Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Medical Technician (Phlebotomist) in Asheville, North Carolina
Summary The Medical Technician Phlebomist performs venipunctures by correctly identifying patients as to name and full social security number, selecting appropriate collection devices (i.e., proper collection tube, appropriate anticoagulant, etc.) and taking any necessary precautions in specimen preparation (i.e., protect carotenes from light, place ammonias in ice slurry, etc.). Responsibilities The Medical Technician (Phlebotomist) duties includes, but are not limited to the following: Collects stat specimens and therapeutic drugs from outpatients, critical care units or Emergency Department as required. Delivers specimens from collection areas to the main laboratory for analysis. Prepares specimens and assigns P&LMS accession numbers to specimens for analysis in the clinical laboratory. Performs special collection procedures for example, administration of oral products such as glucose drink for the glucose tolerance test. Prepares worklists/logs for inpatient collections. Orients and trains new employees/students in all aspects of phlebotomy and specimen collection. Compiles with all Medical Center policies and procedures regarding safety practices. Performs inventory of collection supplies and stocks designated areas, including wards. Evaluates suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable. Controls sample physical conditions and responds to time factors to ensure that the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained. Selects methods for obtaining high quality specimens and can instruct others on the proper selection of collection materials and techniques. Ensures microbiology specimens are collected on proper media using standard biochemical procedures and are incubated at proper temperature/conditions to ensure optimal microbiological organism recovery and growth. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30 pm. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician (Phlebotomist)/PD04360A 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 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 Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/09/2024. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4. 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. 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-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Collects stat specimens and therapeutic drugs from outpatients, critical care units or Emergency Department as required. Delivers specimens from collection areas to the main laboratory for analysis, preparing specimens and assigns P&LMS accession numbers to specimens for analysis in the clinical laboratory, performing special collection procedures for example, administration of oral products such as glucose drink for the glucose tolerance test.. OR, Education: To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required. OR, Combination: You must have an combination of specialized experience and education for GS-5 level positions, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. Determine the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the year of specialized experience required at the GS-5 level. Then determine the applicant's education as a percentage of the education that meets the requirements for GS-5. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-5. Preferred Experience: One year of Phlebotomist experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Specimen Collection 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. Physical Requirements: The work requires finger dexterity and hand/eye coordination required to perform blood collection and to manipulate a variety of laboratory devices, such as computerized instruments and computer terminals. May lift or otherwise assists other personnel in positioning patients. For routine and emergency procedures, position under/on top of laboratory counters or in instrument cabinets the reagent and supply items, some of which can weigh more than 45 pounds also, prolonged periods of standing, walking, pushing, and reaching. Ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing. Ability to operate laboratory equipment, computers, and other equipment. Must wear personal protective equipment or film badges as required for the designated work area. The work requires some physical exertion, such as walking or bending to collect samples in many situations for most of the workday. Due to the meticulous nature of the job in the laboratory there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. 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 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.