LABORATORY CLINICAL ASSISTANT

JOB SPECIFICATIONS:

Ability to adequately do the following:

• Obtain patient specimens such as urine, blood, culture swabs.


• Separate serum and plasma from whole blood using a centrifuge.


• Perform waived tests under the supervision of a qualified medical technologist/technician 


• Perform clerical duties such as completing test worksheets, reports, sending specimens to the reference lab, recording daily temperatures and answering phone calls


• Participates in gathering performance improvement information and reporting it to a supervisor.


• Clean and maintain work areas.


• Report certain laboratory results to those who are authorized to receive results.


• Help maintain adequate stock and supply levels.


• Attend appropriate in-service activities and meetings.


• Be subject to frequent interruptions.


• Cope with possible subjection to infectious diseases and substances.


• Work in all areas of the laboratory and in patient areas.


• Communicate with and be courteous to physicians, patients, hospital personnel, visitors, and fellow department personnel.


• Other miscellaneous duties as directed by supervisors, within the scope of training and ability.
  

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Must be a high school graduate with courses in biology and chemistry preferred and


• One year of training in a school approved by the BOARD OF CERTIFIED LABORATORY PHLEBOTOMISTS or


• Six months on the job training in an accredited hospital.


• Must be able to read, write, speak, or communicate in English.


• Must exercise proper human relations skills.

PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be able to sit, stand, bend, and move intermittently throughout the day.


• Must possess sight/hearing senses or use prosthetics that will enable these senses to function adequately, so that the requirements of this position can be fully met.


• Must possess the use of arms, legs, hands, and feet or use prosthetics that will accommodate these functions adequately, so that the requirements of this position can be fully met.


• Must be able to cope with mental and physical stress, within reason.


• Must have personal integrity, flexibility, and the ability to work effectively with support personnel.


• Must be in good general health and demonstrate emotional stability.

AGE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

• Should possess adequate skills and knowledge (within education, training, and experience) to distinguish, assess, act, and report upon the needs of neonates, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and geriatric patients, as related to the clinical laboratory.

LABORATORY INFORMATION SYSTEM:

• Should be able to proficiently order, result, enter test results and print and retrieve lab reports.


• Be able to print, complete, and file worksheets.


• Must be able to startup the LIS and activate the cyberprinter and barcode printer.


• Knows what to do if all or part of the LIS fails.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

VENIPUNCTURE:

• Follows proper procedure in the identification of patients for venipuncture.


• Places specimens in the correct tubes and properly labels all specimens collected and processed.


• Uses good technique in the collection of blood samples and reports bruises and injury due to numerous venipunctures to the appropriate nursing and lab supervisor.


• During orientation must complete the Phlebotomy Age Specific Skills Assessment.


• Annually completes the phlebotomy checklist.


• Properly uses phlebotomy safety products.


• Participates in the evaluation of new phlebotomy safety products.


• Must complete a minimum of 10 successful draws on an age specific group before being released to draw independently.

HEMATOLOGY:

• Familiar with the types of specimens that can be used or rejected from testing.


• Can operate the hematology analyzer proficiently, prepare quality slides for differentials, set up sed rates, and sickle cell preps.

COAGULATION:

• Knows which types of specimens are acceptable for testing and rejection.


• Operates the coagulation analyzer proficiently.


• Accurately transcribes quality control and patient results.


• Can collect and time specimens for bleeding time, clotting time, and clot retraction.

SEROLOGY:

• Sets up RPR tests and controls using good technique.


• Documents quality control data each day of testing and reports all positive tests to the State.

COLLECTION OF MISCELLANEOUS SPECIMENS:

• Can instruct outpatients on the collection of urine specimens, collect blood cultures, and throat cultures.


• Collects, processes, and stores specimens under the proper conditions and documents specimens recollected.

CLERICAL:

• Records patient results and information neatly and accurately in logbooks, on test worksheets, and QC worksheets.


• Follows proper procedure in the charting of patient lab results.


• Follows procedure for sending specimens to and receiving reports from the reference lab.


• Performs any other clerical duties necessary i.e. temperature charts, processing outpatients, and filing.

• Documents and tests quality control material as established by policy and knows what to do if quality control fails.


• Participates in the collection of Performance Improvement data.

GENERAL:

• Demonstrates competency when performing laboratory procedures.


• Maintains a clean, hazard free work area and documents this by initialing the daily decontamination log sheets.


• Practices economy and is careful with hospital supplies and equipment.


• Reports for work on time and clocks IN and OUT


• Uses time well in the performance of work duties.


• Communicates with and is courteous to physicians, patient, hospital personnel, visitors, and fellow employees.


• Reports STAT and panic values to those who are authorized to receive results.


• Helps to maintain adequate stock and supply levels.


• Wears Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as required by
  


• Physically and emotionally capable of performing job duties.


• Performs well in stressful situations and adjusts well to changes in workload.


• Accepts constructive criticism and suggestions from supervisors in a positive manner.


• Attends required departmental and hospital in-service programs.


• Knows the hospital codes and what to do if one is called.


• Maintains confidentiality regarding patient’s condition and lab results.


• Reports all problems to supervisors.


• Refrains from spending excessive time on the telephone.


• Has a good work ethic and works as a team player.


• Assists other employees as needed with job duties.


• Refrains from spending excessive time in other departments.


• Personal appearance- hair, clothes and shoes neat and clean in a manner that reflects a professional appearance.


• Volunteers for or willingly accepts additional work duties and assignments.

AGE SPECIFIC:

• Uses good blood collection technique (excluding venipuncture) on neonatal patients.


• Uses good blood collection technique on infant patients.


• Uses good blood collection technique on children.


• Uses good blood collection technique on adolescent patients.


• Uses good blood collection technique on adult and geriatric patients.