monitoring, daily operational checks, and required sterilization or high level disinfection records.

3. Preparation, Inspection, and Packaging:

• Examines items after cleaning to ensure gross contamination has been removed and determines whether additional decontamination is required before the item proceeds in the workflow.
• Assembles a full range of basic, intermediate, and complex trays and sets used throughout the medical center, including those used in the operating room and specialized clinical areas.

4. Sterilization:

• Determines the appropriate sterilization method and
• Loads, operates, and unloads sterilizers such as steam and approved low-temperature sterilization systems, as well as high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors, following required procedures and documentation standards.

5. Storage, Distribution, and Inventory Support:

• Stores sterile items in accordance with inventory system and storage guidelines and rotates stock appropriately, including first-in, first-out practices where applicable.
• Distributes items according to established requirements, special requests, daily schedules, or individual requisitions and ensures timely delivery to end users.

6. Training, Customer Service, and Administrative Requirements:

• Precepts and assists with training and orientation of less experienced SPS staff in routine decontamination, preparation, packaging, sterilization, distribution, and equipment use procedures.
• Obtains and maintains national sterile processing certification within the required period and completes continuing education or renewal requirements necessary to keep the certification current.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 554-56360A

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.
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.

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

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-6:
Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experienceabove, 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.

Preferred Experience: 2 years of sterile processing experience. Experience processing reusable medical devices (RMD) at a Level 1 Trauma Center. Experience processing flexible endoscopes for GI.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy and the actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-6.

Physical Requirements: This work is performed in multiple settings, including decontamination, preparation, clean/sterile supply (preparation and packaging), 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, or poorly lighted. The employee is exposed to a risk of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries related to material-handling equipment. The position requires frequent talking, frequent bending, and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing up to 50 pounds). Standing for more than 8 hours per shift, as well as pushing, pulling, and lifting throughout the shift, is required.

The work requires dexterity and visual and auditory acuity to manipulate, disassemble, and assemble 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, which can be uncomfortably warm. Insulated gloves are used to remove carts from sterilizers, and the employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items.

The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gases are unknown. Technicians may be exposed to fumes from various high-level disinfectants and cleaning chemicals and are periodically monitored and tested for exposure to certain hazardous chemicals. The employee often works around body fluids, mucus, excretions, and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling. Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered when decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical devices (RMD). The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, the rumbling of carts, and the operation of pre-sterilization 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.
• 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.