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Medical Technician

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The incumbent is assigned to the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC), Diagnostic & Rehabilitation
Medicine Service, Laboratory Section. The facility provides comprehensive healthcare services to
eligible Veterans in out-patient and in-patient settings. Incumbent performs duties specific to a
Medical Technician in the Laboratory Section as well as serving as a courier to transport laboratory
specimens from the outreach clinic to the main laboratory at TV AMC.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/07/2022 to 11/21/2022
Salary
$32,283 to - $41,967 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 4
Location
Tuscaloosa, AL
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
4
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBTB-11719139-23-EC
Control number
688003000

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Duties

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MEDICAL TECHNICIAN DUTIES

Obtains blood and/or urine specimens for analysis. Properly identifies each patient who is to provide
specimen(s) using two identifiers as defined by the facilities. Labels specimens according to type of test
and sorts tests by lab sections. Obtains blood specimen by vernipuncture and /or capillary puncture.
Insures patients are instructed on the correct collection procedures for urine samples. Distributes all
blood and urine samples to designated areas.

Administers first aid and/or CPR to any patients having an unfavorable reaction. Appropriately
identifies need and calls for medical emergency as indicated. Recognizes individuals requiring special
assistance and provides assistance accordingly. Records appropriate patient and result information in
section work-lists in accordance with established protocol Creates and prints laboratory labels for test
requests using VISTA. Monitors and operates the Howdy Computerized Log-in System. Centrifuges
specimens, and then refrigerates, or pack in ice according to test procedure. Prepares specimens in
accordance with The Code of Federal Regulations (Transportation, 49) (Parts 100-185), VHA
Handbook 1106.01 (Shipping Biological and infections substances), and reference laboratory
requirements. Follows all regulatory and legal requirements for chain of custody specimens. Maintains
the work area in clean, orderly, and well-labeled condition. Maintains adequate supplies needed for
proper duty performance. Observes proper safety procedure and informs Lead Technologist or
Lab/Radiology Manager of any unsafe working condition.

Prepares trays for specimen collection. Records and compares blood sugar results to patient glucometers. Records temperatures for refrigerated storage system. Collects blood cultures, prepares them for incubation, and enters information into equipment as required, responsible for preprocessing STAT samples incoming to lab. Incumbent will be assigned to other sections of the laboratory to perform tasks equal to their experience and skill levels. Demonstrates infection control practices for disease prevention (i.e. hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirements/precautions.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am to 4:30pm
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/PD077240

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to background/security investigation
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/21/2022.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-4 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-3. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Grade Requirements:

GS-04
General/Specialized Experience: Applicants must possess (6) months of general experience and (6) months of specialized experience which equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Medical Technician: Phlebotomy, GS-4. General Experience is: (1) Any type of work that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work of the position, or (2) experience that provided a familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the broad subject area of the occupation. Examples of specialized experience include: (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: Your 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: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must possess 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 9 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 diagnosis 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 position. (Transcripts must be provided).
OR,
Combination: Combination of successfully completed post high school education and specialized experience, as described above, may be used to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-04 level. If education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, then such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position and must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. This is computed by determining your total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determining your education as a percentage of the education required; then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100% to qualify. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of undergraduate education by 60; then add the two percentages together. The total percentage must equal at least 100% to qualify. (Transcripts must be provided).

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

  • Computer Skills
  • Conflict Management
  • Conscientiousness
  • Customer Service
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Oral Communication
  • Specimen Collection
  • Teamwork
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; religions; 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.

Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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.

Physical Requirements: Finger dexterity and hand/eye coordination required to perform phlebotomy of patients and to manipulate a variety of laboratory devices such as computerized instruments and computer terminals. May lift or otherwise assists other personnel in positioning patients (avg. 200 lbs.) for routine and emergency procedures, position under/on top of laboratory counters or in instrument cabinets the reagent and supply items, some of which can weigh in excess of 45 pounds also, prolonged periods of standing, walking, pushing, and reaching. Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing. Ability to operate laboratory equipment, computers and other equipment. Must wear personal protective equipment or film badges as required for the designated work area. The work requires some physical exertion, such as walking or bending to collect samples. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In the laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination.


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/.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.

Additional information


The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

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.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

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.

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