These positions are located within the Service Nursing Service Line of the VA Desert Pacific Healthcare System in Phoenix, AZ at the Midtown VA Clinic at 5040 N 15th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85015. The Medical Technician performs specimen collection, processing, accessioning and waived testing.

Duties

Responsible for proper patient identification, proper sample procurement, and proper specimen labeling following guidelines from The Joint Commission (TJC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Patient Safety Goals. Properly identifies all patients with two identifiers to assure the accuracy of the specimen collected and documents collection appropriately. Uses judgement and independently resolves identification discrepancies through staff contacts as needed. Performs phlebotomy procedures following a sequence of steps approved for sample collection. Independently responsible for selecting the best venipuncture site, most suitable phlebotomy equipment (needle type, size and length), most appropriate cleansing agent(s), proper collection vials and assessing the patient's condition before, during and after the procedure. Attends to the patients while in their care during the phlebotomy procedure. Is attentive to patient needs, actions and complaints. Has knowledge of medical conditions/therapy (e.g. diabetes, anticoagulation, fainting, hematomas) and applies that knowledge while the patient is in their care. Independently determines the need and initiates a Medical Emergency, Code Blue and/or Code Green for a violent patient. In the event of a Medical Emergency or Code Blue, the phlebotomist administers initial intervention until specialized assistance arrives on the scene. Observes and reports any physical or mental changes while patients are being drawn. Follows the Laboratory procedures for collecting specimens in the appropriate container, maintains specimen under appropriate conditions, follows guidelines for collecting timed specimens at the appropriate times to insure specimen viability. Evaluates suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable. Controls the sample's physical condition and responds to time factors to insure that the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained. Understands and follows the proper order of draw for tubes whether in a Vacutainer system or a syringe system. Responsible for the sterile collection and dispersal of physician requested patient clean catch urinalysis specimens, urine cultures and 24 hour urine collections. Provides education t patients for proper collection techniques of urine, stool, or other fluid collections. Responsible for participation in method comparison to evaluate the use of new equipment and processes and compare them with those being used in terms of adherence to accreditation and safety requirements. Makes recommendations to management for use of devices based on outcomes. Responsible for preparation of the collection site and for drawing blood cultures without contamination. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, variable schedule ranging between 7:00an - 6:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician (Phlebotomist - MDCBOC)/PD211185 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All 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.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/08/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Per 5 CFR 300.604 part (c) Advancement to positions up to GS-5. Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-5 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest non-temporary competitive appointment. 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 s described below: Specialized Experience: You must have six (6) months of general experience equivalent, and six (6) months of specialized experience which equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy, GS-04 position, 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 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. 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 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: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed (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 OR (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in 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. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and and education as described above. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: CommunicationsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Public Safety and SecurityTeamworkTechnical 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 and concentrate for long periods of time while reading specimens and to stand for several consecutive hours during the preparation of specimens: In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of the workday) contributes to arduous nature of the job. Position requires lifting of reagent containers weighing up to 35 pounds. The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working around moving parts, carts, or machines; with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals. The person in this position is required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, ear plugs, lab coats, boots, goggles, or shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk. Adherence to safety and universal precautions and use of protective gear is mandatory to reduce occupational risk factors. 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 Carl T Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical Center 650 East Indian School Road Phoenix, AZ 85012 US
• Name: Patricia Leonard
• Phone: 0000000000
• Email: [email protected]