Surgical Technician

Summary This position is in the surgical specialty service line of the Corporal Michael J Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The primary purpose of this position is to directly aid the surgeon and other team members during surgical procedures. A Surgical Technician does this by participating as an active member of the surgical team with preprocedural planning, day-of set up and implementation of complex equipment and instrumentation. Learn more about this agency Duties The Surgical Technician handles instruments, supplies and equipment necessary during the surgical procedure. The Surgical Technician has an understating of the procedures performed and anticipates the needs of the surgeon. Preoperative Duties are as follows: 1. Donning OR attire and personal protective equipment (PPE). 2. Gathers, checks, and opens supplies and equipment needed for the surgical procedure. 3. Performs the surgical scrub, and donning gown and gloves. 4. Sets up the sterile back table and Mayo stand with instruments, supplies, equipment, and medications/solutions needed for the procedure. 5. Performs initial instrument, sharps and sponge counts with the circulator. 6. Assists the team members with gowning and gloving. 7. Assists with draping the patient and establishing the sterile field. 8. Participates in the surgical site and patient verification during the "time out" procedure. 9. Secures tubing, cords and other sterile accessories. C. Intraoperative Duties are as follows: 1. Prepares and anticipates additional instrumentation, equipment and supplies for usage during the procedure. 2. Anticipates the needs of the surgeon by passing instruments and supplies to surgeon during procedure. 3. Measures and passes medications, hemostatic agents and irrigation solutions utilized during the surgical procedure. 4. Holds retractors or instruments as directed by the surgeon. 5. Sponges or suctions the operative site. 6. Applies electrocautery to clamps or forceps on bleeders. 7. Cuts suture material as directed by the surgeon. 8. Coordinates the camera or changes out robotic arms/instruments during endoscopic surgery as directed by the surgeon. 9. Maintains highest standard of sterile technique during the procedure. 10. Performs additional counts as necessary. 11. Prepares sterile dressings and/or immobilization devices. 12. Prepares and passes off specimen(s) as appropriate. 13. Cleans and prepares instruments for terminal sterilization. 14. Assists in prepping the OR for the next patient. 15. Participates in debriefing and quality improvement practices to ensure quality patient care. D. Additional Duties: 1. Assists with transferring patient to and from the operating room table. 2. Monitors the comfort of the patient and provides verbal and tactile reassurance to the patient. 3. Assists in maintaining normothermia. 4. Assists with positioning the patient, using appropriate equipment and anatomical principles to avoid patient injury. 5. Completes the patient skin prep prior to draping by the sterile surgical team. 6. Properly cares for specimens. 7. Secures dressings after incision closure. 8. Updates and keeps accurate records of the surgeon's preferences Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule:10 hours, 4 days a week, with rotating day off- 7:00a.m. - 17:30p.m. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Surgical Technician/PD00272-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. All 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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: Heavy lifting, 45 pounds and over, Straight pulling (4 hours), Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking (8 hours), Repeated bending (4 hours), Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/10/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one 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: Assisting with the preparation and protection of sterile fields during surgery; monitoring and maintaining aseptic techniques throughout surgical procedures; Handling medical instruments, supplies and equipment during surgical procedures; Performing proper cleaning techniques, as well as the proper handling and rotation of sterile supplies; Handling contaminated items, quality control, and personal hygiene, using knowledge of universal precautions; Implementing infection control policies and procedures. NOTE: 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, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have . NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): 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. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-06. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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/. Education A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. 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 qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.