The incumbent serves as Blood Bank Technical Specialist in Immunohematology at the VA TVHS, Nashville Campus and serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation to bench-level technologists (GS-644-9) for more difficult, complex, or unique tests requiring special knowledge in Blood Banking/Immunohematology. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of the specialized testing including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context.

Duties

The incumbent serves as the Blood Bank Technical Specialist in Immunohematology at the Nashville Campus and serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation to the bench-level technologist for more difficult, complex, or unique tests requiring special knowledge in Blood Banking/Immunohematology. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of the specialized testing including appropriateness that takes into consideration clinical context. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses. Analyzes emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate methods and testing. Applies policies, precedents, regulatory, licensing and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor and maintain the specialized testing. The technical specialist often works independently and is given freedom of action under the general guidance of the Blood Bank Supervisory Medical Technologists and the Director of Blood Bank. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Performs all duties of GS-9 bench technologists on an as-needed basis to extend laboratory coverage and maintain comprehensive coverage of all aspects of the Blood Bank with the skill to provide advisory services to technicians, technologists, and other specialists. In the absence of the Supervisory Medical Technologist, interprets highly complex crossmatch and antibody problems; provides technical assistance on complex problems for the technologists on all tours of duty; prepares documents for the purchase of supplies, maintains proper inventory levels; maintains an adequate inventory of blood products so that shortages do not occur during emergency situations. Consults with and advises bench technologists with unusual problems, questions, and troubleshooting, reviews testing documentation for errors, technical soundness, and compliance with established procedures. Documents and maintains permanent records of patient transfusions, receipt, and final disposition of all blood and blood components; assists the Supervisory Medical Technologist, as needed, by preparing written monthly reports for the Tissue and Transfusion Committee. Assists the Supervisory Medical Technologist in ensuring activities associated with process improvement, customer service, data driven decision making, or team driven change are accomplished. Reviews accreditation and regulatory guidelines to assist the Supervisory Medical Technologist in maintaining upto-date compliance Completes required in-services including, but not limited to, training in Joint Commission Compliance, OSHA Safety Compliance, Patient Confidentiality Requirements, and Computer Security Actively strives to improve and extend level of expertise via documented continuing medical education, including related scientific meetings, coursework, and clinical surveys; reviews related literature to remain current on consensus of experts and standard practices in the field. Aids the Supervisory Medical Technologist in maintenance of procedure manuals, compliance with accreditation and regulatory guidelines (inspection preparedness), and quality assurance/ quality improvement. Performs or analyzes validation studies, provides in-service to bench technologists, and writes operating procedures prior to implementation as directed by the Supervisory Medical Technologists In the Supervisory Medical Technologist's absence, assumes technical leadership of the Blood Bank Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:30pm, occasional weekends and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement #:Medical Technologist/PD70332-FRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP- Authorized: Please contact the EDRP representative Betsy Quinn @ [email protected] or 615-225-4963. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005. Education and/or Experience Combination: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.).AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR, A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy in a clinical laboratory. OR, A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy in a clinical laboratory. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Certification. Candidates must have either (1) or (2) or (3) below: (1) Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations:GS-11 Medical Technologist-Technical Specialist Experience: Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-09), which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR Education: Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. Additionally the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):a. Advanced knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medicolegal requirements and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests.b. Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing.c. Advanced knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired technologists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of the laboratory procedures.d. Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods in order to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations.e. Advanced knowledge of a particular discipline or function with wide latitude for exercising sound independent judgment. References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: Intermittent moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 4 hours); standing (up to 4 hours); repeated bending (up to 2 hours); intermittent, but possible prolonged stooping and kneeling; ability to distinguish basic colors; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; ability to read and comprehend ordinary type and computer screens; ability to hear (aid permitted)and work in an environment with constant noise; working closely with others; high cognitive function required to work in a fast paced environment with competing priorities without loss of accuracy; emotional stability required to maintain self-control in difficult and stressful situations; ability to wear required to personal protective equipment as required.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Brent Clark
• Phone: 615-225-5456
• Email: [email protected]