Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician

The Medical Laboratory Technician position is in Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS) of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Position is physically located at the Conway VA Clinic, in Conway, Arkansas. 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 as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• Education: Candidates must meet the applicable educational requirements for certification.
• Certification: All Candidates must currently possess one of the appropriate certifications as an MLT granted by the following organizations:

(a) American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP)

• ASCP, Board of Certification.

OR

• 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, your resume must demonstrate you possess the required experience necessary to possess the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) required for each grade level. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit.

Experience . 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 CUA and CAP, conducting quality improvement activities and communicating quality management results.

(c) Assignments. MLTs at this level have a higher level of responsibility for technical oversight and are expected to independently carry out assigned tasks of considerable difficulty. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. They are responsible for performing difficult specialized tasks including, but not limited to, advanced blood banking (antibody titers, elutions), advanced microbiology (Mycobacterium (Acid Fast Bacillus) Identification and Sensitivities, Mycology Identification, Virology, Anaerobic Culture, Polymerase Chain Reaction testing), molecular testing, high complexity testing, recording workload statistics, quality management projects and obtaining data for validation studies. Advanced ML Ts may be expected to independently operate the full range of laboratory functions at remote sites. Their duties consist of advanced operation, training and comprehensive troubleshooting of laboratory instruments and resolving any problems. ML Ts at this level may act as key operators for specific instrumentation. Advanced duties may also include one or more of the tasks identified below. When these duties are required, advanced ML Ts must also demonstrate corresponding KSA(s) as identified by the asterisk(s) below.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: .