Medical Laboratory Technician

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 Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification may receive a temporary appointment up to the full performance level not to exceed two years as a graduate MLT under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2) without the option to extend. 3 For grade levels above full performance level, the candidate must be certified in accordance with paragraph 4.c.(1) above. Loss of Certification. Management officials, in collaboration with HR Office staff, must immediately relieve employees of the duties and responsibilities associated with the MLT occupation who fail to maintain the required certification, which may also result in separation from employment. Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties described in this qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it. Foreign Education. Graduates of foreign MLT programs are considered to meet the basic education requirements if they have a current certification as described in subparagraph 4.c. 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). Grade Determinations: Medical Laboratory Technician, GS-05 (a) Experience. None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. None. (c) Assignment. This is an entry-level developmental MLT position. MLTs will typically receive guidance from experienced staff members and require frequent and direct supervision. MLTs at this level perform testing in one or more of the following areas: Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waived testing, phlebotomy, hematology, immunohematology, clinical chemistry, immunology, toxicology, urinalysis, referral laboratory, microbiology and specimen processing. MLTs recognize data with life-threatening (critical) implications and understand the importance of immediately bringing the data to the attention of the patient's physician and/or nursing staff. Medical Laboratory Technician, GS-06 (a) Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. (b) Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: i Knowledge of MLT principles, practices, concepts and theories for sound independent work. ii Knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures to manage reagents and supply inventories using document control systems. iii Ability to maintain, troubleshoot and repair instrumentation. iv Ability to work as a team member in a laboratory setting to effectively complete assignments. v Ability to use technical judgment to interpret laboratory results. vi Ability to apply complex written laboratory instructions. vii Ability to consult with other members of the health care team, patients and external customers. (c) Assignment. At the full performance level, MLTs use independent judgment to perform the full range of duties in the laboratory, from sample collection to evaluating and communicating test results. MLTs perform day-to-day operations in the laboratory with minimal technical supervision while ensuring testing accuracy and quality of proper patient care. This includes providing pre-analytic instructions to patients, VA staff and other external entities related to collection and processing of laboratory specimens. MLTs use processing techniques such as centrifugation, aliquoting, storage and packaging (considering stability factors), and they accurately label and sort patient specimens. MLTs operate and maintain all instrumentation in assigned areas to deliver precise, timely and accurate laboratory results when analyzing body fluids such as blood, urine and tissue samples. MLTs at this level analyze laboratory findings and issue necessary reports. The results and findings of laboratory tests and procedures are discussed with supervisors, pathologists and other medical professionals as needed. Selective Placement Factor: Fluent in English and Spanish language written and spoken. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-06. Physical Requirements: The work requires manual dexterity and exceptional hand/eye coordination, visual acuity, some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking, bending, sitting, and the ability to sit and concentrate for long periods of time while accessioning and standing for several consecutive hours during the preparation of specimens. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of the workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. The work requires regular and recurrent standing to perform procedures and tests, walking between different areas within the laboratory and throughout the medical center. Requires use of fingers; both hands required; intermittent but possibly prolonged stooping and kneeling; ability to read and comprehend ordinary type and computer screens; ability to hear (aid permitted) and work in an environment with constant noise; working closely with others; high cognitive function required to work in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities without loss of accuracy; emotional stability required to maintain self-control in difficult and stressful situations. Incumbents will be required to wear protective clothing and take safety precautions. A physical examination prior to placement may be required. Work Environment: The work involves regular and recurring moderate risks and discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working around moving parts, carts, or machines, with contagious diseases or irritating chemicals. Employees are required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, ear plugs, lab coats, boots, goggles, gloves, shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk. Adherence to safety and universal precautions and use of protective gear are mandatory to reduce occupations risk factors.