Lead Health Technician- Specimen Collection & Processing Trainer

Summary This position is in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans.
Serves as the Lead Phlebotomist and the Specimen Collection & Processing Training Coordinator ("the Trainer") for the entire facility main campus and all CBOCs.
An important duty is to train and competency assess all phlebotomy staff in proper specimen collection, specimen processing, and specimen handling procedures and techniques.
Responsibilities This position is the SLVHCS Pathology Specimen Collection and Processing technical trainer, quality advisor, and Lead Technician.
The scope includes all areas of the Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Laboratory including chemistry, blood banking, hematology, microbiology, surgical pathology, and cytopathology.
He/she writes specimen collection and processing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and submits documentation for review and signature by the Section Supervisor, Lab Manager, and or Pathology Service Chief.
Such SOPs will include pre­ analytical, analytical, and post-analytical guidance.
Serves as the technical trainer and inspector of quality control, records control, and competency testing for all specimen collection locations on the main campus and at and each of the CBOCs.
Oversees the safe and accurate collection, processing, and testing performed by staff.
This includes staff in the Pathology service in 1H Outpatient Specimen Collection, as well as Nurses who perform inpatient specimen collection, and collectors from all services who perform outpatient collection at the CBOCs and any other location where specimens are collected.
Conducts in-services, training and competency assessment of medical center and CBOC Specimen Collection staff from all services and conducts monthly conference calls with Nurse Managers to disseminate procedural and related information to staff members and other duties as assigned.
Travels by GOV to all CBOCs and conducts trainings and competency assessments of the Specimen Collection and Processing abilities of the CBOC specimen collectors.
These In-services and training sessions cross Service Lines and Pentad reporting units.
Prepares training and educational materials including charts, posters, handouts, power-point presentations, and patient-information brochures relative to specimen collection and processing.
The Trainer will serve as lead phlebotomist and acting Supervisor of the Specimen Collection area in the physical absence of Section supervisor in the Specimen Collection area.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Position Description/PD#: Lead Health Technician- Specimen Collection & Processing Trainer/PD075920 Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
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 Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/17/2024.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.
The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service.
An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.
If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement.
In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
Individual Occupational Requirements: You must have experience in supporting duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists.
Technician experience is experience that requires application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.
Specialized Experience: experience in supporting duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists.
Technician experience is experience that requires application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.
OR, In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must meet the following specialized experience and/or education.
Specialized Experience: must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience and/or education equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of the Lead Health Technician-Specimen Collection & Processing Trainer position.
Preferred Experience: Two (2) years' experience as a phlebotomist preferred but not require.
Train laboratory and non-laboratory personnel in the collection and submission of laboratory specimens; Familiarity with laboratory regulatory and safety requirements; Receive, access, and process clinical samples; Maintain confidentiality of medical records by adhering to applicable HIPPA and Privacy guidelines; Communicate effectively and courteously while working as a healthcare team member Participated in performance Improvement projects; Act as a Pathology liaison to other departments of the medical center; and Familiarity with blood culture contamination rates and training needed to correct deficiencies to meet national targets.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Education and Training Specimen Collection 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.
Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week.
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.
Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical demands, such as, standing, bending, walking and lifting items such as supplies.
Regular and recurring travel to outlying CBOC locations for training Specimen Collection staff is mandatory.
(GOV will be used to travel for official training at distant CBOCs) Requires successful ability to discriminate colors (select various specimen collection tubes) and to operate a centrifuge, computer, label printer and various other laboratory equipment used in the collection and processing of medical laboratory specimens.
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 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy).
VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations.
If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date.
The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
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.