"Alerted.org

Summary Serves as a Phlebotomist, responsible for collecting a broad range of routine and emergency blood samples. They may perform phlebotomy or testing on inpatients, outpatients, surgical patients, CBOC patients, ED patients. The position requires a high level of contact with patients who may be uncooperative, combative or infected with HIV, or a Hepatitis virus. The position requires coordination of timed tests and coordination of phlebotomy/processing operations in the absence of the supervisor. Responsibilities Major Duties, include but are not limited to: Phlebotomy Duties and Specimen Collection- Responsible for proper patient identification, proper sample procurement, and proper specimen labeling following guidelines from The Joint Commission (TJC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) "Patient Safety Goals Performs phlebotomy procedures following a sequence of steps approved for sample collection. Independently responsible for selecting the best venipuncture site, most suitable phlebotomy equipment (needle type, size and length), most appropriate cleansing agent(s), proper collection vials and assessing the patient's condition before, during and after the procedure Attends to the patients while in their care during the phlebotomy procedure Independently determines the need and initiates a Medical Emergency, Code Blue and/or Code Green for a violent patient. Follows the Laboratory procedures for collecting specimens in the appropriate container, maintains specimen under appropriate conditions, follows guidelines for collecting timed specimens at the appropriate times to insure specimen viability Controls the sample's physical condition and responds to time factors to insure that the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained. Understands and follows the proper order of draw for tubes whether in a Vacutainer system or a syringe system. Responsible for the sterile collection and dispersal of physician requested patient clean catch urinalysis specimens, urine cultures, and 24-hr urine collections. Responsible for participation in method comparison to evaluate the use of new equipment and processes and compare them with those being used in terms of adherence to accreditation and safety requirements Specimen Receipt and Processing- Receives requests for testing and specimens into the laboratory and verifies the accuracy and completeness of the request Separates and routes the specimens to the specific laboratory section that performs the testing Recognizes emergency testing situations and takes necessary action to direct the specimens to the proper location. Notifies the laboratory Medical Technologists of the need for emergency testing. Reference Laboratory Specimen Processing- Receives all specimens that are sent to commercial reference laboratories for testing Identifies unusual conditions and discrepancies that may cause erroneous test results Patient Care Testing Duties- Performs a limited amount of patient testing which includes, but is not limited to urine pregnancy testing, bleeding times, Fecal Occult Blood testing, I-Stat, Troponins, and/or the Iris Performs established quality control procedures to check the accuracy and validity of the test results Identifies instrument malfunctions and takes appropriate action to correct them. Records and reports the test results in the VistA computer system, as well as correlates quantitative, biochemical, and physiologic data with other laboratory data to verify the test results. Identifies unusual test results or discrepancies/conditions that can be erroneous results Support Functions- Comply with all Medical Center policies and procedures regarding safety practices and demonstrates working knowledge of the appropriate safety protocol to include standard precautions, sharps handling, facility safety program, use of personal protective equipment in designated areas, and performs proper hand washing techniques. Orients and trains new employees/students in all aspects of phlebotomy and waived testing Maintains adequate supplies for all phlebotomy and specimen procurement procedures ensuring work area is adequately stocked Assists in the purchase, inventory, and distribution of various laboratory supplies Draws blood for a variety of tests, from a variety of sites using a variety of methods. Execution of specific rules, regulations, or procedures, such as those found in common laboratory handbooks Knowledge of VISTA and CPRS is needed to promptly access and input patient data and identify correct lab orders. Recognize and properly use equipment (centrifuges, test analyzers, printers), materials and supplies in a large variety of diagnostic and treatment procedures for the purpose of carrying out assigned instructions Observes the patient's physical and emotional reaction to care with an understanding of illness and disease and its impact on the life process. Give basic instructions and explanations about tests and procedures to patients and families as well as Instructing outpatients how to provide proper specimens for urine and sputum cultures, occult blood screens, and collection of 24-hour urine samples. Work Schedule: M-F 7:30am-4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician- Phlebotomy/PD15223A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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 will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period 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) Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/27/2025. English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. 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. 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. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Selective Placement Factor (Skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Performing phlebotomy/blood draws is a critical component of this position, therefore, the person needs to come into the position with the knowledge and experience. This position requires the person to assess patient collection sites and determine the best option from which a quality sample could be obtained and collect blood specimens according to physician's orders. Without this experience it would negatively affect patient care. This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) which is a minimum qualification requirement. Specialized Experience: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. OR Education and Training: Successful completion of (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2 year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course for GS-3; a full-time training course of a year's duration in a medical or laboratory assistant (or Technician) school; that included instruction in Chemistry, hematology, blood banking, microbiology (including serology) and in addition, included supervised laboratory practice incident to the diagnostic process and treatment of patients; (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and /or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. In addition to meeting the above Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR), applicants must also meet the experience relevant to this position. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General/Specialized Experience: GS-04: Six months of general experience and six months of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. General Experience is any type of work that demonstrates your ability to perform the work of the position, or experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Specialized experience Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level. Applicants who have the 1 year of appropriate specialized experience, as indicated in the table, are not required by this standard to have general experience, education above the high school level, or any additional specialized experience to meet the minimum qualification requirements. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have an associate's degree course of study in which the second year of the 2 year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) one year of study that included six semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of a full-time training course of approximately a year's duration in a medical or clinical laboratory assistant (or technician) school that included instruction in chemistry, hematology, blood banking, and microbiology (including serology) and that, in addition, included supervised laboratory practice incident to the diagnostic process and the treatment of patients; or (c) two years of study that included at least twelve semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. Transcripts required. OR, Combining Experience and Education: Having equivalent combinations of creditable specialized experience and education as described in one (1) and two (2) above to meet the total experience requirements for the Medical Technician position. Combination of successfully completed post high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Specimen Collection For Preferred Experience and Physical Requirements please see the Additional Information section. 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. 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 Qualifications Section continued: Preferred Experience: 2-3 years of Phlebotomy experience in the last 5 years. Phlebotomy certification. BLS certification. Physical Requirements: Requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, or lifting up to 40 pounds. There may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination or good color vision. Involves regular/recurring risks or discomforts which require special safety techniques and universal precautions. Required to use protective clothing or gear. 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/. Receiving Service Credit or 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.