This position is located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA St. Louis Health Care System. The incumbent serves as a Medical Technician/Phlebotomist in the Central Receiving Unit and the Core laboratory sections of the P&LMS.

Duties

St. Louis VA Medical Center is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. The incumbent will perform point of care testing, phlebotomy, accession specimens, and perform other procedures necessary to ensure appropriate specimen receipt, handling, and processing to ensure accurate, reliable laboratory results. The incumbent will perform a variety of complex tests and examinations and use of complex equipment. Major Duties include but are not limited to: Incumbent performs blood collection and specimen labeling: Performs routine venipuncture specimen collections from inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory inpatients. Required to remain at a minimum of ten patient draws per hour. Correctly identifies each patient using at least two valid, acceptable patient identifiers as required by The Joint Commission, College of American Pathologists (CAP) and other regulatory agencies. Maintains patient confidentiality. Correctly identifies acceptable venipuncture site or finger stick site (for bleeding times). Maintains sterile technique and performs venipuncture according to guidelines. Determines appropriate number and type of tubes of blood, ensuring that tubes meet quality and volume standard required for optimum clinical sampling. Labels each and every tube as required and instructed with all necessary identifiers and information, in the presence of the patient and before proceeding. Ensures that the organization's strategic plan, mission, vision and values are communicated to the team and integrated into the team's strategies, goals, objectives, work plans and work products and services. Monitors the status and progress of work, and make day- to- day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be disposed of promptly. Instruct employees in specific tasks and job techniques and make available written instructions, reference materials and supplies. Participates in job interviews and selection of applicants for vacant positions and also in the training and on-boarding of new employees in accordance with establish procedures. The incumbent is responsible for performing a limited amount of patient testing in different sections of the laboratory which includes, but is not limited to, urinalysis, coagulation, chemistry, microbiology, serology and immunology. The incumbent assists with performance of complex test procedures such as urinalysis, basic metabolic panel, urine pregnancy testing, Prothrombin time, INR, chemistry testing of ionized calcium through point of care analyzer, biochemical and serological procedures such as serological test for treponemal infection (syphilis), plating of microbiology specimens and preparing smears for gram stain to identify pathogenic organisms and protein electrophoresis. Work Schedule: One day shift, one evening shift, and one night shift available. All shifts include rotating weekends and holidays. The service is flexible on the tour of duty times. Some shift times include: 5:30am-2pm, 7am-3:30pm, 8:30am-5pm, 2pm-10:30pm, and 10:30pm-7am. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Medical Technician (Phlebotomist)/PD08002A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized 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, 01/02/2024. 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 GS-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience: For positions at GS-4 and above: (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-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the position to be filled. In addition to the individual occupational requirement, you must meet one of the following qualifications below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: blood collections and specimen labeling; routine venipuncture specimen collections from inpatient, outpatient, and ambulatory inpatients; ensure samples are delivered to the clinical laboratory with the least possible delay; determine the appropriate number and type of tubes of blood, ensuring that tubes meet quality and volume standard required for optimum clinical sampling; and labels each and every tube as required and instructed with all necessary identifiers and information, in the presence of the patient and before proceeding to the next patient. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have taken a 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation, if required. (Transcripts are required). 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 high school. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer SkillsLeadershipQuality AssuranceSpecimen Collection 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: Physical demands may involve minimal lifting, extensive standing, extensive walking, extensive bending, or sitting. The incumbent must have the digital dexterity and adequate vision to perform safe venipuncture procedures. Lifting will not exceed a weight of 10 pounds. The incumbent must fully utilize all safety practice and equipment provided by the medical center, and in compliance with local and accrediting agency requirements. 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 VA St Louis Health Care System 1 Jefferson Barracks Drive St. Louis, MO 63125 US
• Name: Ashley Moore
• Phone: 909-520-8107
• Email: [email protected]