Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g.) Experience and/or Education (1) Experience
• Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability toperform the work or provides an understanding of the work
• or( 2) Education
• One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours inhealth 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification
• None
• 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
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part
• 4
• GRADE REQUIREMENTS a
• Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of Current MST Practices
• To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities
• Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MST
• (2) Quality of Experience
• Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled
• For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• (3) Part-Time Experience
• Part-time experience as a MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek
• For example, a MST employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service
• b
• Grade Determinations
• The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• (1) GS-03 (Entry Level) (a) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• (b) Assignment
• This is an entry level MST position
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• (2) GS-04 (Developmental Level) (a) Experience
• Six months' experience as a MST, operating room or surgical technician or other position that demonstrated knowledge of sterile processing in a clinical setting
• or (b) Education
• Two years of education above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation
• NOTE: Successful completion of a course for medical technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or nursing assistants obtained in a training program given by the Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or hospitals under close medical and professional supervision, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis for up to 6 months of experience
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: 1
• Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination
• 2
• Basic knowledge of medical terminology in order to assemble specialty operating room/clinic instrument sets
• 3
• Basic knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• 4
• Ability to communicate both orally and in writing
• (d) Assignment
• This is a developmental level MST position
• Performs segments of work pertaining to the decontamination, sterilization and inspection of reusable medical equipment (RME)
• Completes segments of work pertaining to the assembly of basic sets and trays for use in the medical center
• Operate equipment involved in sterilization processes
• Prepares operating room case carts
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision
• (3) GS-05 (Developmental Level) (a) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• or (b) Education
• Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the occupation or a Bachelor's degree
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:1
• Basic knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.2
• Basic knowledge of event-related packaging in regard to sterility.3
• Knowledge of sterilization and cleaning equipment
• (d) Assignment: This is a developmental level MST position
• Removes soil, blood, tissue fragments, body fluids, and other containments by wiping, soaking, rinsing, and scrubbing
• Inspects packages for indications of proper sterilization, assembles basic sets and trays used throughout the medical center including those used in the operating room
• Prepares, loads, and operates sterilizers such as steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and a high level disinfecting scope reprocessor
• prepares operating room case carts daily using surgery schedule
• MSTs receive guidance from more experienced staff members for more complex tasks and require direct supervision on new assignments
• (4) GS-06 (Full Performance Level) (a) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:1
• Knowledge of surgical instruments used in operating rooms and clinic settings.2
• Knowledge of universal precautions for safety and prevention of cross contamination.3
• Working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, medical conditions and procedures.4
• Knowledge of sterility principles in regard to instrumentation.5
• Ability to read and interpret written instructions and procedures
• (c) Assignment
• This is the full performance level for the occupation
• Receives contaminated critical and semi-critical RME in the decontamination area and may receive noncritical equipment in the decontamination area as well
• Disassembles the RME and determines the correct cleaning method, such as but not limited to ultrasonic cleaners, mechanical washers, cart washers and chemical cleaning/decontamination agents, as determined by manufacturer instructions
• Inspects, assembles and determines the correct method and packaging for sterilization such as but not limited to steam, Sterrad, Steris, ETO, and high-level disinfecting scope reprocessors
• Performs and documents daily operational checks and records for all sterilization equipment.