Medical Technician - Phlebotomy

Summary

The Medical Technician serves within the Phlebotomy and Specimen Receiving section of the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (PLMS) in the Western Colorado Health Care System (WCHCS) and is responsible for inventory and record control, accessioning, specimen collection guidance, processing, testing, storage, clerical tasks, shipping of specimens, quality improvement activities, as well as performing primary phlebotomy duties to support patient care.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

Duties included but are not limited to the following:

• Performs blood collection procedures by venipuncture or capillary techniques on designated hospital inpatients and outpatients.
• Establishes proper identity of all patients, ensures accountability of specimens by proper and complete labeling.
• Administers minor first aid, if necessary, to counteract unfavorable patient reactions.
• Maintains patient privacy in all matters in accordance with the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Performs special procedures to include, but not limited to, administration of oral products such as glucola for glucose tolerance testing
• Receives samples and specimens of tissue, blood, urine, stool, sputum, and other body fluids.
• Performs clerical duties related to handling of laboratory specimens, e.g. conducting order entry and patient registration in reference lab information systems, accessioning specimens, receiving test results from reference laboratories, verifying for completeness, and checking for pending test results.
• Sorts specimens based on testing location, needs, and priority for turnaround time.
• Processes a wide variety of laboratory specimens for shipment to reference laboratories using procedures, test codes, requisition forms, and materials that conform to EPA (CFR 40) and OSHA (CFR 29) regulations.
• Instructs the patient in the proper use of the specimen containers and the correct times of specimen collection. Interacts with outlying clinic sites and hospital staff to educate and monitor compliance to specimen collection requirements and handling guidelines.
• Researches test menu catalogs and/or verbally locates commercial laboratories capable of performing rare and unusual tests.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday: 8:00am - 4:30pm or based on services needs

DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved

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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.

This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration.

The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients.

To apply for this position, you must have the following qualifications:

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Do you have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes performing the following duties: 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. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title; duties; month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. ~OR~

SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) : Successful completion of at least one-half year of graduate level education that is directly related to the work of the position to be filled. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. One (1) year of full-time graduate education is the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying one (1) year of full-time requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application) ~OR~

COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) : Equivalent combinations of post-high school educationand experience, as described above. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application)

Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion, including standing, walking, bending, stooping, reaching, or carrying or lifting items such as specimen containers, supply boxes, phlebotomy equipment, etc. (up to 45 pounds and with assistance as needed). There may be special requirements for manual dexterity and coordination (i.e., hand/eye coordination or good color vision) to perform precise procedures such as venipuncture and specimen handling.

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

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: 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

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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.

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.