The incumbent serves as a health Technician in the Laboratory Section of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department. The incumbent is responsible for performing multiple duties in accessioning, specimen processing, reference laboratory specimen processing, clerical functions, patient testing, quality control review, lab information systems reviews, manual entry reviews, and phlebotomy as necessary.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Responsible for receiving and preparing requests for testing and specimens into the clinical laboratory and verifies the accuracy and completeness of the request. Must have the ability to follow detailed instructions to operate various types of laboratory equipment, ie. Centrifuge and barcode reader. The incumbent receives all specimens that are sent to commercial reference laboratories for testing. Verifies proper patient preparation, specimen collection, and specimen transport requirements for all reference laboratory tests. Serves as a reference for other healthcare professionals on the collection and processing of reference laboratory testing. Orders specific tests in the computer system provided by the major Northern Indiana HCS PD#91900-A commercial reference laboratory. Contacts the reference laboratories to research the requirements on new tests that are not identified in the reference laboratory directories. Enters the results into VISTA and communicates critical values as necessary. The incumbent then places copy reports for results in the supervisor's mail slot for review. The incumbent will review various lab information systems for items such as quality control entry, critical value documentation, test rejected, invalid patient, evaluate, failed, that interfaces between analyzers and information systems are operational and to result and review manual entry testing. The individual will perform employee drug screen by the DHHS split specimen collection method and will maintain the chain of custody for that sample. The incumbent is responsible for performing a limited amount of patient testing which includes but is not limited to waived testing. The individual is required to prepare the specimen or patient for testing, prepare reagents (if necessary), perform test procedure, verify the accuracy of the results and report the results in the VISTA computer system. The incumbent performs established quality control procedures to check the accuracy and validity of the test results. Correlates quantitative, biochemical, and physiologic data with other laboratory data to verify the test results. The incumbent identifies unusual tests results or discrepancies/conditions that can be erroneous results (instrument malfunction, conditions of test performance, reaction systems and/or test procedures). When required, the incumbent draws blood from outpatients and inpatients for requested laboratory tests. This includes using special drawing techniques, assuring that proper tubes are used, and the correct amount of blood is drawn. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD91390A and PD91900A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/04/2023. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-05 grade level: To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level for 1 year. Specialized experience is defined as experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position and that is typically in or related to the position. To be creditable, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level. Examples of Specialized experience includes: knowledge of various menus, options, and procedures, to use the VISTA computer system, CPRS, LEDI software, and the commercial laboratory computer system, knowledge of infection control, safety, and universal precaution procedures, knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations, laboratory accrediting and regulatory requirements sufficient to understand procedures in the areas of safety, phlebotomy/specimen collection, and accessioning and processing, knowledge of the medical facility mission, functions, goals, and objectives, knowledge of key personnel and lines of authority within the medical facility for the flow of information, providing patient care; entering specific information into patient records using appropriate terminology, setting up and maintaining various types of equipment and instruments, performing health care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressings, and adjusting simple supportive equipment, etc. Specialized Experience: 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 06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the 05. 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 will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to DetailSpecimen CollectionTechnical CompetenceTechnology Application 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: Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular and physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing and moderate lifting. The work requires specific physical characteristics and abilities and dexterity needed to perform intricate analytical and technical procedures. Work involves traveling to and from patient wards; prolonged periods of standing and bending over patients and/or control panels of analytic instruments; reaching, stooping and bending for supplies; carrying light to moderately heavy loads (specimen collection trays, reagents and supplies), entering patient information, test orders, and data in a computer. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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 Northern Indiana HCS 1700 East 38th Street Marion, IN 46953 US
• Name: Madison Brown
• Phone: 570-855-5057
• Email: [email protected]