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Summary The Surgical Technician (ST) is a member of the Iowa City VA Health Care Surgical Team and and is under the direct supervision of the Clinical Manager of the Operating Room. The Surgical Technician provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. The Surgical Technician participates with the surgical team members in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgical team. Responsibilities The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Duties include: Provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures; Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical team to ensure all supplies and equipment are available prior to surgical procedures; Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies and equipment; Prepares, organizes and maintains highly complex sterile surgical setups; Provides guidance and support to professional staff during surgical procedures; Understands the proper procedure and safety precautions for disinfecting surgical instruments; 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: Monday - Friday / 7am - 3:30pm, plus call Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD50535A, PD50469A, and PD50470A Telework: Not Authorized Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit Status: Yes, AFGE/1272. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-4 Qualification(s): At least six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience. General experience is (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area (anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc.) of the occupation. Specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-03 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: sterilizing required items for procedures; utilizing medical terminology in order to communicate with health care providers and team members and follow instructions; assisting team members during surgical procedures. OR, Education: Successfully completed 2 years of study above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects that include courses directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education above high school (beyond 1 year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. GS-5 Qualification(s): One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: assisting with the preparation and protection of sterile fields during surgery; reviewing and testing instruments and equipment prior to procedures to ensure equipment works; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during surgical procedures; assisting team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and transportation to and from the OR. OR, Education: Successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the Surgical Technician position such as anatomy and physiology, surgical technology, aseptic techniques, etc. OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. GS-6 Qualification(s): One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to: assisting with the preparation and protection of sterile fields during surgery; monitoring and maintaining aseptic techniques throughout surgical procedures; handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during 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; assisting team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and transportation to and from the OR. OR, Education: Successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 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. OR, Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. Preferred Experience: Surgical Scrub Tech experience Procedural experience 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. 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. 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. Additional Information The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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.