Health Aid and Technician (Surgical Technician)
What you'd do
This position is located at the Tampa VA Healthcare System, within the Nursing Perioperative Service Line. The Surgical Technician is a member of the surgical team responsible for assisting the surgeon within the operating room environment. The position is an integral team member in planning and implementing complex procedures under the general supervision of the surgeon. The Health Technician is responsible for all aspects of technical preparation and participation in surgical procedures.
Major duties
Duties include but are not limited to: Prepares and maintains the surgical area; Maintains proficiency in scrubbing for all operative procedures within the scope of the operating room responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures; Assists the team members with care of the patient, i.e., positioning, prepping, and obtaining supplies; Sets 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, robotic equipment, and other 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 setups; Assists and anticipate the surgeon's needs by performing such procedures as preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples, and cutting sutures; Prepares prosthesis and surgical devices during 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; Utilizes universal precautions and follows all infection control policies and procedures when handling specimens, supplies, and equipment; Accounts for all surgical instruments and equipment during the surgical procedure; Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, operating room technology students, and new Operating Room (OR) staff in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and OR procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures; Assist in positioning, preparation, and draping procedure; Performs simple wound closure as directed by the surgeon; Handles all specimens appropriately to ensure accurate identification/maintenance of specimens; Cleans instruments, equipment, and room as appropriate when procedure is completed. Ensures proper disposal of instruments, linen, trash, needles, sponges, and all biomedical waste; Assists in the implementation and utilization of the Generic Inventory Package to maintain adequate surgical supplies; Assists with preparing daily surgery schedules, ordering case carts, case scheduling duties, telephone calls, entering work orders, and monitoring the OR Front Desk, updating physician preference cards; Functions as an expert resource for equipment set-up, operation, and maintenance. Troubleshoots equipment as needed; Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:30am - 5:00pm or 8:30am - 7:00pm, Flexibility as needed Compressed/Flexible: n/a Telework: n/a Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Health Aid and Technician (Surgical Technician)/PD066160 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 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: Individual Occupational Requirements: 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 you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Setting up sterile fields; determining technical factors, setting controls with required items for procedures 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; sterilizing operations and testing to determine sterilization methods to be used; receiving and interpreting request for procedure; securing patients' confidence and cooperation; assisting surgical staff with or performing diagnostic tests and procedures; positioning patients for procedures; handling and coordinating clerical/administrative support functions; performing personal patient care; teaching patients proper health care practices; and maintaining medical records and documents test results. Previous experience in working under microscope using aseptic technique to deliver required instrumentation to physician for use in the procedure; experience and understanding of the biological physiology of disease conditions that requires surgical intervention; experience in responding to acute trauma injuries in the operating room. OR Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-07 level. One (1) full year of graduate education related to the field to meet the requirements for the GS-7 level. 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. 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. NOTE: A transcript (unofficial or official) must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Applications submitted without this information will not be considered. OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-07 level. 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: Current (over the last 1-2 years) Surgical Technician Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or Non-VA clinical care sites and possession of a valid driver's license may be required.
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