Medical Technician - Phlebotomy

Summary

This position is located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the El Paso VA Clinic in El Paso, TX. The Medical Technician is responsible for performing duties in P&LMS related to accessioning and processing laboratory specimens.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** 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. Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Performing venipuncture and routine specimen collection using established disinfection, identification, collection, labeling, and infection-control procedures; communicating professionally with patients to reduce anxiety and ensure proper specimen collection Verifying patient identification, laboratory orders, specimen requirements, and collection volumes; documenting collection problems and taking appropriate corrective action while maintaining patient confidentiality Delivering blood and urine specimens promptly to the appropriate laboratory testing areas and ensuring STAT specimens are delivered and reported to the appropriate testing section Maintaining phlebotomy supplies, specimen collection areas, equipment, and laboratory environmental conditions; performing routine inventory, equipment checks, quality-assurance activities, and proper disposal of biohazardous waste and sharps Receiving and accessioning laboratory specimens; verifying patient identification and specimen labeling, investigating discrepancies, and preparing specimens for testing, transport, storage, or shipment in accordance with established procedures Processing specimens according to established laboratory requirements, including operating routine laboratory equipment and performing simple laboratory procedures under appropriate supervision Communicating with nurses, providers, patients, laboratory personnel, and other facility staff regarding add-on testing, specimen requirements, recollection needs, discrepancies, and specimen status Troubleshooting routine specimen and processing problems, recognizing conditions that may affect specimen integrity or testing, and notifying appropriate laboratory or supervisory personnel when problems cannot be resolved Packaging specimens and laboratory supplies for shipment or pickup while maintaining required storage temperatures, specimen viability, and established packaging requirements Assisting other laboratory sections and CBOCs with phlebotomy and routine laboratory activities as assigned, and adjusting work activities and schedules to meet changing patient-care and laboratory workload requirements Assisting in training newly hired personnel, students, nurses, medical technicians, and other employees in established venipuncture, specimen-processing, computer, clerical, and laboratory procedures Providing hands-on instruction and serving as a proctor for student trainees while ensuring trainees receive sufficient instruction and guidance to perform assigned procedures independently Maintaining effective working relationships with coworkers and assisting during periods of increased workload or staffing shortages to ensure continuity and timeliness of laboratory services Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 07:00 a.m. to 04:00 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). To qualify for this position, applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements. Specialized Experience (GS-04): You must have at least six (6) months of general experience, and six (6) months of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. General Experience is: (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. 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 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. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-04): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 (i.e., 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) 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. NOTE: 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. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-04): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) AND 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. AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: 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 prerequisites for appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet the Selective Placement Factor are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phleb