Medical Technician

This position is located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Durham VA Medical Center in Durham, NC. The Medical Technician involves a wide variety of duties involving specimen collection, processing, and preparation of specimens for transport, while assuring accuracy of identification and integrity of specimens for routine and specialized testing throughout all processes.

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

Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Maintaining current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification and participating in required educational programs, in-service meetings, and professional development activities Performing positive identification of patients and specimens using full name and social security number throughout collection, processing, and storage Coordinating with clinical departments to review, enter, and accession test orders, correct discrepancies, and determine testing and patient preparation requirements Performing phlebotomy using established venipuncture techniques and universal precautions while assessing patient conditions and selecting appropriate collection equipment and techniques Recognizing venipuncture complications and adverse patient reactions, providing appropriate interventions, monitoring recovery, and documenting incidents as required Collecting routine and complex specimens using appropriate tubes, anticoagulants, quantities, and order-of-draw procedures while following special handling and timing requirements Processing specimens through centrifugation, separation, warming, freezing, refrigeration, and appropriate storage while identifying hemolysis, clots, and other specimen quality issues Preparing glucose and lactose tolerance solutions, verifying fasting requirements, collecting initial specimens, and calculating dosages based on age, weight, and pregnancy status Instructing patients on proper 24-hour urine collection procedures, including cleansing, preservatives, storage, transportation, and safety precautions Performing waived testing and routine laboratory procedures, including urine hCG, rapid Strep tests, volumetric measurements, solution preparation, and specimen centrifugation Controlling preanalytical conditions, assessing specimen integrity, maintaining specimen stability, and ensuring compliance with laboratory and regulatory requirements Processing referral specimens using universal precautions, responding to STAT requests and critical alarms, verifying results, preparing shipping manifests, and reporting quality assurance metrics Monitoring inventory, maintaining phlebotomy supplies, cleaning work areas, selecting appropriate PPE, and operating, troubleshooting, and documenting laboratory equipment maintenance Maintaining accurate laboratory records, documenting orders and collection times, securing confidential files, greeting Veterans, and providing courteous patient service Processing patient orders, resolving discrepancies, answering telephones, distributing paperwork, and participating in laboratory quality improvement activities Training students and laboratory personnel in phlebotomy techniques while completing required education, certifications, qualifications, and training documentation Following facility and service policies and procedures while maintaining confidentiality, complying with safety regulations, and performing other assigned dutiesj Performing other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: 10-hour (05:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m.) shift; 4 days a week Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Nor Approved

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). To qualify for this position, applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements. Specialized Experience (GS-05): You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled.

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. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-05): 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 (i.e., Medical Technician). NOTE: One year of full-time undergraduate 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 or technical school.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-05): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. For GS-05 level position, only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.

Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AND CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: If you do not submit the required document, your application may not be reviewed.)

And 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

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 prerequisites for appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet the Selective Placement Factor are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients.

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/. Physical Requirements: The work requires prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending and lifting up to 50 pounds and carrying of items, to lean over patients and equipment and to work while wearing PPE.

In other situations, in the laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity, such as exceptional hand/eye coordination or color differentiation. Finger dexterity and hand eye coordination required to find hard to locate veins and to handle needles and tubes while maintaining adequate blood flow for collection In some areas, employees may be required to travel between clinics/CBOC's, walk in the dark, or walking in weather to buildings which are not accessible through tunnels.