This position is located at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, IL (578) - a Level 1a Complexity VHA Facility - and is organizationally aligned under Nursing Service. The primary purpose of this position is to provide assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Surgical Technician. Specialized experience includes utilizing knowledge of medical instruments, human anatomy, physiology, and aseptic technique to prepare and protect sterile field during surgery; exercising sterile technique to include sterilizer operations and tests to determine the effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during all surgical procedures; performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies; handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions and implementing infection control policies and procedures. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ~OR~ EDUCATION: Successfully completed one (1) full year of graduate education (18 semester hours) or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ["Duties include but are not limited to: Provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures; assist the team members with care of patient, I. E., positioning, prepping and obtaining supplies; prepares procedures and surgical devices during procedures. Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as: endovascular, open heart, thoracic, major vascular, neurosurgery, microsurgery, transplantation, gynecology, urology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, a full range of general surgery cases, minimally invasive procedures, and orthopedic surgery; Set up sterile field with all required items for each procedure such as air powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room supplies and equipment. Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical procedure; Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical team to ensure all supplies and equipment are available prior to surgical procedures; Provides guidance and support to professional staff during surgical procedures; observes and responds promptly to each stage of the surgical procedure and anticipates the needs of the surgeon by maintaining a high level of concentration for extended period of time. Handles all specimens appropriately; Understands the proper procedure and safety precautions for disinfecting surgical instruments; utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment; Performs non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions; Recognizes potentially hazardous situations and takes corrective action; Assesses equipment needs and maintains adequate stock of supplies and materials; Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm Monday thru Friday with rotating holidays and weekends as needed. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD09282A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.