Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and all applicants who are CTAP eligible.

Phlebotomist Duties 50%

• Draws blood from medical center inpatients and outpatients for requested laboratory tests. This includes using special drawing techniques and assuring that proper tubes are used, and the correct amount of blood is drawn.
• Verifies proper identification of the patient as the individual denoted on the request and labels all tubes with the patient's name, social security number, date, and time to insure proper identification. Ensures accountability of specimens by proper and complete labeling with the patient's name and identification number.
• Applies knowledge of human anatomy, aseptic and sterile techniques and phlebotomy equipment to make judgment in selection of the phlebotomy site, taking into consideration the condition of the patient, age group, and the type of test requested by the health care provider. Performs and exhibits skills specific to the young adult, the adult, and the geriatric patient. Provides care based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served.
• Selects proper Vacutainer tubes for testing using various sized needles, syringes, and/or butterfly collection devices in order to collect appropriate specimens for testing.

Accessioning and Processing Duties 30%

• Receives all requests for testing into the laboratory, including blood, urine, stool, sputum, swabs, tissue, and other body fluids.
• Verifies the accuracy and completeness of the request. Checks that all specimens are properly and completely labeled; assures proper requests (hardcopy or electronic computer orders) and correct specimens (i.e., type, amount, etc.) are submitted with all required information. Interacts with hospital personnel to correct discrepancies. Contacts health care providers for additional needed information and/or patient history to ensure that proper testing and interpretive data are received.
• Performs accessioning procedures using the Vista system. Accepts or enters all requests into Vista.
• Verifies proper patient preparation, sample collection, and sample transport requirements for all laboratory tests. Identifies unusual conditions and discrepancies which may cause erroneous test results. Makes sound decisions independently and takes appropriate action to correct and solve problems.
• Sorts specimens based on testing location, needs, and priority for turnaround time. Recognizes emergency situations and takes necessary action. Establishes priorities for emergency orders.

Patient Reception/Education Duties 10%

• Serves as a laboratory receptionist in greeting patients, providing them with appropriate guidance, answering non-technical inquiries, and referring technical inquiries to the appropriate laboratory staff.
• Determines the specimen(s) to be collected for the laboratory work to be performed based on the laboratory requisition or clinical orders entered in the hospital information system.
• Must be able to explain the procedure for collection of specimens to the patient.
• Instructs patients in the proper use of specimen containers and correct times of specimen collection for those specimens collected at home.
• Interacts and communicates with patients and clinic staffs on a regular basis to verify patient status and identity, obtain required demographic information, or otherwise clarify orders or resolve problems with laboratory test requests.

Inventory Management/Clerical Duties 10%

• Performs clerical duties related to handling of laboratory specimens, e.g., accessioning specimens, looking up test orders in Vista, troubleshooting order problems, and contacting providers as needed to resolve order problems.
• Files hard copies of reference laboratory reports in an organized, systematic manner, which allows easy retrieval of results.
• Monitors inventory of supplies. Notifies supervisor of supplies needed, allowing sufficient lead time to obtain additional supplies prior to running out.
• Replenishes supplies on collection carts and collection areas daily.
• Annotates date received and initials all supplies upon receipt and opening according to The Joint Commission regulations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 3:30pm - 12:00am
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician-Phlebotomy/PD22003A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/18/2025.

Time in Grade: Advancement to positions up to GS-5. Candidates may be advanced without time restriction to positions up to GS-5 if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade the employee held within the preceding 52 weeks under his or her latest non temporary competitive appointment.

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 : Applicant must have experience with doing blood draws on human patients and this must be documented clearly in your resume.

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

Individual Occupational Requirements

Specialized Experience
Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings.
OR
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.
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 the 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 position to be filled.

EXPERIENCE:

At least six (6) months of general experience, (l) 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.

• Knowledge and skills in phlebotomy techniques, procedures, and other specimen collection procedures.

• Knowledge of infection control, safety, and universal precaution procedures.

• Knowledge of collection, processing, and storage requirements and procedures for laboratory specimens.

AND

Six (6) months 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:

• Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or
• 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.

OR

EDUCATION: Successful completion of:

• 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;
• 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

• 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 position to be filled. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application)

OR

COMBINATION: Equivalent combinations of post-high school education and experience, as described above. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application)You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

One year experience in Phlebotomy preferred.

• Computer Skills
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Patient Care
• Quality Assurance
• Specimen Collection

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: The work requires extensive and recurring physical exertion such as standing for long periods of time, bending, standing, lifting, walking, stooping, and stretching. The work requires duty on weekends, holidays, and nights when so assigned.

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.

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Performance Appraisal
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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