Health Technician- Phlebotomy

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton VA Medical Center (VAMC), Pathology and Laboratory Service, at the Portsmouth VA Clinic in Portsmouth, VA. The Portsmouth VA Clinic is a community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) that operates as an extension from its parent facility, Hampton VA Medical Center.

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Duties

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Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

• Identifies patients utilizing the full name and social security number before collecting, processing and /or hospital computer entry of requests.
• Compare orders from multiple physicians and request the medical technologist to combine the orders.
• Identifies, labels and collection blood bank specimens for STAT and routine testing while next to the patient bedside or chair side.
• Must be proficient in phlebotomizing patient in varying debilitation (i.e., paralysis, stroke, mentally unstable, spinal cord injuries in fetal position and contractures).
• Performs phlebotomy using specialized techniques for cleansing the blood collection site to prevent bacterial contamination that's critical to patient care.
• Ensures the contamination rate of blood cultures remains within guidelines with blood culture contamination.
• Draws the blood tests ordered by providers for inpatients, outpatients, CBOC patients and for requested drug screens.
• Performs CUA-waived Fecal Occult Blood and other rapid testing on patients while recording, reagent lot numbers, quality control, and reports and verify test results.
• Maintains accurate rejection records.
• Prints incomplete VISTA reports and resolve discrepancies.
• Duties include collecting the specimen, receiving, labelling, and loading specimens, loading reagents on the instrument, recording reagent lot numbers, performing and recording daily and weekly maintenance, quality controls, and performing patient testing.
• Troubleshoots error messages and notifies Team Leader or Technologist when maintenance or quality controls do not perform as expected.
• Responsible for receiving and preparing requests for testing and specimens into the clinical laboratory and evaluates the acceptability of each specimen, documents discrepancies, and resolves potential problems.
• Screens telephone calls and routes inquiries to appropriate personnel.
• Coordinates with Human Resources (HR) and Employee Occupational Health (EOH) to schedule pre-employment and random drug screens collections.
• Performs drug screens by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) split specimen collection method and follows all regulatory and legal requirements in maintaining the chain of custody of each specimen.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 0800-1630.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician- Phlebotomy/ PD50093A, PD02881A, and PD028810

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2026.

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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: (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 positions being filled; and, experience performing phlebotomy/blood draw procedures on human patients. (Note) Please ensure your resume detail the special experience needed for consideration. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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. OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of education and experience equivalent to the requirements for a GS-5.Note: Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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: 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:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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