Qualifications

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
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part
• 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
• Certification
• None
• Foreign Education
• To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U
• S
• programs 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)
• A Medical Supply Technician (MST) employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (May 28, 2014) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (3) Employees who are converted to Title 38 Hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements
• Grade Determinations: GS-08 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) Experience Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-08 you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7), THAT EQUATES TO AT LEAST THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A MEDICAL SUPPLY TECHNICIAN, operating room or surgical technician or other position attaining the knowledge, skills and aptitudes of the position
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Distributing and prioritizing workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specializations
• assuring an even workflow and distribution of the workload
• revising work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload
• assigning work to staff based on experience and training needs
• monitoring and reporting on the status of work
• reviewing work in progress or spot checking work not requiring review to ensure completed work meets supervisors' instructions on such things as work sequence, procedures, methods, and deadlines
• assessing the quality and quantity of work by reviewing the cleaning, reprocessing, and distribution of technical medical equipment, material and instrumentation
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1
• Ability to manage, interact, and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds
• 2
• Ability to direct staff, and manage tasks to be completed
• 3
• Ability to oversee and supervise all aspects of decontamination, preparation, sterilization, monitoring, and distribution of RME
• 4
• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties including but not limited to assigning, planning, and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues
• Preferred Experience: 1
• Instructions from a formal Sterile Processing course with a minimum of 400 hours of hands on experience
• 2
• Certification from International Association Healthcare Central Service Materials Management IAHCSMM or equivalent
• 3
• Basic Knowledge of Flexible Endoscopy
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• This position is above the full performance level
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-08
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.