Supervisory Medical Supply Tech (Sterile Processing) Asst. Chief

Description:

The Assistant Chief contributes to the oversight of all supervision, administrative management, and direction of the Sterile Processing Service (SPS).

Requirements:

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 - Medical Supply Technicians (MSTs) must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Experience and/or Education

• Experience- Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work.

OR

• Education- Two full year of graduate education or a master's degree 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

• Experience/Education Combination- Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.

OR

• 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).

Grade Determinations: GS-9 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Assistant Chief

Experience- One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-08).

• GS-09 Assignment - The Supervisory MST functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work. Oversees attendance and leave, including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules. Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. Recommends promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance, retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel. Holds corrective interviews with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management. Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters. Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. The candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to plan and project staffing needs and requirements.
• Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds.
• Ability to manage, direct and adapt work to accomplish program goals and objectives, and meet new and changing program requirements.
• Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives.
• Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning, and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues.
• Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations.
• Ability to manage, interpret, and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls, contracts, and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs and administer an allocated budget.

Preferred Experience: Sterile Processing Service (SPS) tech experience and leadership experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ .

Physical Requirements: This work is performed in various settings: decontamination, preparation, clean sterile supply (preparation) and in other services and departments throughout the medical facility/campus. The incumbent may be required to work in areas that are hot, cold, drafty, and poorly lighted. The employee is subject to the possibility of falls, scrapes, cuts, bruises, and other injuries from material handling equipment. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visual acuity for manipulating, disassembly, and assembly of instrumentation. On a regular and recurring basis, the employee alternates between a contaminated environment and a carefully controlled clean environment. The employee wears special clothing, hair covers, personal protective equipment and shoe covers that can be uncomfortably warm. The employee uses insulated gloves to remove carts from sterilizers. The employee is subject to burns from accidentally touching hot items. The hazards of working around minute quantities of sterilizing gasses are unknown. The employee often works around body fluids, mucous, excretions and bits of tissue, some of which may be foul smelling. Strong, unpleasant odors are encountered while decontaminating bloody or grossly contaminated instrumentation or reusable medical equipment. The work area is noisy due to the clatter of metal instruments, rumbling of carts and operation of pre-sterilizing equipment.