Summary

These positions are assigned to Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Marion VA Medical Center - as a Medical Technician. Duty Locations: Marion - IL.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a)
• Education
• Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification
• Certification
• (1) Candidates must currently possess one of the appropriate certifications as an MLT granted by the following organizations
• (a) American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) i ASCP - Board of Certification
• OR ii ASCP - Board of Registry
• (b) American Medical Technologists
• OR (c) American Association of Bioanalysts May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade level and demonstrate the KSAs below: Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs i
• - iv
• and the advanced KSA as identified by the corresponding asterisk(s) if MLTs are assigned advanced MLT duties: i Knowledge of concepts - principles - methodology of medical laboratory technology - regulatory and accrediting agency requirements and medicolegal requirements sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests
• ii Skill in applying new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing
• iii Ability to work independently on a broad range of complex laboratory processes
• iv Ability to troubleshoot and repair specific/advanced complex laboratory equipment
• v *Knowledge of laboratory information technology (IT) systems including troubleshooting systems issues - interface requirements between new instruments and existing IT infrastructure and laboratory IT test development
• vi *Ability to convey knowledge of safety regulations and guidelines such as College of American Pathologists (CAP) - Joint Commission and Occupational Safety and Health Administration along with continuing education and employee orientation to ensure staff compliance with safety requirements
• vii *Ability to plan and administer an ongoing continuing education program for the laboratory to meet accreditation standards.viii*Ability to assist with quality management activities in the laboratory - including monitoring and evaluating quality in accordance with CLIA and CAP - conducting quality improvement activities and communicating quality management results
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The work requires manual dexterity and exceptional hand/eye coordination - some physical exertion - such as regular and recurring walking - bending - sitting over a microscope and concentrate for long periods of time while reading specimens and to stand for several consecutive hours during the preparation of specimens
• Position requires lifting of reagent containers weighing up to 35 pounds
• Requires ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of color.

Duties

• The Marion VA Health Care System is committed to Diversity and Inclusion
• Together - we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork
• We offer an inclusive - equitable - and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans
• The duties and responsibilities of the Medical Technician - Generalist includes but is not limited to the following: Evaluates the suitability of the specimen for analysis - requesting new specimen if determined to be unusable
• Prepare specimens for analysis - ensures that the physiologic state of the specimen properties are maintained
• Selects - performs - evaluates and monitors the performance of test procedures using manual and/or instrumental techniques in accordance with established protocols
• Recognizes and reacts to indicators of malfunction
• locates and implements corrections
• Conducts quality control procedures on equipment - reagents - and products and maintains proper records for quality control reports
• Calibrates - standardizes - adjusts and maintains instruments
• Verifies correct instrument operation using established procedures and qualitycontrol checks and monitoring
• Identifies the cause of common problems and makes simple repairs
• Evaluates the validity of data in relation to the test system and accepted assay procedures
• Correlate quantitative data with the patient data (i.e. - history - medications) to verify results
• Performs additional tests to clarify or confirm abnormal patient results
• Recognizes abnormal results that require immediate attention by the physician and reports them directly
• Responsible for the generation of laboratory results from the work area into the laboratory computer system and for the editing and verification of the results recorded into the computer system
• Accepts and enters verbal blood product orders for provider when emergent condition exists in order to allow safety features of VBECs to provide and protect patient care without untoward delay of blood product assignment
• The incumbent assists in the evaluation and implementation of new methodologies and instrumentation in the Laboratory
• Independently performs statistical correlations between instrumentations or methodologies for all laboratory sections
• Collaborates with the Lead Medical Technologist of the appropriate section on the implementation
• Trains phlebotomist/technicians/technologists in the use of new procedures and instrumentation in the area he/she is covering
• Trains students from the medical laboratory technician program and Medical Technologist as needed
• Helps with high schools that participate in the shadow program
• Ensures activities associated with process improvement - customer service - data driven decision making - or team driven change are accomplished
• Each employee will ensure they complete the current mandatory hours of continuing education
• Responsible for maintaining the work area in a clean environment appropriate for the Section in which he/she is working
• The incumbent will spend 25% of the time or more working independently troubleshooting - completing highly complex tasks such as PCR - performing complex maintenance - or performing manual testing with basic procedures
• The incumbent must use education - knowledge - and specialized expertise to perform these tasks
• The incumbent prepares slides - smears - cultures - etc. - of extremely delicate or otherwise volatile specimens - using critical concern for the quality of the specimen given the procedure to be used for test or examination
• He/she performs tests that are new and involve very fine distinctions
• Typically - many extremely delicate and exacting steps are required - and the instrumentation is elaborate and complex
• Performs tests that are new and involve very fine distinctions
• Typically - many extremely delicate and exacting steps are required - and the instrumentation is elaborate and complex
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: 7:00am-3:30pm weekends - holiday - on-call - and other shifts as needed Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized