Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing)-Trainer

The primary purpose of this position is to provide training for all Sterile Processing Services (SPS) staff, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Will provide hands on training and competency to all SPS staff covering the entire process from decontamination, assembly, sterilization, scope reprocessing and distribution of critical and semi-critical Reusable Medical Device (RMD) throughout medical center and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC).

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to:

• The Trainer is responsible for developing formal and informal written plans for SPS training program, in compliance with accreditation organizations and VHA-specific requirements as well as medical center policies and procedures for SPS.
• Improves SPS processes by facilitating the application for new technology of reusable medical devices by training all new and existing staff.
• Develops, monitors, and revise SPS educational programs for both new and existing staff and as required to meet new directives and training goals.
• Documents and assess staff's training, to identify areas of strength and need.
• Develops an education plan (literature review, continuing education, in-services, certification and/or formal education) to maintain and improve knowledge in specialized areas of processing RMD.
• Serve as a formal or informal preceptor and/or mentor to staff and as a subject matter expert (SME) point of contact.
• Participates in tracking, trending and analyzing training, competency and education data for quality assurance reports to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Identifies opportunities for improvement, makes recommendations and/or prepares reports based on findings.
• Develops and conducts the annual review of the SPS preceptor program.
• Develops a plan for follow-up training as indicated to achieve competency.
• Coordinate with Service Chief/Assistant Chief, Supervisors, RMD coordinator, Quality Assurance RN and other subject matter experts to schedule training presenters as necessary.
• Conducts continual and annual staff competency review for all SPS staff. Ensures all staff are competent on each SOP ensuring all are completed on time as required by directive and/or Chief, SPS.
• Must be able to train SPS personnel and communicate effectively.
• Must possess the knowledge and skills to train staff to accurately and meticulously decontaminate, process and sterilize a wide variety of complex, medical, surgical, endoscopic and dental devices.
• Balances the training needs among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization and assures timely accomplishment of the assigned training and tasks.
• Monitors and reports the status and progress of training and adjusts curriculum according to established priorities, weekly.
• Maintains current knowledge of policies, directives, HSPA guidelines as well as knowledge of ANSI/AAMI and AORN Standards.
• Incumbent is a resource for Medical Supply Technicians (MST) in the loading and operation of sterilizers such as Steam, Steris V-Pro and High-Level disinfecting process as well as reprocessing of endoscopes.
• Will accommodate special and emergent training requirements through consultation and coordination with medical/surgical professional staff.
• Will complete all other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Variable
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)
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: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 554-608420
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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:
  • Experience: Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work;
    • or
  • 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
  • Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Certification: None.

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-07:

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
  • Practical knowledge of conventional fact-finding or investigative techniques in order to evaluate internal work processes.
  • Skill to develop, analyze and evaluate facts relative to unsatisfactory conditions or trends.
  • Knowledge of and skill in applying various methods and techniques for investigating, analyzing and recommending corrective action on complex quality problems.
  • Knowledge of the SPS policies and procedural manuals, infection control procedures, and accrediting agencies and quality assurance guidelines to assure appropriateness of work during quality assurance reviews.
  • Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and other software programs.
  • Thorough knowledge of aseptic principles and techniques, which include sterilized operations, sterilizer mediums, and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing to ensure staff compliance with written directives, rules and regulations.

Preferred Experience: Sterile Processing, Procedural experience, trainer/educator experience, Endoscope reprocessing and use

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a 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 lighted. 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. The work involves repetitive motion at times during the manual cleaning process of RMD.
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 lint free gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items. May be subject to contact dermatitis from frequent handwashing and potential contact with cleaning agents. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and tiny amounts 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, equipment alarms, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment. Periods of computer use with repetitive motion.
This position may require occasional travel away from the duty station. This position may attend VHA sponsored educational training or certification courses.
Incumbent will be responsible for promoting a culture of safety and will fully cooperate in efforts to improve patient safety and eradicate potential events including the reporting of events resulting in actual or potential injury to a patient. Incumbent must demonstrate knowledge of the reporting procedures involving safety issues relating to patients.
This position potentially requires flexibility in schedule and assignments, as this is a 24/7 hospital. Required to rotate among various assignments. May work a variety of tours to ensure departmental, training, staffing and patient care needs are met. Off tours, weekend and holiday work which is an unsupervised tour is required to ensure adequate coverage and to meet RMD directives. May be on call at any time as required by management.

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.