Medical Technician - Phlebotomy

Veterans Health Administration•Iowa City, IA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The employee serves as a Medical Technician-Phlebotomist in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA Iowa City Health Care System in Iowa City, Iowa. The technician performs phlebotomy in the hospital’s outpatient care area and also performs computer, customer service, instruction, and communication tasks. This is not a virtual position; employees must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location. The position is full-time, with a Monday–Friday schedule of either 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Applicants tentatively selected for this designated drug-testing position must complete urinalysis screening before appointment. Recruitment and relocation incentives are authorized; the Critical Skills Incentive is not approved. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, proficient in basic written and spoken English, and have experience performing phlebotomy or blood draws on human patients. Qualification for the GS-4 position requires at least six months of qualifying specialized experience, qualifying education, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A one-year probationary period is required. The job involves physical exertion, including prolonged standing, walking, bending, or lifting, and may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients, as well as agility and dexterity.

Requirements

Proficiency in basic written and spoken English.
Experience performing phlebotomy or blood draws on human patients.
For the GS-4 position, at least six months of qualifying specialized experience in technical medical laboratory support or a closely related field; alternatively, qualifying education or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
If qualifying through education, submit transcripts with the application; education must be from an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
U.S. citizenship.
Complete urinalysis drug screening before appointment; refusal or a verified positive result prevents appointment.
Satisfy Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
Subject to background and security investigation.
Complete the online onboarding process and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
Serve a one-year probationary period.
Physical ability to stand, walk, bend, or lift for prolonged periods; the work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients and agility and dexterity, including exceptional hand-eye coordination and sense of touch.
Document work experience on the resume with job title, duties, month and year start/end dates, and hours worked per week.

Responsibilities

Follow procedures for patient identification, sample procurement, and specimen labeling.
Perform routine venipuncture specimen collections from patients.
Follow laboratory procedures to collect specimens in the appropriate containers.
Control the physical condition of samples and respond to time factors to maintain the specimen’s physiologic state.
Educate patients on proper collection techniques.
Prepare samples for testing, including labeling, centrifugation, decanting, and aliquoting.
Maintain adequate supplies for phlebotomy and specimen procurement procedures.
Answer laboratory service calls by finding and relaying accurate information or referring callers to technical personnel.
Perform standard diagnostic tests or procedures, such as bleeding time, occult blood, urine dipstick, pregnancy tests, and fingerstick glucose.
Identify and appropriately respond to adverse reactions, including fainting, nausea, vomiting, convulsions, and cardiac arrest.
Perform other related duties as assigned.