Medical Laboratory Apprentice (PRN)
Blanchard Valley Regional Health Center

PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION

The primary purpose of this position is to follow departmental standard operating procedures and routines for specimen handling, including but not limited to receiving, registering, accessioning, processing, staining, plating, and labeling of clinical laboratory specimens. This will include processing of shared clinical laboratory, microbiology, cytology & pathology specimens, care of department instruments and analyzers, related housekeeping duties, maintenance of instrument logs, logging specimens into computer, receiving stock, performing QC on culture media, as well as maintaining a clean and safe environment. Interacting with customers both internally and externally and being a productive TEAM member of the laboratory and will work closely with the clinical technologists, technicians, and other members of the clinical and anatomical pathology laboratory staff. The associate may be responsible, at the direction of members of the laboratory management team and clinical technologists to prepare specimens for culture, send out, packaging, ordering, and assisting with other clerical duties as needed. The associate will set up equipment, prepare solutions, and prepare supplies to be distributed to physician offices. The associate must perform accurate and complete registration of all specimens delivered to the laboratory, ensuring all specimens are ordered correctly in the LIS. Performs the day-to-day laboratory tasks in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines and regulations and as may be directed by the Laboratory Director, Laboratory Manager, Department Coordinators, or clinical technologists. The associate will be responsible for clerical tasks concerning patient orders and resolution of problems, charge auditing, inventory duties including receiving of stock, department set-up duties including temperature checks and blood culture management, and data management of QC, QA, and instrument maintenance.

JOB DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Duty 1: Practices effective communication skills, i.e. listening, phone skills, etc. and always maintains a respectful and courteous attitude. Communication reflects the organizations culture of Service Excellence. Makes suggestions in a positive, tactful manner. Maintains clean, neat, professional appearance, i.e. wears ID badge, slip resistant shoes, and complies with department dress code.
• Duty 2: Properly processes incoming specimen requisitions, maintaining accuracy of all demographic information for registration and submission process in the LIS system. Always uses two patient identifiers to ensure identification accuracy. Checks all corresponding specimens for accuracy and completeness of information checking and correcting of orders, investigate specimen problems, receive specimens in the LIS, evaluate the quality and appropriateness of specimens received.
• Duty 3: Accurately prepares working reagents and stains to ensure good quality of slides or culture media. Maintains good quality control and instrument maintenance records at all times. Keeps accurate inventory of supplies and reagents and assists in ordering as directed by the microbiology department coordinator. Distributes supplies to all necessary locations within the laboratory. Maintains proper filing system for patient requisitions, log sheets, and other documentation.
• Duty 4: Technical tasks: Culture of biologic specimens, prep of specimens for testing, staining of slides, and other processing under the supervision of the technologists. Limited testing with supervision and may report CLIA waved tests with all proper training and competency documented according the regulatory requirements. Technical and analytical error recognition and reporting, loading instruments, critical value and STAT result recognition and calling. Perform daily temperature checks, remove completed blood culture bottles from analyzer, manage hold over specimens, and send out specimens to reference labs. Limited maintenance of instruments performs QC documentation, enumeration of QA data, printing of LIS reports and worksheets. Organism maintenance and sub-culturing.
• Duty 5: Completes all mandatory learning requirements for specific job along with assigned laboratory competency requirements and documentation. Works within and consistent to the Mission, Vision and Values of the association and successfully pursues completion of all personal and departmental goals. Exhibits self-directed motivation for continuing education related to maintaining and enhancing skills for, and potentially beyond, current job title. Regularly demonstrates thorough knowledge of current job duties. Keeps aware of changes in technology of area. Stays familiar with up-to-date equipment. Attends in-services which apply to the job and is active in laboratory meetings. Aids in the teaching and directing of other laboratory assistants, phlebotomy, or specimen processors students or new associates.
• Duty 6: Ensures proper disposal of cultures, specimens, tissues, and chemicals. Maintains department cleanliness. Performs inventory control of supplies ordering as directed by laboratory leaders, unloading stock, receiving supplies into the laboratory, keeps accurate QC and lot records while keeping work areas stocked. Properly disposes of all specimens according to laboratory policy.
• Duty 7: Is able to maintain organization in a confusing area. Can plan the day to ensure effective completion of duties. Prioritizes correctly to ensure the quickest response times for the most important areas of the jobs. Works at a suitable pace. Can adjust as workload increases. Maintains organization of area despite frequent interruptions. Follows instructions with little or no follow-up supervision. Regularly demonstrates thorough knowledge of current job duties. Follows all laboratory and hospital safety regulations. Organizes specimens correctly to ensure that are processed in a timely manner according to their priority.
• Duty 8: Attendance: Is punctual and is present when scheduled. Adheres to attendance policy - please document absences, occurrences, and tardiness
• Duty 9: Keeps abreast of posted information from memos, minutes of meetings, and department communication logs. Participates actively in laboratory staff meetings. Shows respectful attitude when dealing with other professionals.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• High school graduate or GED equivalent.
• Previous experience or knowledge of computers, telephone operations and equipment maintenance.
• Positive service-oriented interpersonal and communication skills required.
• Individual must be organized, able to prioritize, work in a fast pace environment and have excellent problem-solving skills.
• Individual must be customer focused, serviced oriented and be able to communicate effectively both orally and in written form.
• Individual must be able to work independently as well as in a team environment.
• Individual must be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patient served on his/her assigned unit/department. The individual must demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient status

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Enrolled in an associate degree or bachelor's degree educational program majoring in Medical Laboratory Science or a medical science related field.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position requires a full range of body motion with intermittent walking, lifting, bending, climbing, squatting, kneeling, twisting, sitting and standing. The associate will be required to walk, bend, and stand up to seven hours or more a day. The individual must be able to lift twenty to fifty pounds and reach work above the shoulders. This associate must have excellent eye-hand coordination, finger dexterity and the ability to grasp different items. The associate must be able to visually identify appropriate color indicators specific to testing interpretation and hear audible alarms. This position requires the associate to work at a high rate of speed, remain focused while multitasking, and continually perform all duties error free.

This position is classified "at risk" for possible occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens (HBV, HIV, etc.)

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