Summary The Surgical Health Technician is a member of the surgical team who provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Health Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team and the registered nurse. The position falls under the Operating Room (OR) section within the Nursing Service. Responsibilities Position Description / PD#: Surgical Technician / PD24043-A Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, Rotating call WHEN hours Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Handles instruments, supplies, specimens, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as General Surgery, Thoracic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, Robotic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Microsurgery, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Urology, Oral Surgery, Gynecology, and Orthopedic Surgery. Independently sets up the 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, endovascular AAA equipment, ultrasound equipment, fluoroscopic equipment, and other major and minor operating room supplies and equipment. Plans and 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. Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all 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 periods of time. Suggests alternative supplies/instruments if necessary due to unique unforeseen intraoperative occurrences. Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment. Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e., transporting the patient to surgery, PACU, outpatient units and wards, or positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies. Functions as a second circulator for complex surgical procedures. Assists the pulmonologist during the performance of fiberoptic bronchoscopy with fine needle aspiration, bronchial brushings, and biopsy. Possesses the knowledge and skills to identify diseased or malignant tissue as related to the pulmonary mucosa of the bronchial tree for both the left and right lungs. The technician will also be responsible for the evaluation of the technical capability and potential for the application of new equipment after having prepared the standing operating procedures for its use. Handles all specimens appropriately as they pertain to the body cavity from which they were procured. An example is that the technician would use the appropriate fixative agent for lung tissue when retrieved via a bronchial endoscopic procedure to ensure that the integrity of the specimen remains intact for laboratory/pathology examination. 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 and follows OR policy in the safe handling of sharps and sponges. Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, cutting sutures, preparing prosthetic devices for delivery to the sterile field, and handling of instruments. Possesses the knowledge and skills to operate the intra-operative fluoroscopy table that is used for urological procedure to ensure that the patient receives the appropriate care as it relates to correct site, organ, and anatomical structures for the surgical patient. Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, operating room technology students, and newly hired OR staff in aseptic/sterile techniques, maintenance of the sterile field, and handling of instruments. Updates personal knowledge regarding current trends in surgical technology through continuous education courses. Performs non-technical maintenance on equipment to ensure proper operation prior to usage. Maintains surgical work area by routinely cleaning area and removing outdated/expired items. Collaborates with Supply Chain Management and Sterile Processing Service to ensure an adequate amount and type of supplies are always available. Additional clinical skills performed under minimum direct surgeon supervision include: assist the surgeon in draping the patient, assists in keeping the operative site dry, affords the surgeon the best operative exposure of the anatomy, expedites the operative procedure by anticipating the needs of the surgeon and performs other related duties as needed (i.e., shave preps, patient positioning, patient draping, and final prepping). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. 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 (07/11/2024). You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: a. 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. 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. b. Education: 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. 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. c. Combining Experience and Education: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience are also qualifying. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. English Language Proficiency Requirement: In accordance with 38 USC 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. 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/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement 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.