Videos

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

The major duties include but are not limited to:

• Uses the hospital computer system to accurately perform work duties such as reviewing, retrieving, and accessioning specimen laboratory orders as well as researching and resolving issues;
• Collects blood by venipuncture on both inpatients and outpatients;
• Collects urine, sputum, and stool specimens in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service's Outpatient Phlebotomy Department;
• Transports specimens from the collection site to the testing Laboratory according to urgency status;
• Answers questions relative to patient specimens (e.g., proper collection, storage, etc.);
• Instructs and assists patients/customers as needed, including providing instructions/directions and answering questions not limited to laboratory services, or directing patients to personnel who can accurately answer questions or meet stated needs;
• Performs clerical functions, including but not limited to, answering telephone calls and directing calls to appropriate departments, and contacting providers when lab orders require further clarification;
• Performs a range of diagnostic laboratory support duties such as collection and labeling of specimens for the laboratory;
• Uses proper sterile techniques for collection of patient specimens;
• Adheres to specimen special instructions, such as pre-chilling or pre-warming collection containers, transporting specimens on ice or warmed, protection from light, immediate deliverance of specimens to testing laboratory, etc.;
• Conducts glucose tolerance testing, including administration of proper amount of glucola and monitoring patient throughout testing process for adverse reactions;
• Verifies the patient as the individual denoted on the laboratory order request/labels using two approved forms of identification, ensuring all patient specimens are properly labeled;
• Assesses patient's physical and emotional condition with respect to procedure being performed;
• Adheres to safety, infection control, and standard precautions while drawing blood and/or handling non-blood patient specimens;
• Collects blood samples with a minimal number of failures, patient bruising, or required resticks;
• Identifies and appropriately responds to adverse reactions such as fainting, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and arrests;
• Monitors supply inventory, rotates stock to minimize outdating, and is responsible for identifying and removing outdated supplies/reagents; and,
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

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

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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 perform the duties of this position. ~AND~

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. ~AND~

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

In addition to the English Language Proficiency and Selective Place Factor, to qualify for this position at the GS-4 level, you must meet one of the following requirements:

Experience: You must have at least 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience:
General experience is described as (1) any type of work that demonstrates the ability to perform the work of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. AND Specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomist, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience is defined as (a) technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic, and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings and/or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques of a phlebotomist equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-3). 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~
Education and Training: Successful completion of: (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2-year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of a full-time training course of approximately a year's duration in a medical or clinical laboratory assistant (or technician) school that included instruction in chemistry, hematology, blood banking, and microbiology (including serology) and that, in addition, included supervised laboratory practice incident to the diagnostic process and the treatment of patients; or; (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~
Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience, as described above, may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the Medical Technician - Phlebotomy position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

• SPECIMEN COLLECTION
• COMPUTER SKILLS
• CUSTOMER SERVICE
• PATIENT CARE
• QUALITY ASSURANCE

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: The work of the position requires manual dexterity, visual acuity, regular and extensive, and recurring physical exertion such as standing for long periods, bending, stooping, stretching, lifting, moderately heavy supply items and small equipment and walking on a regular basis. The ability to work under stressful conditions when the demands for accuracy and specific reporting results are necessary.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

• Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
• Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
• Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
• Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.

Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.