Job opening: Medical Technician

Salary: $41 297 - 53 684 per year

Published at: May 13 2024

Company: Veterans Health Administration

Employment Type: Full-time

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 6), Durham VA Medical Center, Patient Care Service, Ambulatory Care Nursing (CBOCs). The incumbent performs specimen collection, processing, and preparation of specimens for transport while assuring accuracy of identification and integrity of specimens for routine and specialized testing throughout all processes.

Duties

This position involves a wide variety of duties involving specimen collection, processing, and preparation of specimens for transport while assuring accuracy of identification and integrity of specimens for routine and specialized testing throughout all processes. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Perform positive (active) identification of patients and specimens including: full name and full social security number through entire process of specimen collection, accessioning, processing, and storage/distribution of patient's specimens to clinical laboratory departments. Accurately evaluates and interprets patient orders in the computer to determine which testing may be accessioned and performed at the time. Accepts computer and written requests from clinical departments, to include primary care, surgery and medicine. Performs phlebotomy using appropriate procedures and established venipuncture techniques and universal precautions, being careful to avoid areas close to nerve bundles and arteries. Applies universal blood and body fluid precautions when processing, de-capping tubes, and allocating all specimens. Operates laboratory equipment to prepare blood samples and other specimens in a safe and efficient manner. Enters information in laboratory computer system for test ordering, accessioning and results. Assists with monitoring of inventory and maintenance of adequate phlebotomy supplies and thorough cleaning/disinfecting of work areas. Performs other directly related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/PD06699A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/23/2024. 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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-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: technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or 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. 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a full 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 position to be filled. (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 beyond an associate's degree. 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 one (1) year of specialized experience (Transcripts Required). You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ClericalClinical Data Collection/DocumentationCustomer ServiceSecuritySpecimen CollectionTechnical Competence 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 prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending and lifting up to 50 pounds and carrying of items, to lean over patients and equipment and to work while wearing PPE. In other situations, in the laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity, such as exceptional hand/eye coordination or color differentiation. Finger dexterity and hand eye coordination required to find hard to locate veins and to handle needles and tubes while maintaining adequate blood flow for collection In some areas, performing morning rounds, employees may be required to travel between buildings in the dark or walking in weather to buildings which are not accessible through tunnels. 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/.