Health Technician (Phlebotomy)

Summary

This position is aligned under the Portland VA Medical Center, Primary Care Division, Clinics and Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Obtains and labels specimens to include clean catch urine specimens or sterile specimens. Draws and labels, and packages specimens for the laboratory. Performs routine diagnostic tests such as venipuncture, bladder scan, ultrasound, 2 glucometer, pregnancy testing, urinary tract infection testing and electrocardiograms, as directed by the physician or professional nurse, for the purpose of diagnostic testing. Assists medical and nursing providers when performing medical & diagnostic examinations by assisting with duties such as monitoring vital signs, collecting biometrics, preparing and positioning the patient, completing the history and reminders, or by performing a variety of routine diagnostic tests. Performs simple procedures such as collection of blood samples or other fluid samples from ambulatory patients and application of sterile dressings to uncomplicated wounds. Observes and reports to the health professional changes in patient behavior, attitude, bodily complaints, and appearance. Enters patient information using commonly used medical terminology such as terms of tests, diet changes, or test results. Provides assistance of a technical, specialized, or support nature to health and medical personnel in the diagnosis or treatment of patient illnesses or medical conditions. Performs direct patient support work including personal patient care. Takes care of patients' routine care and comfort needs including personal hygiene, physical comfort, well-being, positioning, nutrition, elimination, prevention of skin breakdown, safety and falls prevention, etc. Provides general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the Clinic. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:00pm, may vary according to facility needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Phlebotomy)/PD20668A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet specialized experience within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 09/28/2026. English 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. Individual Occupational Requirement: All applicants must meet the following requirement; Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement and English proficiency, applicants must also meet the grade specific requirements listed below. 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performing ongoing patient care duties in an outpatient clinical setting; performing observation-based screening and collecting patient information; assisting with preparing patients for medical evaluation, setting up equipment and providing treatment during in-person or virtual visits; providing assistance to Staff Nurse, Nurse Manager, and laboratory support. Performs routine diagnostic tests such as venipuncture, bladder scan, ultrasound, 2 glucometer, pregnancy testing, urinary tract infection testing and electrocardiograms, as directed by the physician or professional nurse, for the purpose of diagnostic testing. 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 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation such as phlebotomy, nursing, or other related subjects. This education was obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts required. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: At least 6 months experience in Phlebotomy. 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/. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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/.