Medical Technician @ Veterans Health Administration

Job Summary

There are three (3) vacancies (two Day Shift vacancies and one Evening Shift vacancy) located in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans' Hospital in Columbia, MO. The Medical Technician is responsible for performing duties related to the receiving, accessioning, and specimen processing area including collecting chain of custody drug screens, reference laboratory specimen processing, clerical functions, patient testing, and phlebotomy.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement: The following are minimum requirements for appointment as a Medical Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). To qualify for this position, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements. Specialized Experience (GS-05): You must have at least one (1) full year 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. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (i.e., GS-04).

Specialized experience is

• (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 to be filled.

At this level, specialized experience should include experience performing a variety of relatively standardized tests, examinations, and determinations. The procedures and techniques are well-established but involve many meticulous sequential steps to complete a test; and following written procedures which give carefully detailed instructions on each step of the assigned test and examinations.

(CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) OR, Education (GS-05): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 appropriate to the position to be filled (i.e., Medical Technician). NOTE: One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school.

(UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED

If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) OR, Combination (GS-05): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. For GS-05 level position, 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. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT AND CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: If you do not submit the required document, your application may not be reviewed.)

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.

AND SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR

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 prerequisites for appointment and represent minimum requirement for a position. Applicants who do not meet the Selective Placement Factor are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients.

Physical

Requirements

Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular and physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing and moderate lifting. The work requires specific physical characteristics and abilities and dexterity needed to perform intricate analytical and technical procedures. The position may also require assisting geriatric and/or disabled patients. The incumbent must have normal color vision, pass mask fit testing, and complete RQI/BLS training. 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/.

Major Duties

• THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION 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.
• Major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Verifying patient identity, reviewing laboratory orders, and consolidating requests to ensure accurate specimen collection Collecting routine and STAT blood specimens from inpatient, outpatient, and CBOC patients with varying medical conditions Applying aseptic techniques and selecting appropriate collection sites, needles, devices, and tubes to minimize contamination Labeling specimens accurately and ensuring appropriate volume, storage, handling, and specimen integrity Collecting blood bank specimens, blood cultures, urine drug screens, and respiratory swabs according to established procedures Monitoring patients during collections, recognizing adverse reactions, administering first aid, and initiating emergency procedures when necessary Maintaining clean, organized collection areas and adequately stocked supplies while following infection control and biohazard disposal requirements Documenting collection workload and turnaround times, reporting uncollected specimens, and performing redraws according to established procedures Providing collection guidance to trainees and staff while maintaining courteous patient interactions and appropriate patient education Receiving laboratory specimens, verifying orders, accessioning requests, and evaluating specimen acceptability according to established procedures Processing specimens through sorting, centrifugation, aliquoting, and plating while resolving and documenting pre-analytical discrepancies Operating laboratory equipment, including centrifuges, barcode readers, and automated analyzers, according to established procedures Performing CLIA-waived and point-of-care testing while documenting results and required quality control information Conducting quality control, proficiency testing, instrument maintenance, and reagent tracking while reporting unresolved discrepancies Reconciling clinic shipping manifests, verifying ordered tests, tracking pending results, and coordinating specimen transportation Monitoring storage temperatures, receiving laboratory supplies, maintaining inventory, and completing required safety records Instructing patients on 24-hour urine and stool collection procedures, containers, preservatives, and handling requirements Maintaining specimen rejection records, instrument printouts, quality assurance forms, and incomplete laboratory reports Assisting with microbiology processing and frozen-section procedures while following laboratory safety and infection control requirements.
• Coordinating employee drug screens, maintaining chain of custody, completing required documentation, preparing shipments, retaining evidentiary records, and maintaining DHHS certification Maintaining laboratory documentation and electronic health records through scanning, data entry, record organization, and staff guidance Performing additional duties as assigned to support laboratory operations, regulatory compliance, specimen management, and patient care Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; Day Shift (07:00 a.m. to 03:30 p.m.) & Evening Shift (01:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Requirements

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. 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 identification 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details.

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