Health Technician- Phlebotomist

Summary Incumbent performs a wide range of administrative functions which include compliance to CLIA and The Joint Commission regulations for laboratory testing, clerical and health technician functions. Uses knowledge of technical methods and procedures to independently carry out a variety of essential duties common to the lab. Maintains continuity of functions and provides full medical administrative support and type of nursing assistant functions within the laboratory and administrative VA staff. Learn more about this agency Duties Major Duties of this position include but are not limited to: Operate guidelines to determine technical factors, sets controls, calibrates, and operates equipment and instruments such as occult blood analyzer. Ensures proper cleaning and performs minor maintenance of laboratory equipment and adjust as needed. Under the direction of the Lab supervisor, is responsible for maintaining records for point of care testing and maintenance on laboratory machines. Accepts patient orders, prints labels, selects proper tubes and containers, PPE, labels specimens with all required information in front of the patient; collects blood following proper tube collection or and without contamination. Determines the correct handling environment for each specimen submitted for referral laboratory testing and performs processing procedures which may be difficult, complex or non-standardized and may involve delicate and exacting steps working with specimens that may be irreplaceable such as tumor biopsy or aspirate. Ensures fire, safety, disaster and infection control procedures are implemented by staff; utilizes protective and supportive devices which comply with Personal Protective Equipment Infection Control Standards. Processes tissue cultures and specimen samples related to pathology testing which require difficult specialized procedures. Instructs patients on proper specimen collection procedures to ensure specimens are acceptable for testing. Prepares specimens to be sent to outside laboratories, including reference and sharing laboratories, for testing not done at this laboratory; assures the proper specimen was collected, records in the send-out book, puts specimen in the proper receptacle, packages specimen to maintain the correct temperature during shipping, completes and checks paperwork, and sends specimen to the correct laboratory. Answers telephone calls, and coordinates information and actions relating to patient care and services; assists patients, visitors, and others requesting information, guidance, or referral for special assistance. Works cooperatively with a variety of individuals, including patients, staff, and visitors, always portraying a positive image and providing satisfactory customer service. Uses courtesy and sound business etiquette in all interactions, whether interpersonal telephonic. Performs patient care procedures such as collection of lab specimens, applying dressings, and adjusting simple supportive equipment. Prepare patient for blood or collection according to College of American Pathologists(CAP) and The Joint Commission(TJC guidelines; follows proper patient preparation and venipuncture while following sterile collection techniques and bandage patient appropriately following collection. Performs patient care procedures such as collection of lab specimens, the proper collection and handling of various specimens including venour blood, instructs patients on proper specimen collection procedures to ensure specimens are acceptable for testing. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: Full-time, 8:00am-4:30pm M-F rotating weekends holidays, 2:00pm to 12:00am M-F rotating weekends holidays, or 12:00am-10:00am M-F rotating weekends holidays Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician- Phlebotomist/PD14531A and PD14453A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized. Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) 5 CFR § 330.502 - General restriction on movement after competitive appointment. 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 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, 06/16/2026. Individual Occupational Requirement: This series has the following Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. OR GS-5 (does not apply to GS-6)- 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 directly related to the position. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement you must meet the below qualifications: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-5: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performs patient care procedures such as venipuncture; specimen collection, and dressing application; Responsible for maintaining records for point of care testing and maintenance on laboratory machines; Accepts patient orders, prints labels, selects proper tubes and containers, PPE, labels specimens with all required information in front of the patient; collects specimens following proper tube collection or and without contamination; Performs proper sterilization techniques and minor maintenance of laboratory equipment; Cooperatively works with a variety of individuals, including patients, staff, and visitors, always portraying a positive image and providing satisfactory customer service. OR, Education: Four(4)-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education, 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. The total percentage of specialized experience and education when added together must equal 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-G5, i.e. 90 credit hours (with 24 hours related to position) and 6 months of specialized experience are equivalent to 1 year. Specialized Experience GS-6: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Performs patient care procedures such as venipuncture; specimen collection, and dressing application; Responsible for maintaining records for point of care testing and maintenance on laboratory machines; Accepts patient orders, prints labels, selects proper tubes and containers, PPE, labels specimens with all required information in front of the patient; collects specimens following proper tube collection or and without contamination; Performs proper sterilization techniques and minor maintenance of laboratory equipment; Cooperatively works with a variety of individuals, including patients, staff, and visitors, always portraying a positive image and providing satisfactory customer service. OR, Education: One(1) semester or nine(9) credit hours of graduate education directly related to positions. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of graduate education and specialized experience. The total percentage of specialized experience and education when added together must equal 100 percent to qualify an applicant for GS-G6, i.e. 3 credit hours and 8 months of specialized experience are equivalent to 1 year. NOTE: Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7.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: 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. 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/. 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 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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/. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.