Summary Employee will serve as a Health Technician within the Laboratory Section of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Department, VA Clinic, Mishawaka, IN. Employee is responsible for performing multiple duties in accessioning, specimen processing, reference laboratory specimen processing, clerical functions, patient testing, quality control review, lab information systems reviews, manual entry reviews, and phlebotomy as necessary. Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Receives and prepares requests for testing and specimens into the clinical laboratory and verifies the accuracy and completeness of the request. Recognizes emergency testing situations and takes action to direct the specimens to proper location. Operates various @types of laboratory equipment, i.e., centrifuges, refrigerators, freezers, in addition to consumables such as transfer pipettes, laboratory pour-off tubes and specimen containers). Verifies proper patient preparation, specimen collection, and specimen transport requirements for reference lab tests. Serves as a reference for healthcare professionals on the collection and processing of lab testing. Takes action to correct and solve problems. Performs patient care testing duties including but not limited to waived testing. Performs blood draws on patients to include special drawing techniques, ensuring proper tubes are used and correct amount of blood is drawn. Collects glucose tolerance specimens; instructs the patient on the proper procedures; and prepares the collection site and draws blood cultures. Receives telephonic inquiries and communicates results to appropriate personnel. Performs quality control procedures and documents and reports any quality control deviations. Uses a variety of computer software packages and laboratory systems to perform administrative/clerical duties to document and maintain laboratory records. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:45am - 3:15pm. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized 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. 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. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: In addition to meeting the above requirement, applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped them 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. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: performing accessioning and specimen processing; performing phlebotomy; operating various @types of laboratory equipment/instruments; verifying accuracy of test results; and performing clerical functions using a variety of computer software packages and laboratory systems to document and maintain laboratory records. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required): Successful completion of six (6) months of graduate education in a field of study directly related to the work of the position meets the requirements for GS-6. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. OR COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (Transcript Required): Combination of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to Detail Specimen Collection Technical Competence Technology Application 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: Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular and physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing, and moderate lifting. Requires specific physical characteristics and abilities and dexterity needed to perform intricate analytical and technical procedures. Work involves traveling to and from patient wards; prolongs periods of standing and bending over patients and/or control panels of analytic instruments; reaching, stooping and bending for supplies; carrying light to moderate heavy loads (specimen collection trays, reagents, supplies), entering patient information, test orders, and data in a computer. 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.
