Medical Instrument Technician (Surgery)

Overview

MEDICAL INSTRUMENT TECHNICIAN (Surgery) - GS-0649-09 - Naval Medical Center San Diego (NMCSD)

Downtown San Diego is located on San Diego Bay. Balboa Park encompasses several mesas and canyons to the northeast, surrounded by older, dense urban communities including Hillcrest and North Park. To the east and southeast lie City Heights, the College Area, and Southeast San Diego. To the north lies Mission Valley and Interstate 8. The communities north of the valley and freeway, and south of Marine Corps Air Station Mirmar, include Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Tierrasanta, and Navajo. Stretching north from Miramar are the northern suburbs of Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, and Ranch Bernado. The far northeast portion of the city encompasses Lake Hodges and the San Pasqual Valley, which holds an agricultural preserve. Carmel Valley and Del Mar Heights occupy the northwest corner of the city. To their south are Torrey Pines State Reserve and the business center of the Golden Triangle. Further south are the beach and coastal communities of La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and Ocean Beach. Pont Loma occupies the peninsula across San Dego Bay from downtown. The communities of South San Diego (an Enclave), such as San Ysidro and Otay Mesa, are located next to the Mexico-United States border and are physically separated from the rest of the city by the cities of National City and Chula Vista. A narrow strip of land at the bottom of San Diego Bay connects these southern neighborhoods with the rest of the city.

San Diego has one of the top-ten best climates in the United States and has one of the two best summer climates in the country as scored by The Weather Channel. San Diego area has been variously categorized as having either a semi-arid climate or a Mediterranean climate. San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, with most of the annual precipitation falling between December and March. The city has a mild climate year-round, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F and low rainfall (9-13 inches annually).

Working for the Department of Defense comes with an abundance of benefits and perks to include competitive compensation packages, paid-time off, medical benefits, student loan repayments, and retirement package with Thrift Savings Plan to include matching employer contributions. For more information, please visit the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/

Responsibilities

The primary responsibility of the incumbent is to assist the surgeon in safe, efficient, and therapeutically effective patient care. On a daily basis, the surgical technician will be assigned to work with a surgeon, who will provide individual assignments by indicating generally what is to be done, limitations, quality, and quantity expected and the set priorities. The following are surgical specialties that the incumbent could work in:

Cardiothoracic
Central/Sterile Processing (including sterilization methods, cleaners/disinfectors, high level disinfection, scope and power equipment)
General Surgery (including trauma, bariatric, pediatric, vascular and oncology subspecialties)
Neurosurgery including endovascular
Obstetrics and Gynecology including emergency Cesarean sections Ophthalmology including refractive surgery
Oral Maxillofacial Surgery
Orthopedics including total joint arthroplasty Otolaryngology
Plastic Surgery and Wound Care Urology

1. Direct Patient Care:

Performs a full range of surgical assisting, including, but not limited to: Will complete orientation to all services in a 12-week period, as future assignments could be made to any service as mentioned in previous bullet. Will participate in weekly training to ensure familiarity with new equipment and changes to practices of particular services.
Assists surgeon in the maintenance of the surgical patient airway during procedures.
Perform sterile technique, sets up surgical trays, prep and drape patients for surgery and assists with post-operative dressings.
Cleans, wraps, and sterilizes surgical instruments and supplies located in the Sterile Processing Department to ensure surgical packs are cleaned and packed for sterilization after every procedure; restock surgical supplies.
Complies with command infection control guidelines, practices universal precautions. Verifies in concert with the health care team, proper patient identity, informed consent, and proper procedure for all patients.
Prepares patients for surgical procedures by clipping, cleaning, and aseptically draping. Ensures needed supplies and equipment are clean and functional and available for the surgical procedure.
Maintains a clean, safe environment for the patient by cleaning of the clinical spaces and medical equipment. Ensures upkeep, performs checks and maintains appropriate logs of medical equipment.
Rotates and works competently amongst the various duty assignments in the Central Sterilization Room as directed. Decontaminates, prepares, inspects, sterilizes, maintains, stores, and issues equipment and supplies.
Contributes to health care system and support clinical environment resulting in quality services and positive patient outcomes.

Uses effective and professional communication methods and skills, using lines of authority appropriately.
Participates in unit and Command Improvement activities. Assist with the development of programs that comply with all regulatory agencies and JC requirements with focus on CI, professional practice, and patient care/teaching.

Provides, on-call support for after hours and weekend emergency procedures in the Main Operating Room. Cardiovascular, Vascular, and Neurosurgery require a pager call that may require a call back to the facility. All other services are phone consult. Present and engaged at morning Team Huddles and during Time Out process. At team huddles, technicians must be able to voice concerns/questions of equipment, medication, planned procedure, and implants to ensure optimal readiness.

2. Clinical Support Responds to emergent situation in appropriate manner by fulfilling assigned tasks as they relate to a given situation. Maintains calm and collected demeanor to minimize panic and inspire the confidence of junior members, patients, and family members.

3. Administration Support:

Assists in the maintenance of department standards for training as defined by the Department Head/Division officer by actively participating in or conducting training sessions.
Participates in periodic staff meetings for information dissemination, problem identification, and staff development.
Supports effective communication within and between department to avoid or prevent conflicts from arising and to streamline operations.
Promotes patient trust and comfort by maintaining an environment of good customer service and support.
Develops and maintains skills in oral and written communication techniques.
Adheres to safety and legal requirements as established by the command or other competent authority.
Follows Joint Commission and HIPAA regulations and standards to include, but not limited to protecting PII (Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information).

4. Training and Development:

Aids in the training and mentoring of surgical assistants and rotating students in the performance of clinical maintenance, surgical assistance and radiographic duties as needed. Observes and advises staff, trainees, and students as they perform these duties.
Actively assists in orientation and competency completion for new military surgical technologists and students rotating through their services. Provides continual feedback on their performance to better prepare them to work independently in the room at all hours of the day. Orientees and students will have competencies or progress forms to fill out daily, as the staff member, the staff technicians must provide honest written feedback and if needed to delay signing off on competencies until they can fully demonstrate the required procedures.
Continually precept new and other staff military surgical technicians, as they periodically are called to other services, deploy, or are otherwise engaged in administrative tasks needed within the department. Training of new personnel is essential.

The incumbent will work with the health care team to facilitate safe and effective conduct of invasive surgical procedures, ensuring that the operating room environment is safe, equipment functions properly, and that the operative procedure will be conducted under conditions that maximize patient safety. Within the scope of his/her credentials, the incumbent provides treatment services for active-duty military personnel family members, retirees, and eligible beneficiaries.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: US Citizens

Conditions of Employment:

In accordance with BUMEDINST 6220.9B, all personnel, including direct and indirect care providers, administrators, ancillary services, volunteers, students, and others who may come in contact with patients, must receive and maintain appropriate vaccination against seasonal influenza. The incumbent must, as a condition of employment, be immunized on an annual basis against influenza. Refer to local command influenza instruction.

In accordance with BUMEDINS 6230.15, susceptible or occupationally exposed health care employees who have direct contact with patients will receive appropriate immunization against communicable diseases unless a current immunization, a protective titer, or a medical exemption is documented. This policy applies to all health care settings, regardless of age or sex of the health care employee. Employees who have contact with or potential exposure to human blood or blood products (whether from patient care, laboratory, or other health care settings) are provided hepatitis B virus vaccine in accordance with the local blood borne pathogen exposure control plan.

This position is a Department of Navy Civilian Drug Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random employee drug testing.

In accordance with BUMEDINST l 500. l 5C employees assigned to or subject to being assigned to duties providing direct patient care, either diagnostic or therapeutic must possess and maintain Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

It is highly preferred that the incumbent have ACLS certification.

This position provides coverage for the MOR during the hours of 0630-1700.

Cardiothoracic trained surgical technicians must be willing and able to work Monday to Friday and be on duty status for 24 hours per rotating on-call periods. When on call, member must be able to report no later than 45 minutes from the time called.

All personnel will maintain and fully comply with appropriate grooming standards and appropriate wear of the unit specific clothing in accordance with command policies. The technician will also comply with hospital policies for the use and wear of scrubs and cover gowns, lab coats, tech jackets, and protective clothing.

It is preferred that the incumbent graduate from one of the following programs: Surgical Technology program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP); military specialty school for surgical technicians, surgical technologists, operating room technicians.

It is preferred that the incumbent possess one of the following credentials: Certification as a Surgical Technologist (CST) from the Liaison Council on Certification for Surgical Technologists (LCC-ST); Certification as a Tech-in Surgery (TS-C) from the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT); Military Occupational Specialty/Navy Enlisted Classification as a surgical technician and/or operating room technician.

It is preferred that incumbents possess a minimum of 2 years full time experience as a surgical technologist within the preceding 3 years. It is preferred that one year of that experience was in complex orthopedic, robotic, or plastics surgical procedures.

A favorable Tier 3 background investigation is required for all NCS positions with access to network systems and PII.

In accordance with DoD Instruction 1402.5, existing and newly hired personnel involved in the delivery of healthcare to children under the age of eighteen-years-old on a frequent and regular basis must receive:

• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint check
• State Criminal History Repositories (SCHR) check