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Summary The Surgical Technician is a member of the surgical team and assists 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 Anticipate needs of the surgical team. Handle all specimens appropriately Perform sponge and instrument counts to verify accuracy in conjunction with the circulating Registered Nurse (RN). Assist the surgeon by performing specific procedures (i.e. preparing skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, etc.). Assist in training in the operation of equipment, sterile technique, handling of instruments, and/or specific procedures to include the scrub role in surgical procedures. Perform non-technical maintenance of equipment to prevent malfunctions. Recognize potentially hazardous situations (i.e. frayed cords, water on floor) and take corrective action(s). Assess equipment needs and maintain adequate stock of supplies and materials. Serve as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies, and equipment during all surgical procedures. Use proper cleaning techniques and types of detergents to use on various items. Proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies, handling of contaminated items, quality control and personal hygiene. Prepare, organize and maintain highly complex sterile surgical setups. Maintain Operating Room (OR) area. Plan and discuss each procedure with surgical professionals and ensure all supplies and equipment are available prior to the surgical procedure. Respond to surgical team with speed and accuracy during surgical procedures. Assist the team members with care of the patient (i.e., positioning, prepping, obtaining supplies, etc.). Work Schedule: Based on the needs of the service Position Description/PD#:PD06637A DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT: Please select the statement below that best describes your education and/or experience to meet the specific qualification requirements for this position. 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, candidates must meet the specialized experience below: Specialized Experience: I have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include: working in an operating room and setting up a sterile field with all required items for surgical procedures (i.e., air-powered equipment, fiber optic equipment, laparoscopic equipment, microscopes, lasers, arthroscopy equipment, urologic equipment, recording devices, and other operating room (OR) supplies and equipment, etc.); use proper sterilization and cleaning techniques on instruments and equipment; and assist surgeon by performing such procedures such as skin grafts, suctioning, holding retractors, applying skin staples and cutting sutures. Physical Requirements: Duties regularly require providing manual assistance in lifting and positioning patients, most of who are at stages of unconsciousness. There are extensive periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, lifting, pushing, reaching, and prolonged stretching to provide easy accessibility of instruments and supplies for the surgeon. The surgical technician must be dexterous in passing instruments to surgeons without compromising principles of aseptic technique and in a manner requiring little or no effort from the surgeon. Education There is no educational requirement, substitution, or combination for GS-07 in this series. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more 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. 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.