Summary This position is located at the Fort Meade VA Clinic - VA Maryland Health Care System in Fort Meade, Maryland. The Phlebotomist is responsible for collecting a broad range of routine and emergency blood samples. The incumbent may perform phlebotomy or testing on inpatients, outpatients, surgical patients, CBOC patients, ED patients or wherever the need arises. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major duties and responsibilities include: Performs phlebotomy procedures following a sequence of steps approved for sample collection. Independently responsible for selecting the best venipuncture site, most suitable phlebotomy equipment (needle @type, size and length), most appropriate cleansing agent(s), proper collection vials and assessing the patient's condition before, during and after the procedure. Attends to the patients while in their care during the phlebotomy procedure. Knowledge of medical conditions/therapy (e.g. diabetes, anticoagulation, fainting, hematomas) and applies that knowledge while the patient is in their care. Independently determines the need and initiates a Medical Emergency, Code Blue and/or Code Green for a violent patient. In the event of a Medical Emergency or Code Blue, the phlebotomist administers initial intervention until specialized assistance arrives on the scene. Observes and reports any physical or mental changes while patients are being drawn. Follows the Laboratory procedures for collecting specimens in the appropriate container, maintains specimen under appropriate conditions. Follows guidelines for collecting timed specimens at the appropriate times to insure specimen viability. Evaluates suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable. Controls the sample's physical condition and responds to time factors to ensure that the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained. Understands and follows the proper order of draw for tubes whether in a Vacutainer system or a syringe system. Responsible for the sterile collection and dispersal of physician requested patient clean catch urinalysis specimens, urine cultures, and 24-hr urine collections. Provides education to patients for proper collection techniques of urine, stool, or other fluid collections. Responsible for participation in method comparison to evaluate the use of new equipment and processes and compare them with those being used in terms of adherence to accreditation and safety requirements. Responsible for preparation of the collection site and for drawing blood cultures without contamination. Perform other related duties as assigned 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 Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Requirements 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. 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) 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. 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: Must possess experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients. In addition to meeting the above requirements, applicants must also meet one of the following: GENERAL AND SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. General Experience is (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. Specialized experience includes experience that may have been gained in (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 being filled. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: 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 position being filled. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-4. 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: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Specimen Collection 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: Physical demands may involve lifting, standing, foot travel, bending, or sitting, which may occur for prolonged periods of time. Requires digital dexterity and adequate vision to perform safe venipuncture procedures. Will spend time each day performing repetitive keyboarding tasks. Must utilize all safety practices and equipment required by accrediting and regulatory agencies for purposes of ensuring compliance with occupational safety observance. May require the ability to assist other medical center staff in physical control or defend against emotionally ill patient. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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.
