This position is located within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fort Smith, AR. The Medical Technician - Phlebotomy performs phlebotomy, accession specimens and performs other procedures necessary to ensure appropriate specimen receipt, handling and processing to ensure accurate and reliable results.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The major duties include but are not limited to: Follows procedures for patient identification, sample procurement and specimen labeling; Performs routine venipuncture specimen collections from patients; Follows laboratory procedures for collecting specimens in the appropriate container; Controls the physical condition of samples and responds to time factors to ensure that the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained; Provides education to patients for proper collection techniques; Prepares samples for testing to include labeling, centrifugation, decanting and aliquoting, etc.; Maintains adequate supplies for all phlebotomy and specimen procurement procedures; Answers incoming calls for the laboratory service - finding and relaying accurate information or referring the caller to technical personnel; Performs standard diagnostic tests/procedures such as bleeding time, occult blood, urine dipstick, pregnancy test, fingerstick glucose; Performs sterilization on the autoclave, and cleans glassware and other reusable items; Identifies and appropriately responds to adverse reactions such as fainting, nausea, vomiting, convulsions and arrests; and Performs all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm 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. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

English Language 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. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. ~AND~ 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 a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: "Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients." ~AND~ In addition to the English Language and Selective Place Factor, to qualify for this position at the GS-4 level, you must meet one of the following requirements: Experience: You must have at least 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the Medical Technician/Phlebotomist, 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 ability to perform the work of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy, 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 and/or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques of a phlebotomist equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-3). NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~ Education and Training: 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 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 Medical Technician - Phlebotomy. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience, as described above, may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Computer SkillsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Patient CareQuality AssuranceSpecimen Collection IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements: The work of this position requires some physical exertion such as regular and recurring long periods of standing, walking, bending and lifting. The work may require the position to assist in the lifting of equipment or patients. The work involves regular and recurring risks or discomforts associated with working in a clinical laboratory which require special safety techniques and universal precautions, e.g., working around moving parts, carts or machines with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals. Required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, coats, boots, goggles, gloves, or shields and follow procedures for minimalizing risks. 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

IMPORTANT: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Fayetteville AR VA Medical Center 1100 North College Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72703 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]