The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Central Texas Veterans Health Care Network (VISN 17), Temple VA Medical Center in Texas under the Pathology and Laboratory Services. Performs work in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service as a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT). To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/20/2022. Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience For positions at GS-4 and above: (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 to be filled. or Education and Training For GS-3: Successful completion of (a) a full-time training course of approximately a year's duration in a medical or clinical laboratory assistant (or technician) school that included instruction in chemistry, hematology, blood banking, and microbiology (including serology) and that, in addition, included supervised laboratory practice incident to the diagnostic process and the treatment of patients; or (b) 1 year of study that included at least 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or biological science. For GS-4: Successful completion of (a) an associate-degree course of study of which the 2nd year of the 2-year program included successful completion of a training course of approximately a year's duration in a certified laboratory assistant school approved by a nationally recognized accrediting agency; (b) 1 year of study that included 6 semester hours in chemistry and/or the biological sciences, plus successful completion of the training course as described in (a) above for GS-3; or (c) 2 years of study that included at least 12 semester hours of chemistry and/or biological science course work that must have been directly related to the specialization of the position to be filled. For GS-5: Successful completion of a full 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 to be filled. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirements, individuals must also meet the following: 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing venipuncture and ensures safe and non-traumatic process are used with critical concern for blood donor; ensuring two patient identifiers with each blood draw and specimen collection; calibrating, standardizing and maintaining equipment and instruments; assisting providers and others locating lab results; entering results of tests performed into computer data bank; performing computerized accessioning of patient specimen. 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: Functional Requirements - Light lifting, under 15 pounds; Light carrying, under 15 pounds; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (5 hours); Standing (1 hour); Both legs required; Operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Specific visual requirement (specify); Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted). Environmental Factors - Outside and inside; Working closely with others; Working alone. 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/. ["Major Duties as Assigned, but not limited to: Prepares/Examines Specimen: 60% Hematology- Operates instrumentation that performs blood cell testing with the newest methodologies which include impedance testing, flow cytometry, immunochemical staining. The instrumentation is complex and performs multiple tests simultaneously. The display and report must be interpreted utilizing the instrument report as well as interpretation of cellular staining characteristics and microscopic morphology of the peripheral blood smear. The technician is responsible for identifying abnormal cellular morphology that will provide the clinician with information related to disease processes and blood cell abnormalities to include leukemias and lymphomas which requires independent expertise. The technician will also perform manual cell counts on body fluids, sedimentation rates on blood, cytocentrifugation preparations, and crystal examinations on body fluids utilizing polarized microscopy. Urinalysis- Operates instrumentation for semi-quantitative and quantitative measurements of chemical and cellular constituents in urine specimens. This area also includes urine microscopy examinations by phase contrast and pregnancy tests. Coagulation- Operates instrumentation for the determination of prothrombin time for warfarin monitoring, activated partial thromboplastin time, and d-dimer testing. The instrumentation utilizes mechanical, optical, and nephlometry principals in the performance of testing. Chemistry/Special Chemistry- Operates a variety of complex instrumentation. The technician must have the necessary skills to program and troubleshoot the instrumentation. The technician must be responsible for the operation of the analyzers to include calibrations, preventative maintenance, quality control test performance, and proficiency testing. The complexity of the instrumentation requires extensive training and technical education related to the medical laboratory. This are includes procedures that have been adapted from radioimmunoassay (RIA) and are now performed by various methods to include, competitive immunoassay, immunometric \"sandwich\" assay, immunoassay (competitive), and immune-inhibition. The tests performed in this area include general chemistries and immunochemistries such as glucose and total lipid, endocrine and tumor markers, anemia, thyroid, cardiac, and infectious disease testing. Microbiology- The technician is responsible for the setup of cultures, staining of specimens, and isolation of bacteria. The technician operates the instrumentation that identifies and performs inhibitory concentration analysis on the isolates that are considered pathogenic. A diverse knowledge of gross morphology, chemical reactions, and microscopic morphology are required for the processing of specimens and identification or organisms. Other testing performed in this area include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for methicillin resistant Staph, Aureus and C. Difficile, and HIV and Influenza kits. lmmunohematology (Blood Bank) - The Blood Bank is computerized and has many regulatory requirements for the collection, storage, testing, and administration of blood products. Our facility administers red blood cells, platelets, and fresh frozen plasma. The technician must have firm knowledge to work independently of others and to make sound decisions based upon the results of the immunologic tests so as to provide a safe product for transfusion. Therapeutic phlebotomy is also performed in this department to draw off units of blood from patients with disorders that cause excess amounts of blood to be produced. Maintain Equipment Supplies/Facilities: 25% Maintains and documents the laboratory facilities and equipment and controls supplies. Determines compliance with safety requirements establishes inventory and equipment maintenance requirements and maintains appropriate inventories and maintenance schedules. Maintain Laboratory Records: 10% Maintains and controls laboratory records. Incumbent is responsible for presenting the data to the supervisor in a logical and systematic fashion. As such, the technician is responsible for some data analysis including arithmetic calculations, algebra, graphing of data using interactive computer programs and preliminary statistical evaluations. Collateral Duties: 5% Examples include but are not limited to the following: Histology log-in, Safety, POC testing, pipette calibration, timers and thermometer calibration. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 2:00 pm - 10:30 pm w/rotating weekends and holidays. May be assigned to other tours to provide workload coverage. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Description/PD#: Medical Technician (Microbiology)/PD08084A\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]