Health Technician

Summary

This position, located at the Oklahoma City VA HCS, serves as a Health Technician for the Pathology and Laboratory Medical Service providing medical administrative support and certain types of nursing assistant functions within the laboratory and administrative VA staff.

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Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

06/18/2024 to 06/27/2024

• Salary

$44,117 - $57,354 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 6

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Location

• Oklahoma City, OK

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

No

• Travel Required

Not required

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Competitive

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0640 Health Aid And Technician

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBSU-12448350-24-ESN

• Control number

796243200

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This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)

Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.

• The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to ALL U.S. CITIZENS. DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

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Duties

Major Duties of this position include but are not limited to...

• Adjusts equipment of laboratory testing, set up all necessary accessories and supplies regarding laboratory testing; ensures proper cleaning and minor maintenance of laboratory equipment

• Informs the Team of critical changes in testing status and lab values

• Ensures that all quality control materials are run and acceptable daily or as required by regulations; runs any proficiency specimens correctly and within required timeframe

• Maintains all records for lab certification, point of care testing, and maintenance on laboratory machines, assigning proficiency tests, and monitors all survey results

• Conducts prompt investigation of unsuccessful surveys assigned and report all findings to the ATC, Laboratory Supervisor, and CAP

• Collects, labels, processes, stores, and either ships specimens that require reference lab testing or delivers to laboratory area that performs tests that are outside of the Health tech scope of testing or not performed at VA facilities

• Monitors and documents temperature and humidity of room and equipment, refrigerators instruments etc. Performs daily, monthly maintenance as required and documents such appropriately

• Organizes work so that efficiency is paramount and work area is neat, tidy, and meets all regulatory requirements for sanitization required for laboratory certification

• Receives and accessions specimens from Oklahoma City VA Health Care System inpatients, outpatients, outside laboratories, other VA Medical Centers, and research studies; correctly accessions testing for referral and research specimens ensuring that billing is accurate for financial recapture

Work Schedule: Variable Tours; Rotating Nights and Weekends

Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD12996A, PD12988A, and PD12998A

Physical Requirements: The work requires much walking through the clinic, with occasional requirements to lift objects, computer work and operating office equipment. The position requires the ability to process written and electronic information and the ability to physically control or defend against emotionally distressed patients; above average agility and dexterity is required due to the fine skills of some of the point of care lab testing. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or patients. The incumbent may be required to commute between two outpatient clinics within the workweek, depending on the clinic workload.

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job

• Subject to a background/suitability investigation

• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required

• May serve a probationary period

• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

Specialized Experience: Specialized Experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to...Knowledge of management's objectives, goals, decisions, policies, and of medical and technical terminology; knowledge of clinic organization, functions, specialties, and programs such as social work, nursing laboratory, supply business offices function, etc.; knowledge of medical and administrative records system, Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act and HIPPA as it relates to release of information on patients and protecting the privacy of patient information; in-depth knowledge of College of American Pathology regulations on proficiency testing; ability to interpret rules, regulations, policies and procedures to make sound decisions using good judgment; ability to adapt to situations quickly, precisely and accurately; ability to cope with wide variety of problems and to resolve them quickly and decisively; skilled in exercising initiative and originality; ability to deal with a variety of individuals with tact and diplomacy; ability to deal with individuals who are under the influence of alcohol, drugs or has severe psychiatric problems; ability to present self in a professional attitude and to create positive impressions management's representative; ability to complete assigned projects, studies, narrative and statistical reports and reviews in a thorough, accurate and timely manner; skill and precision in use of the tools, materials and specialized laboratory equipment; and knowledge of critical lab values and the procedure for documentation of follow-up care.

Preferred Experience: At least one (1) year of Phlebotomy experience, to include drawing blood and various other collections and processing specimens.

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; religions; 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.

Education

There is no educational substitution for this position at the GS-06 level.

Additional information

The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.