Summary These positions are located at our VA Northwest Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The incumbent serves as a Phlebotomist and is responsible for collecting a broad range of routine and emergency blood samples. They may perform phlebotomy on inpatients, outpatients, surgical patients, CBOC patients, ED patients or wherever the need arises. This position requires a high level of contact with patients who may be uncooperative, combative or infected with HIV, or a Hepatitis virus. Responsibilities The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Maintains the laboratory facilities, equipment and controls supplies Sets up equipment for all phlebotomy procedures, making sure that all phlebotomy and ancillary equipment is functioning to standard Maintains laboratory in a clean and safe condition according to agency or accreditation requirements Calibrates and maintains laboratory instrumentation on timely intervals so as to minimize breakdown and delay of procedures Maintains and controls laboratory records and presents the data to the supervisor in a logical and systematic fashion Performs all clerical duties required of the position, including work lists, logs and pending lists Provides orientation/training in performance of phlebotomy and test procedures Performs venipuncture in accordance with facility and laboratory policies and procedures Assures all tube tests are labeled accurately when performing venipuncture using facility and laboratory designated patient identifiers Works closely with facility and laboratory computer systems Performs the full range of routing and emergency waived testing procedures such as glucose monitoring, urine pregnancy and occult blood testing Performs urine drug testing collections Prepares slides, smears, cultures, etc. of extremely delicate or otherwise volatile specimens Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday: 6:00am - 2:30pm or 6:30am - 3:00pm Telework: This is not a telework position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician (Phlebotomist)/PD14496A Recruitment Incentive: Authorized at 10% 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 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, 10/07/2024. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: General & Specialized Experience: At least six (6) months of General Experience AND at least six (6) months of Specialized Experience is required. General Experience includes: Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's 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 includes: Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or having 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. This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed (a) an associate-degree course of study of 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 or (b) one year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in 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 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. 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 Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Reasoning Diagnostic Medical Testing Patient Care 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 some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring standing, walking, bending, or lifting up to 40 pounds. In many situations, the duration of the activity contributes to the arduous nature of the job. There may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination or good color vision. The work involves regular and recurring risks or discomforts associated with working in a clinical laboratory which require special safety techniques and universal precautions. Employees are required to use protective clothing or gear. Work areas must be maintained in a clean and organized fashion. 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.