This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Richmond VA Central Virginia Healthcare System. The incumbent is a member of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) team and performs technical work in one or more areas of the Anatomic or Clinical Laboratory, such as chemistry, blood banking, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, microbiology, histology, and cytology

Duties

The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Responsible for receiving and preparing patient samples for testing into the clinical laboratory using VISTA itemization or HOWDY systems and evaluates the acceptability of each specimen, documents discrepancies, and resolves potential problems. Ensures proper processing and accession of specimens; especially those requiring unique or special handling. Instructs patients and Medical Center staff on the proper handling of urine and stool collection requirements. Contacts Medical Center staff for additional information to ensure that proper testing and interpretive data are received. Sorts specimens based on testing location, needs, and priority for turnaround time. Performs Venipuncture using specialized techniques for cleansing the blood collection site to prevent bacterial contamination that's critical to patient care, to ensure the contamination rate of blood cultures remains within National guidelines for blood culture contamination rates reported to Central Office. Performs Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Fecal Occult Blood using analyzer involving the use of complex equipment and performs other CLIA-waived rapid testing on patients while recording reagent lot numbers, and quality control. Follows detailed instructions in operating the laboratory equipment that requires specialized training. Collect specimen for amplification testing which is ran on analyzer to determine patient diagnosis. Collect specimens for send out testing to include verification of proper requisition completion, selection of correct tubes, labeling, packaging and preparation of kit for transport. Follows Code of Federal Regulations requirements to certify/transport infectious or bio-hazardous material. Maintain manifest for testing any specimens that arrive in late afternoon/early evening, and any testing that is performed during off-shifts within multiple departments in the Laboratory. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 07:30am-4pm Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD01518A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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, 01/19/2024. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-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 may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: the following screening and instructing patients on numerous procedures to obtain accurate test results, taking into consideration many variables, which affect the specific case. Exercises skill in drawing or collecting required specimens with responsibility for ensuring quality and quantity are sufficient. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)FlexibilitySpecimen CollectionTeaches OthersTeamworkTechnical 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: 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. The position may also require assisting geriatric and/or disabled patients. 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.

Contacts

• Address Central Virginia VA Health Care System 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard Richmond, VA 23249 US
• Name: Danielle Muse
• Email: [email protected]