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The Surgical Technician is a member of the surgical team and aids the surgeon and other team members in the Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System (NWIHCS) Omaha Hospital Operating Room Department to plan and implement complex surgical procedures under the general direction of the surgeon and Registered Nurse. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-04 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-03.For a GS-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience for GS-04: You must have 6 months of general experience plus 6 months of specialized experience. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Having knowledge of medical instrument. Having knowledge of human anatomy. Having knowledge of physiology. Having knowledge of Sterile Fields. Having knowledge of aseptic technique to prepare and protect a sterile field during surgery. OR Education GS-04: Successful completion of 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position. OR COMBINATION: You must have a combination of general/specialized experience and post high school education as described above that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable and transcripts are required at the time of application. Specialized Experience for GS-05: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-04) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Providing direct patient care in a hospital/medical/surgical facility. Setting up sterile fields. Assisting health care providers in surgery for a variety of procedures. Following universal precautions for infection control. And understanding and using proper medical terminology. OR Education GS-05: Successful completion of 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 position. OR COMBINATION: You must have a combination of specialized experience and post high school education as described above that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable and transcripts are required at the time of application. Specialized Experience for GS-06: You must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Preparing sterile fields for surgical procedures. Monitoring and maintaining aseptic techniques throughout surgical procedures. Handling medical instruments, supplies, and equipment during surgical procedures. Performing proper cleaning techniques. Handling and rotation of sterile supplies. Properly handling contaminated items applying knowledge of universal precautions. And implementing infection control policies and procedures. OR Education for GS-06: Must have successfully completed one-half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent), or an internship in course matter with a major that included courses directly related to the work of the Health Technician position. OR Combination of Specialized Experience and Education for GS-06: Must have an equivalent combination of related graduate level education and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Infection Control Medical Information Patient Care Technical Competence 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. Note: 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. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ["DUTIES: Provides assistance to the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures; Functions as a primary scrub person responsible for handling instruments, supplies and equipment; Prepares, organizes and maintains highly complex sterile surgical setups; Plans and discusses each procedure with surgical team to ensure all supplies and equipment are available prior to surgical procedures; 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: Mon - Fri 7:00-3:30 or 7:00-5:30 with evening, weekend and holiday call obligations Position Description Title/PD#: Surgical Technician/ 70463A Recruitment Incentive: Authorized for highly qualified individuals. 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 ST 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. Work Environment: Duties are performed in the operating rooms which require special OR attire with regular and recurring exposure to toxic and noxious gases such as: methylmethracrylate, exposure to x-rays, and pure oxygen, exposure to blood and body fluids which are often infectious, and laser beams requiring special safety precautions. The OR requires diligence to prevent surgical fires that may occur due to unsafe acts, equipment, etc. Appropriate scrub attire is required, including sterile gown and gloves, surgical caps to cover the ST's hair, and surgical mask in order to provide aseptic special attire such as a \"space helmet\" or hood used during total joint replacements. The ST must wear protective eyewear such as goggles or face shield to prevent inadvertent splash injuries to his or her eyes. Appropriate laser glasses must be worn when working with lasers. The ST must frequently wear a 20-30 pound lead apron as protections from radiation during various procedures. Required personal protective equipment is provided by the facility. The operating room work environment is complex, intense and fast paced. Good mental and emotional health is required in order to function at an optimum level. 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. 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."]

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