Summary

This position serves as a Supervisory Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) over phlebotomy staff for the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) at the Kernersville Health Care Center or facility assigned as needed. The incumbent provides professional and administrative supervision to assigned phlebotomy personnel and ensures the effective - safe - and compliant operation of pre-analytical and analytical laboratory processes.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency: MLT candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Education: Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification
• Certification: Candidates must currently possess one of the appropriate certifications as an MLT granted by the following organizations
• American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) ASCP - Board of Certification
• OR ASCP - Board of Registry
• American Medical Technologists
• OR American Association of Bioanalysts
• Foreign Education: Graduates of foreign MLT programs are considered to meet the basic education requirements if they have a current certification as described
• 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: Supervisory Medical Laboratory Technician - GS-08
• Experience: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to effectively communicate with employees and customers
• Ability to develop training plans and coordinate staff development
• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties - which include responsibility for assignment of work - performance evaluations - selection of staff - recommendation of awards - advancements and disciplinary actions
• Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations
• Quality of Experience: Experience is creditable if it is directly related to MLT duties equal to or exceeding professional MLT experience at the next lower grade level
• For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Service.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but not limited to: Supervisory MLTs perform the full range of supervisory duties for the laboratory including assigning work
• completing performance evaluations
• recommending appointment - awards - advancement and disciplinary actions
• and identifying continuing education and training needs
• Supervisory MLTs supervise other technicians - laboratory assistants - phlebotomists and/or other appropriate personnel
• Supervisory MLTs ensure compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements
• participate in the preparation necessary for regulatory inspections
• and establish and monitor the quality of the pre-analytical processes as part of the overall laboratory quality management program
• They also initiate corrective action
• Supervisory MLTs develop policies and procedures
• manage document control
• and develop performance standards - position descriptions and functional statements
• They provide professional and administrative management of an assigned area - which includes orientation and competency assessment of assigned staff
• Supervisory MLTs maintain effective interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals
• The incumbent performs Venipuncture using specialized techniques for cleansing the blood collection site to prevent bacterial contamination that's critical to patient care - to ensure the contamination rate of blood cultures remains within National guidelines for blood culture contamination rates reported to Central Office
• Collect specimens for testing to include verification of proper requisition completion - selection of correct tubes - labeling - packaging - and preparation of kit for transport
• Ensures proper processing and accession of specimens
• especially those requiring special handling - and clearly communicates requirements to the laboratory staff
• Organizes work to ensure optimal patient flow
• Keeps all work areas - carts - and storage area clean - well-stocked and organized with supplies
• Rotate supplies as needed
• remove expired supplies
• Schedule - collect and process Employee Drug Screens
• Performs a broad range of laboratory procedures including all testing and tasks of the medical laboratory technician occupation
• In addition - performs advanced and complex laboratory procedures
• recognizes deviation from expected results
• analyzes and corrects problems using scientific principles
• Recognizes and communicates pre-defined critical results affecting patient care
• Evaluates the suitability of the specimen for analysis - requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable
• Prepares specimens for analysis - ensuring that the physiologic state of the specimen properties is 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
• Performs 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 quality control 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
• Correlates quantitative data with patient data (i.e. - history - medications etc.) to verify results
• Work Schedule: Day Shift with Rotating Weekends and Holidays Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized