Licensed Practical Nurse – Outpatient Clinic Lab
Department of Veterans Affairs
Summary
The primary purpose of the Licensed Practical Nurse is to collect and process blood and body fluid specimens, ensuring safety and nontraumatic processes are used with critical concern for the patient and the quality of the specimen with a minimal number of failures, patient bruising, or required re-sticks.
Duties
- Licensed Practical Nurse: https://youtube.com/embed/Ae85IP1Oiz4 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
- Incumbent collects and processes blood and body fluid specimens, ensuring safety and nontraumatic processes are used with critical concern for the patient and the quality of the specimen with a minimal number of failures, patient bruising, or required re-sticks.
- This involves correct patient identification, which means asking their full name and last four of their social security number.
- Verifies that the proper tubes are used and the correct amount of blood is drawn.
- Labels all tubes with the patient's name, full social security number, date, time and the phlebotomist's initials and re-identifies patient using full name and full SSN.
- Duties include, but are not limited to: Performs blood collection duties in a courteous manner.
- Makes the patient feel as comfortable as possible.
- Explains what is about to happen and any necessary processes required of the patient for specimen collection.
- Adheres to safety, infection control and universal precautions at all times while collecting samples.
- This includes wearing appropriate Personal Protective Equipment Profecient in the area of phlebotomy, being able to draw all but the most difficult patients and follow proper procedures for redrawing blood.
- Collecting timed specimens for growth hormone, peak and trough drug levels, glucose and lactose tolerance specimens Collecting blood cultures using aseptic technique.
- Urine collection in accordance with the Federal Workplace Drug Testing Program as administered and regulated by the U.S.
- Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) for drug testing of new employees
- Instructs patients in proper sterile midstream urine collection, 24 hour urine collection, and collection of stool specimens for culture and sensitivity, ova and parasites and occult bloods
- Performs and exhibits knowledge and skills specific to the young adult, adult and geriatric patient populations.
- Provides care based on physical, psychosocial, educational, safety and related criteria appropriate to the age of patients served.
- Prints out appointment lists for the lab clinics.
- Reviews orders in CPRS to ensure that all necessary orders are drawn.
- Provides order numbers to technical staff for orders that need to be cancelled for various reasons, i.e. duplicate order, patient no longer on medication
- Prepares the lab appointment lists for Billings at least one week ahead of schedule to ensure prompt attention to the patient when they present for specimen collection.
- Work Schedule: 7:30am
- Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
- Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
- 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)
- Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
- 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.
- 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)
- Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
- Functional Statement #: 02652F, 02672F, 02633F, 02568F Licensed Practical Nurse
- Outpatient Clinic Lab Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
- You must be a U.S.
- Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
- Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
- Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
- Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
- As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
- In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the
- Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the
- Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Required Documents
- To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- License Resume Transcript Special Note for
- Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume
- This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
- Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
- The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
- Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former
- Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript
About this role
The Licensed Practical Nurse – Outpatient Clinic Lab position and is based in Decatur, Illinois. The primary purpose of the Licensed Practical Nurse is to collect and process blood and body fluid specimens, ensuring safety and nontraumatic processes are used with critical concern for the patient and the quality of the specimen with a minimal number of failures, patient bruising, or required re-sticks.
Day to day, the work involves this involves correct patient identification, which means asking their full name and last four of their social security number. The full list of duties, conditions, and required documents appears in the official announcement linked on this page.
Who should apply
This role calls for United States citizenship, an active, unrestricted license or required registration, and a valid driver's license. Be prepared for a pre-employment drug screening and physical or medical requirements as part of the hiring process. Match your federal resume directly to the announcement's wording so a reviewer can confirm each requirement in writing. For this Licensed Practical Nurse – Outpatient Clinic Lab position in Decatur, Illinois, confirm you meet each requirement before applying.
How competitive it is
Competitiveness for this Licensed Practical Nurse – Outpatient Clinic Lab role depends mainly on how closely applicants match the stated qualifications. Based in Decatur, Illinois, it competes within that local market, which can mean lighter competition than major metropolitan postings.
This overview is general guidance from Job Army to help you understand the role. Always read the official announcement for exact duties, qualifications, and requirements before applying.