Summary This position is located in the Vascular Access Section of Nursing Service/Ambulatory Care Service at the VA Medical Center in Augusta, GA. 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: Collect urine specimens and draw blood specimens from patients in the Outpatient Phlebotomy area of Nursing Service Retrieve patient laboratory data from various sources for instructions and information to accurately obtain specimens. Label specimens as they are collected, including all required information, i.e., lab orders, tubes, etc. Accurately prepare specimens and transport them to Hematology, Chemistry, and Blood Bank for testing. Prepare specimens for transport to the Downtown Division or from the Community Based Outpatient Clinic(s) and ensure availability of appropriate transport containers. Collect glucose tolerance tests specimens which require timed specimens. Apply pressure dressings appropriately. Instruct patients regarding proper procedure for collection of 24-hour urine specimens and all specimens collections. Maintain supplies in designated outpatient lab collection rooms. Set up and maintain accurate records of all received specimens including records of lab reports with the specimens picked up by courier. Obtain and record in electronic medical record patient's vital signs using both manual and electronic equipment. Assist providers and nursing staff in the care and treatment of the ill receiving outpatient treatment to include providing patient transportation of non-urgent patients. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm with some Saturdays (9a-1p), NTE 40 hours per week (one weekday shift would be 4 hours (7:30a-11:30a) when scheduled for following weekend shift) 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 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, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications 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: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients. (This experience must be documented in your resume.) 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. In addition to the requirements listed above, the following is also required: EXPERIENCE: At least six (6) months of general experience 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. General Experience is: (1) 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 is technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (collecting urine specimens, drawing blood specimens from human patients, labeling specimens, preparing specimens for transport, etc.). (This experience must be documented in your resume.) OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successful completion of 2 years above high school that included at least 12 semester hours in subjects related to the position. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): An equivalent combination of post-high school education and experience as described above. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Attention to Detail Infection Control Interpersonal Skills Specimen Collection Technical Competence 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: The position entails a fast pace of mental activity, high degree of manual dexterity, some standing, and sitting and bending to perform venipuncture. A certain amount of walking is required for procurement and delivery of specimens and the stocking of supplies. May have to deal with combative 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/. 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 Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. 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.
