Health Technician

Job Title

Health Technician

Duties

The Health Technician's primary duties include pathology consultation and referral service support, pathology send out handling, client service support, phlebotomy, advanced phlebotomy, nursing/hospital staff training and competencies for phlebotomy in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System Wade Park Campus.

Pathology and Consultation and Referral Service

• Advise physicians on proper ordering protocols for patient care and fiscal efficiency based on established guidelines and experience.
• Perform the add-on function for the clinical sections of the laboratory to include but not limited to Chemistry, Immunology, Special Chemistry, Hematology and Microbiology.
• Identify viable samples for requests and determine the suitability for requested testing, as well as locate and route the specimen for the new test requested.

Pathology Send Out Services

• Assess sample integrity by utilizing established evaluation techniques and sound judgment to ensure samples for suitable for laboratory testing.
• Evaluate the sample for proper sample type, labeling, hemolysis and volume.

Phlebotomy/Advanced Phlebotomy

• Perform phlebotomy procedures following a sequence of steps approved for sample collection.
• Select the best venipuncture site, most suitable phlebotomy equipment (needle type, size and length), most appropriate cleansing agent(s), proper collection vials and assess the patient's condition before, during and after the procedure.
• Make on-the-spot decisions to make corrections or identify other means to obtain needed specimens when faced with patients with difficult anatomy for collection.
• Ensure all regulatory agencies' standards are being met.
• Ensure proper collection, processing and storage in the outpatient blood draw room.
• Ensuring all equipment is monitored and quality control is performed as required.

Work Schedule: 8:00a - 4:30p (Day Shift) 4:00am - 12:30pm (Night Shift); rotate weekends and holidays Position Description Title/PD#: 903051A, 90305A Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking, or bending, walk to observe, collect, or record data. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, such as in a laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility and dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.