This position serves as a Medical Technician in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service for the Tampa VA Medical Center. The employee functions in a semi-independent status in the application of policies, procedures, and accepted standards and emits composure under stressful conditions. IN ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION AT THE GS-5 LEVEL YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING: 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. ~AND~ SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR: Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients. ~AND~ SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal Service that has given me the knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of a Medical Technician GS-5. Specialized experience is: (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. At this level, specialized experience should include experience performing a variety of relatively standardized tests, examinations, and determinations. The procedures and techniques are well-established but involve many meticulous sequential steps to complete a test; and following written procedures which give carefully detailed instructions on each step of the assigned test and examinations. 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: Successful completion of four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION OF EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. NOTE: If you select this option, you must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Selective Placement Factor Specimen Collection IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: Approximately 60% of the work performed is accomplished in a standing or "bending" position while performing phlebotomy/processing procedures. Lifting and carrying of trays, specimens and supplies weighing up to 20 pounds is required. Approximately 40% of the time is spent sitting, reaching, and walking in the performance of phlebotomy and processing duties. Computer typing skills are required to appropriately input patient test requests, properly queue reports and collection labels, and for the monitoring of CR T's and printers for proper operation. The proportion of time spent standing, bending, stretching, and walking versus sitting, varies depending on the assigned tasks at any time (i.e., phlebotomy, clerical, or specimen processing). The work involves moderate risks of discomfort associated with working in a clinical laboratory environment with regular and recurrent exposure to hazards such as infectious materials, hazardous chemicals, electrical and diagnostic equipment and other hazards generally associated with laboratory work. The employee must wear Personal Protective Equipment that is provided (i.e., gloves, appropriate laboratory covering, eye protection and use chemical fume hoods) as applicable, during phlebotomy, while handling specimens, during disposal of laboratory wastes, and while handling hazardous chemicals. The position requires periods of time at a computer terminal for processing and accessioning of specimens. There is some physical discomfort, as the incumbent must deal directly with patients in wheel chairs and on stretchers when performing phlebotomies. 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/. ["***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties and responsibilities include: Interprets and enters specific laboratory orders in the automated patient care system and responds to changing priorities that frequently depend upon the urgency of the situation that will have a direct impact on the quality of patient care and treatment; Facilitates the initiation and completion of efficient processing of patients within the laboratory and throughout the medical and surgical units within the facility; Greets patients, checks their lab test requests ordered by the provider in VISTA, appropriately inputs/accessions/prints labels for test requests, labels specimen containers with correct patient identification, and provides other correct collection containers along with both written and verbal instructions for collection as required to accomplish the provider's requests; Provides primary support for the laboratory by assisting with filing, typing and/or updating of laboratory procedure manuals; Provides pre-analytic, analytic, and post analytic instructions related to collection and processing of laboratory specimens to ensure the accuracy of testing and the quality of proper patient care; Performs the critical task of properly identifying patients utilizing the full name and full social security number before processing and/or hospital computer entry of requests; Correctly looks up the correct sample container for the great variety of esoteric tests that are drawn, processed, and sent to referral laboratories to prevent patients from being recalled for a recollect; Performs phlebotomy by venipuncture on patient wards, the facility Nursing Home, and in the Outpatient Phlebotomy Area as required by staffing needs of the Service; Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates 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."]

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