Summary 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. Responsibilities Surgical Technician functions as primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, equipment during all surgical procedures such as thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery and 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, and other operating room supplies and equipment. Plans, anticipates need for unique specialty equipment and instrumentation, hyperthermia equipment, fracture tables; assures the surgical team of functioning equipment and assures proper lighting. Plans, discusses each procedure with surgical professionals and assures that all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure. Prepares, organizes and maintains highly complex sterile surgical set-ups to facilitate type of surgical procedure. Maintains the sterility of the environment and independently plans for easy access to emergency instruments and equipment. Scrubs on complex surgical procedures utilizing strict aseptic techniques. Assists in preparation, positioning, and draping of patients to facilitate safe surgical intervention. Observe and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedures and 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 and anticipates the surgeon's needs during the procedure. Recognizes non-verbal signals by the surgeon md responds quickly and appropriately. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Handles all specimens appropriately. Observes the surgical site continuously, remaining attentive for potential adverse situations/emergencies and breaks in sterile techniques/fields. In conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse (RN), performs sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy. Responsible for the accountability of all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure. Reports correct/incorrect counts to the surgeon. Assumes joint responsibility with the surgeon for tissue specimens, culture and hardware, assuring that critical specimen information is transmitted to the circulating nurse. Assists in training residents, medical student, nursing students, operating room technology students and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments and OR procedure to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. Independently recognizes and remedies errors in sterile technique. Provides guidance and support to other Surgical Technicians, professional and technical students of an approved surgical technology program. Lifts, moves and transport patients from surgical wards within the OR suite, recovery room and holding areas, assuring sate transport of the anxious, sedated/anesthetized patients. Safe transport includes being aware of drains. hemodynamic lines, IV's, pumps, catheters, and proper positioning and protection of the surgical wound and maintenance of O2 to support airway when indicated. Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Maintains complicated surgical equipment and instrumentation for assigned specialty areas, including inventory and establishment of levels for specialty supplies. Reviews and 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 and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials. constantly updates knowledge of new surgical procedures and equipment. Recognizes potentially hazardous equipment situations, (i.e., frayed cords, water on floor) and 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. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends. Other duties as assigned in addition to the above Work Schedule: Day tour of duty with on call and weekend requirements Position Description Title/PD#:Surgical Technician (OR) /30189A Physical Requirements: Extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending. lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeons. Must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time without relief. Must have good hearing, eyesight, and physical dexterity (especially with hands and fingers). Must know and practice good body mechanic in movement and lifting, e.g., heavy equipment, instrument trays, surgical packs, case carts, and patients during unconsciousness, etc. Requirements 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Required Documents" below for details. Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/31/2024. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education s described below: Applicants must meet the Individual Occupation Requirement and Specialized Experience/Education as stated below. Each of these items are separate requirements. Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) for Health Aid and Technician Series (0640): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. In addition to the IOR, candidates must also meet one of the following requirements: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Working in an operating room, assisting surgeons during medical procedures, setting up a sterile field with all required items for surgical procedures (i.e., air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices and other operating room (OR) supplies and equipment, etc.); Handling highly technical medical instruments during surgery; Using human anatomy, physiology and aseptic technique; Handling specimens correctly; Prepare and protect the sterile field during surgery; Work with complex surgical procedures and possible complications; Report observations and immediate procedural needs; Recognize emergent complications; Operate the sterilization machine and use of proper cleaning/sterile technique for high level disinfecting of instruments; Proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies and handling of contaminated items, quality control and personal hygiene; Implement infection control procedures; Store instruments and supplies properly to maintain sterility. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION: At grades GS-5 and above, a portion of the education is usually directly related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of related courses are provided in the individual occupational requirements where applicable. However, agencies may require other courses if they are considered to be more related to the position to be filled. NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. OR Combination of Experience & Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equal combination of specialized experience and graduate education. (Transcripts Required). ***PLEASE NOTE: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited based on time spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-07. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Preferred Experience: Previous experience in a Surgical Technician role preferred. Associates degree in Surgical Technology preferred. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of which are in stages unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeon. Incumbent must be dexterous in passing instruments to the surgeon without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education 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/. Additional Information "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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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/.