The incumbent serves as a Medical Laboratory Technician in the Roseburg VA Healthcare System, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Services with responsibility for performing procedures in the areas of chemistry (including special chemistry and toxicology), hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, immunology, and specimen procurement and processing. The incumbent at this level develops, performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Specimen Collection and Processing: Performs phlebotomy and follows current Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Ensures two patient identifiers and active communication are used with each blood draw and specimen collection. Draws tubes in the correct order in, accordance with the Medical Center policies and procedures. Organizes specimen collection lists, STAT, and timed draws, and reviews the collection list for uncollected orders and resolves the uncollected status. Processes specimens using complex instrumentation such as the centrifuges and transfers specimens to aliquot tubes for storage, shipping, or testing. Measures aliquots of body fluids, such as 24-hour urine, to store or prepare for testing. Provides efficient customer service to clients who contact the processing section by phone or in person. Able to answer questions without giving out confidential details, that would violate HIPPA regulations. Coordinates with Phlebotomists/Health Techs to ensure there is coverage where needed or where tasks need to be completed. Hematology Operates instrumentation that performs blood cell testing with the newest methodologies which include impedance testing, flow cytometry, and immunochemical staining. The instrumentation is complex and performs 20 different tests simultaneously. The display and report must be interpreted utilizing the instrument report as well as interpretation of cellular staining characteristics and microscopic morphology of the peripheral blood smear. The technician is responsible for identifying abnormal cellular morphology that will provide the clinician with information related to disease processes and blood cell abnormalities to include leukemias and lymphomas which requires independent expertise. The technician will also perform manual cell counts on body fluids, sedimentation rates on blood, cytocentrifugation preparations, and crystal examinations on body fluids utilizing polarized microscopy. Urinalysis Operates instrumentation for semi-quantitative and quantitative measurements of chemical and cellular constituents in urine specimens. This area also includes urine microscopy examinations by phase contrast, urine drug screen analysis, pregnancy tests, and bilirubin testing on positive urinalysis specimens. Coagulation Operates instrumentation for the determination of prothrombin time for warfarin monitoring, activated partial thromboplastin time, and d-dimer testing. The instrumentation utilizes mechanical, optical, and nephelometry principals in the performance of testing. Chemistry/Special Chemistry Operates a variety of complex instrumentation. The technician must have the necessary skills to program and troubleshoot the instrumentation. The technician must be responsible for the operation of the analyzers to include calibrations, preventative maintenance, quality control test performance, and proficiency testing. The complexity of the instrumentation requires extensive training and technical education related to the medical laboratory. The tests performed in this area include general chemistry and immunochemistry tests such as glucose, lipid testing, endocrine and tumor markers, anemia, thyroid, cardiac, and infectious disease testing. Maintain Equipment/Supplies/Facilities Maintains and documents the laboratory facilities and equipment and controls supplies. Determines compliance with safety requirements establishes inventory and equipment maintenance requirements and maintains appropriate inventories and maintenance schedules. Maintains laboratory stock and orders materials, as needed. Maintains laboratory in a clean and safe condition according to agency or accreditation requirements. Calibrates and maintains laboratory instrumentation on timely intervals to minimize breakdown and delay of procedures. Performs troubleshooting on the instrumentation from basic procedures. Must use experience, education, and knowledge to extrapolate troubleshooting procedures with only minimal procedures or instructions. Conducts work according to Laboratory Safety Regulations and instructs coworkers and students on safety policies and procedures. Maintains Laboratory Records Maintains and controls laboratory records. Incumbent is responsible for presenting the data to the supervisor in a logical and systematic fashion. As such, the technician is responsible for some data analysis including arithmetic calculations, algebra, graphing of data using interactive computer programs and preliminary statistical evaluations. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/PD99968A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet time-in-grade and specialized experience requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/04/2023. 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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. 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. You may qualify based on your specialized experience as described below: For GS-7: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-06 level in the Federal service. 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. NOTE: 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. Preferred Experience: Certification by ASCP or AMT and at least 1 year of laboratory experience in the last 5 years. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Client OrientationStress ToleranceTeaching OthersTechnical 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 manual dexterity and exceptional hand/eye coordination, some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking, bending, sitting over a microscope, concentrating for long periods of time while reading specimens, and standing for several consecutive hours during the preparation of specimens. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. Position requires lifting of reagent containers weighing up to 35 pounds. 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 for GS-07.

Contacts

• Address Roseburg VA Medical Center 913 Northwest Garden Valley Boulevard Roseburg, OR 97471 US
• Name: John Buan
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X59964
• Email: [email protected]