Summary This position is in PCS Procedural Medicine Service, Nursing and Patient Care and reports directly to the Supervisory Medical Technician at the Veteran Health Indiana Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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: Venous Puncture/Specimen Collection 40% Performing routine venipuncture specimen collections from inpatients and outpatients 24 hours a day. Responsible for patient identification, proper sample procurement, and specimen labeling following guidelines from The Joint Commission (TJC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP) "Patient Safety Goals. Performs phlebotomy procedures. Follows the Laboratory procedures for collecting specimens, maintains specimen under appropriate conditions. Responsible for preparation of the collection site and for drawing blood cultures without contamination including training on new blood culture kits. Cleaning and restocking the blood collection room and areas where collection trays and equipment are stored. Accessioning and Processing Specimens 25% Receive and sort specimens, check request slips for proper information, log in specimens and deliver specimens to various laboratory sections. Receives requests for testing and specimens into the laboratory and verifies the accuracy and completeness. Receiving phlebotomy requests utilizing computerized logging methods. Receives all specimens that are sent to commercial reference laboratories for testing. Acts as liaison between the laboratory, pathologists, physicians/providers and patients. Check relevant documentation and process specimens. Point of Care Testing/Employee Drug Screens 25% Prepare the specimen or patient for testing, prepare necessary reagents, perform the test procedure, verify the accuracy of the results. Identifies unusual test results or discrepancies/conditions that can be erroneous results. Complete and maintain competency as a Urine Drug Screen Trainer. Accurately administers and collects specimens for employee drug screening program. Administrative Support 10% Provides excellent service as defined by the customer (healthcare providers, patients. and others). Performing clerical functions. Distribution, storage and delivery of supplies and other materials used for the purpose of phlebotomy services. Answers telephone calls, and coordinates information and actions relating to patient care and services. Assists patients, visitors, and other requesting information. Assisting in the training of students and new employees. 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. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30AM - 4:00PM Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized 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 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 Placements 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: "Must have experience performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients." PLUS In addition to meeting the Selective Placement Factor you must have one of the following: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Applicants must possess one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you 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-4 grade level in the Federal Service. Specialized experience includes: experience that may have been gained in (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 being filled. At this level, specialized experience should include experience performing a variety of laboratory tests, examinations, phlebotomy, specimen collection, processing, accessioning and testing. OR SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Successful completion of a 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 being filled. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) Equivalent combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the GS-5. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Patient Care Quality Assurance Specimen Collection 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 work requires regular and recurrent standing to perform specimen processing as well as walking between different areas within the laboratory. The work involves utilizing a computer, visual acuity, and manual dexterity and the use of both hands. Requires intermittent moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); intermittent but possibly prolonged stooping and kneeling; ability to read and comprehend ordinary type and computer screens; ability to hear (aid permitted) and work in an environment with constant noise; working closely with others; high cognitive function required to work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities without loss of accuracy; emotional stability required to maintain self-control in difficult and stressful situations. 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.