Surgical Technician at Grand Junction

JOB SUMMARY:

Vacancy ID: 950566 

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise – “To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” – by serving and honoring the men and women who are America’s Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs employees who possess the energy, compassion, and commitment to serve those who served our Country. Whatever the job title, every position in VA will give you a chance to make a meaningful and personal contribution to the lives of truly special and deserving people - our Veterans. VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. Working for VA is one of the most emotionally satisfying and professionally rewarding ways to dedicate the best within you to your Countrys service. If you are transitioning from the military or a Veteran already, we invite you to explore the benefits of continuing your career at the VA. The VA is committed to hiring Veterans.

The VA is much more than just another employer. It is an honorable, open and welcoming community of those who care. Gratitude is our motivation and service is our mission.

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define “who we are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence (“I CARE”).

Americas Veterans need you! To find out more, go to http://www.va.gov/jobs/.

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job.
• You will be subject to a background/suitability investigation.

DUTIES:Back to top

The location of this position is in Patient Care Services at the VA Medical Center in Grand Junction, CO.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide assistance to the surgeon and other team members in designated areas (i.e., OR suite and surgical clinics).
• Transport patients pre-operatively and post-operatively and procure needed supplies, drugs, blood, reports, and equipment.
• Functions as primary scrub technician on all surgical procedures, handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures such as thoracic, vascular, orthopedic, EENT, etc.
• Participates in the perioperative role by evaluating the needs of the surgical patient and assisting in patient positioning and preparation of specialized support equipment necessary for the most complex surgical procedure.
• Actively participates with the RN in developing a plan to meet the needs and expectation of the various surgical teams.
• Practices principles of sterile technique, preparing instrumentation independently and without direct supervision, utilizing aseptic technique, maintaining a sterile field intra-operatively.
• Identifies and/or takes action to correct actual or potential safety hazards concerning infection control, equipment malfunction, e.g. when setting up complex computerized systems such as endoscopy tower must be cognizant of deviations that could be potentially hazardous to the patient.
• Performs patient care as directed/assigned i.e., shaves patients according to protocol; transports patients to and from the OR using safe transport techniques.
• Assists the surgeon by performing such procedures such as suctioning, holding retractors (applying skin staples) and cutting sutures.
• Anticipates, detects, and responds to deviations from normal in the patients, which can result in an emergent situation.
• Assists in training residents, medical students, nursing students, surgical technology students, and new OR staff in operating equipment, sterile technique, handling instruments, and OR procedures (including the scrub role in surgical procedures).
• Identifies, initiates, and implements new preference cards/new case cart systems, working independently with Sterile Processing Department (SPD), following policy and procedure e.g. when new procedures are performed personnel are able to project possible equipment, specialty instruments that might be utilized and are able to assimilate that knowledge and set  up case carts, which entails identifying expendable soft goods, instrument sets, technological support, etc.
• Identifies and actively participates in departmental programs for cost containment and risk management.
• Communicates and interacts appropriately with adult and geriatric patients and visitors and displays courteous, compassionate, caring, and respectful behavior when interacting with all other staff (staff, students, etc).
• Utilizes appropriate assistive devices (i.e., lifts, transfer devices, other personnel) to promote safety of patients and personnel.
• Performs any related patient care duties not specifically described herein and other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

  ***RELOCATION EXPENSES AND/OR INCENTIVES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED***

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:Back to top

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

AND

You must meet one of the following minimum qualifications to qualify for this position:

One (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-6 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is having knowledge of human anatomy and physiology; utilizing initiative and independent judgment in setting up and maintaining surgical fields; assisting with minor and major surgical procedures; decontaminating and aseptically cleaning and disinfecting surgical instrumentation and equipment; positioning and prepping surgical patients; applying sterile dressings; and anticipating and assessing situations quickly and responding appropriately in cases of emergency.

A full year of work is considered to be 35- 40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. 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~ Successful completion of one (1) year of graduate level education that is directly related to the work of the Surgical Technician position to be filled. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One (1) year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that information can not 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. (Transcript Required) ~OR~ An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcript Required)

You will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other characteristics (KSAOs) as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position (Narrative Responses Not Required)

• Knowledge of patient care practices and procedures.
• Knowledge of various operating room procedures.
• Knowledge of various operating room equipment and instruments.
• Ability to communicate in person or in writing effectively.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: The position requires standing for long periods, lifting, pushing, walking, bending, stooping, transferring, and transporting patients and heavy packs. The technician must be dextrous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. The technician must be quick and dependable in taking appropriate emergency actions.

Work Environment: Duties are performed in the operating room and surgical clinics, on any tour of duty, in a hospital environment requiring special operating room attire with regular and recurring exposure to toxic and noxious gases such as methylmethacylate, gluteraldehyde, paracetic acid, exposure to X-rays, and pure oxygen, exposure to blood and body fluids with are often infectious and laser beams requiring special safety precautions.  The environment can be very stressful and requires personnel who are emotionally stable.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Managements website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications .

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

 

APPLICANTS PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Please refer to this checklist to ensure proper accreditation and for foreign education requirements.

Veterans Preference:

When applying for Federal jobs, eligible veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of DD-214(s) showing all dates of service as well as character of service (honorable, general, etc.). Additionally, veterans with service-connected disability of 10% or more must also submit a copy of their official statement from the Department of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying their service-connected disability and/or their receipt of compensation for service-connected disability.  If the military member is within 120 days of separation and does not yet have a DD214, the member may instead submit any written document from the armed forces that certifies the service member is expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed.

Veterans with service-connected disability of less than 10%, non service-connected disability, and Purple Heart recipients, as-well-as those claiming derived preference for a spouse, widow or widower, or natural mother, should refer to and submit a completed " SF15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," (go to http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf) and required documentation with your application materials. For more information on Veterans Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx.

 

HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Applicants will be ranked based on four quality groups, as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

After the vacancy announcement closes, reviewed applications are evaluated against the questionnaire responses and placed in the appropriate quality group.  Qualified veterans will be afforded preference by being placed at the top of the appropriate quality group.  Qualifying veterans with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be placed at the top of the best qualified group.  The best qualified group is the first to be referred to the hiring facility for further consideration and possible interview.  The remaining groups may be referred based on the number of applicants available.

Country: USA, State: Colorado, City: Grand Junction, Company: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration.