Health Technician - Phlebotomy Job at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Cit

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provided pay range

This range is provided by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$40,332.00/yr - $52,426.00/yr

Summary

The primary purpose of this Health Technician position is to collect patient blood specimens, accept orders from physicians, and instruct and assist patients. The physical location of this position's primary duties is the Outpatient Phlebotomy Room at the Syracuse VA Medical Center.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement — 11/03/2025. Individual Occupational Requirements—An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met to qualify for the 0640 occupational series. Specialized Experience: Positions in this series vary widely, including support duties for medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Technician experience required to apply the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position. OR—Education and Training for GS‑05: Successful completion of a full four‑year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. In addition to Individual Occupational Requirements, applicants must meet grade requirements. You can qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS‑05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS‑04 grade level in federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA’s) and other characteristics to perform the duties of the position. Specialized experience includes understanding policies and procedures related to patient care; performing phlebotomy techniques, specimen collection, equipment setup, instructing patients, preparing referral specimens, performing clerical duties, and maintaining records. Knowledge or experience in accepting and preparing specimens in the clinical and anatomic pathology laboratory. OR—Successfully completed a two‑ or four‑year program leading to an associate’s/bachelor’s degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in related subjects. Education must have been obtained from an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR—Possess equivalent combinations of post‑high school education and completion of a phlebotomy certification program to meet total qualification requirements. Competencies: Clinical Data Collection/Documentation, Customer Service, Infection Control, Specimen Collection. Experience includes paid or unpaid work, including volunteer work through National Service programs (Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies. Credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience, is awarded. A full year of work is considered 35‑40 hours per week. Part‑time experience credited based on hours actually spent. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities and the number of hours per week spent. Work Environment: The work environment involves risks typical of medical facility work, with regular exposure to bloodborne pathogens and patient bodily fluids as part of phlebotomy. PPE—including protective clothing and safety equipment—is provided. Incumbents must comply with safety precautions and use all provided PPE and equipment. For more information on these qualification standards, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Duties

• Performs patient care procedures such as the collection of blood and urine specimens
• Provides specimens to the Clinical Laboratory for further testing
• Properly identifies the patient and draws blood for analysis and other medical purposes
• Assembles equipment such as tourniquets, needles, disposable containers for needles, blood collection devices, gauze, cotton, and alcohol on a work tray according to test requirements
• Applies tourniquet, locates accessible vein, swabs the puncture area with antiseptic, and inserts needle to draw blood into a collection tube or bag
• Withdraws needle, applies treatment to the puncture site, and labels and stores the blood container for subsequent processing
• Performs finger pricks to draw blood
• Ensures proper labeling and handling of the collected specimen
• Understands and practices correct patient identification, proper aseptic technique, proper phlebotomy technique, and appropriate customer service
• Assists in revising the Phlebotomy Manual and trains new employees and students in phlebotomy practices
• Provides technical assistance in the Clinical Laboratory sections on an "as needed" basis
• Receives and directs patients to appropriate areas of the facility
• Responds to inquiries from patients and staff about medical and administrative matters, answering questions as appropriate
• Converse with patients to establish rapport, reduce fear of the procedure, provide confidence in the incumbent’s knowledge, and maintain a professional and compassionate demeanor before, during, and after procedures
• Performs administrative tasks, including accessioning specimens, maintaining quality control records, receiving and labeling specimens, and answering telephone inquiries
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Work schedule: Monday to Friday, 7:00 AM‑3:30 PM or 7:30 AM‑4:00 PM, including weekend and holiday rotation
• This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician – Phlebotomy/PD21R91A
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Seniority level

• Entry level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Health Care Provider
• Government Administration