The Medical Technician (Phlebotomist) is responsible for the provision of the overall support of the VA Caribbean Healthcare System, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Services by collecting blood specimens and body fluids for laboratory clinical analysis for patients being treated at the VA. The incumbent may be required to rotate between VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics and Rural clinics or a change in duty station to satisfy Outpatient Phlebotomy Area Lab and Service needs.

Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to: Reviews laboratory orders and accessions specimens into computer system, collects patient blood specimens (phlebotomy) and body fluid. Exercises procedures for properly decontaminating spills and the safe disposal of all contaminated materials. Secures the confidence and cooperation of patients during procedures and performs blood drawing. Verifies sample transport requirements for a variety of laboratory tests, including cultures, biopsies, etc. Performs laboratory pre-analytic functions such as centrifugation and prepare packing/ shipping of biological substance. Trains new employees and students in phlebotomy and specimen collection in general, and, assists in teaching and training laboratory and clinic personnel/students the theoretical and practical aspects of phlebotomy, specimen collection and specimen requirements. Provides patient care which is appropriate to the cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Receives and stores laboratory supplies. Provides assistance of a technical, specialized, or support nature to health and medical personnel in the diagnosis or treatment of patient illnesses or medical conditions. Maintains records for routine patient tests or laboratory transactions. labels for appropriate blood samples. Receives samples into the laboratory and processes them for testing, labels and transmits specimens, test results and other records. Reviews laboratory orders and verifies that the proper tubes are used and the correct amount of blood is drawn. Verifies the accuracy and completeness of requests, and interacts with hospital/clinic personnel to correct discrepancies. Identifies unusual conditions and discrepancies, which may cause erroneous test results, and enters data in control records. Investigates missing or incomplete patient laboratory orders. Work Schedule: Monday-Saturdays; Full and Part-Time positions available. Rotating shifts may include but are not limited to: Full-Time: 5 AM - 1:30 PM; 6 AM - 2:30 PM; 7:30 AM - 4 PM; 8 AM - 4:30 PM. Part-Time: 6 AM - 12 PM; 7 AM - 1 PM; 8 AM - 2 PM. Must demonstrate flexibility to cover during holidays, emergencies or in other tours as service needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician (Phlebotomist)/PD672-11472-A 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, 10/09/2023. This occupational series has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) which is a minimum qualification requirement. To be considered for the position, you must ensure that the experience is reflected in your resume and/or if applicable, transcripts must be uploaded to support education requirement or substitution. Specialized Experience for GS-4: (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. OR Education and Training for GS-4: 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 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. In addition to meeting the IOR, you may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Applicants must have 6 months of general and 6 months of specialized experience related to this position. General Experience is defined as 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. AND Specialized Experience: Prepares samples, (i.e., blood, urine, tissue) common to the laboratory. Measures, aliquots and records the total volume of the 24 hour urine collections. Assist in the centrifugation of samples at different laboratory sections and packaging of biological specimens for transport. Follows standard procedures and applies a practical knowledge of the properties of the specimen to ensure effective presentation of the qualities or characteristics critical for accurate testing or examination. Collects blood specimens from ambulatory patients in the outpatient clinics using aseptic venipuncture techniques. Collects blood specimens under special conditions with special techniques requiring advanced expertise, e.g., blood cultures. Prepares solutions for lactose and xylose for patient testing. Provide clear instructions to patients for several sample collections. Performs venipuncture for collection of blood specimens and collection/acceptance of other body fluids as urine, feces, semen using proper sterile techniques and Universal Precaution at all times. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years above high school with courses directly related to the work of the position. The education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. 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. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 1 year (30 semester hours) above high school. 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 for this position: Clinical Data Collection/DocumentationMedical InformationSpecimen 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 some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items, such as typewriters and record boxes. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Yvonne Misiak
• Phone: 727-318-8684
• Email: [email protected]