"Alerted.org

Summary These positions are located within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service Line at the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, AZ. The Medical Technician - Phlebotomy performs specimen collection, processing, accessioning, and waived testing. Responsibilities ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The major duties include but are not limited to: Equipment/Supplies/Facilities: Maintains the laboratory facilities and equipment and controls supplies; Sets up equipment for all phlebotomy procedures, making sure that all phlebotomy and ancillary equipment is functioning to standard; Determines compliance with safety requirements, establishes inventory and equipment maintenance requirements, and maintains appropriate inventories and maintenance schedules; Maintains laboratory stock and orders materials, as needed; Conducts work according to Laboratory Safety Regulations and instructs coworkers and graduate students on safety policies and procedures; Functions as primary point of contact for implementation of safety regulations and safe working conditions and is accountable to supervisor to report conditions and progress on eliminating discrepancies; Maintains Laboratory Records: Maintains and controls laboratory records; Develops and maintains detailed records of all experimental or other protocols and results are neatly kept and catalogued in appropriate format; Records information pertaining to the storage of specimens or reagents and completes appropriate tracking/inventory system information; Performs clerical duties, including work lists, logs, and pending lists; Prepares/Examines Specimens/Performs Phlebotomy: Performs venipunctures in accordance with facility and laboratory policies and procedures; Adheres phlebotomy procedures and knowledgeable in the various types and sizes of tubes used for collection, how much blood is required for each test, types of tests, what color of tube needs to be drawn, and what anticoagulants are necessary to assure accurate test results; Ensures all test tubes are labeled accurately when performing venipuncture using facility and laboratory designated patient identifiers; Verifies correct patient identification, performs proper specimen handling and labeling, accessions specimens, checks that lab test requests are consistent with physician orders, generates labels, and sorts labeled specimens to be distributed to specific laboratory sections. Performs work in the testing and examination procedures carried out in the laboratory; Maintains skills and training to rotate and perform phlebotomy procedures through all areas of the facilities using appropriate precautions when indicated; Performs urine drug testing collections in accordance with facility and laboratory policies and procedures; Ensures safe and non-traumatic processes are used with critical concern for the donor and for the quality of the specimen while using standard aseptic procedures and safeguards; Controls contaminated or potentially dangerous specimens in accordance with accreditation agency requirements; and, Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: There are two (2) vacancies and two (2) work schedules. Applicants will have the opportunity to select one or both work schedules when completing the Assessment Questionnaire. Note: Applicants will only be considered for the work schedule(s) that was selected. 1 vacancy: Thursday through Monday, 12:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. 1 vacancy: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., rotating weekends and holidays. Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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 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) 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. Qualifications English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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 perform the duties of this position. ~AND~ This position includes a 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. ~AND~ The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: "Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients." In addition to the English Language Proficiency and Selective Placement Factor, to qualify for this position at the GS-5 level, you must meet one of the following requirements: Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Medical Technician - Phlebotomy, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is (a) technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic, and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings and/or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work that required application of the methods and techniques of a phlebotomist. At this level, specialized experience should include experience performing a variety of relatively standardized tests, examinations, and determinations. The procedures and techniques are well-established but involve many meticulous sequential steps to complete a test; and following written procedures which give carefully detailed instructions on each step of the assigned test and examinations. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education: Successful completion of a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy position which may include clinical hematology, clinical laboratory practices, phlebotomy practicum, clinical microbiology, clinical practicum, or special topics in the Medical Laboratory Technology field. 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. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college, or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above, may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy position such as clinical hematology, clinical laboratory practices, phlebotomy practicum, clinical microbiology, clinical practicum, or special topics in the Medical Laboratory Technology field. 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. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: SPECIMEN COLLECTION COMPUTER SKILLS CUSTOMER SERVICE PATIENT CARE QUALITY ASSURANCE IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work of the position requires manual dexterity and exceptional hand/eye coordination, some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking, bending, sitting over a microscope and concentrating for long periods of time while reading specimens and to stand for several consecutive hours during the preparation of specimens. In many situations, the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. Position requires lifting of reagent containers weighing up to 35 pounds. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.