Tissue Donation Specialist

Position Summary

The Tissue Donation Specialist (TDS) supports the mission, goals, and strategic plan of Nevada Donor Network Inc. (NDN) by providing clinical support to facilitate safe, efficient procurement of tissues for transplant and research.

TDS also serve to promote effective communication with relevant stakeholders to facilitate donation including organizational recovery staff, funeral homes, hospital, and medicolegal partners.

Essential Functions

• Performs responsibilities of position and promotes teamwork and a professional working environment.
• Responsibly and accurately reviews authorization documents.
• Performs thorough donor physical assessment.
• Recovers donated human tissue for transplantation and research.
• Prepares donated tissues and relevant specimens such as blood and cultures, for shipment.
• Completes all required donor charts and related reports completely, accurately, and in a timely manner according to protocol.
• Actively participates in meetings and required training sessions.
• May participate in the training of new staff and serve as a preceptor as needed.
• Completes daily tasks such as basic supply management, instrument maintenance, routine cleaning of clinical facilities, etc. to support clinical activities.
• Applies Universal Precautions and appropriate safety precautions at all times.
• Adheres to the regulations, policies, and procedures published by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), NDN, and our outside partners.
• Maintains confidentiality on all donor-related activities and internal matters.
• Requests applicable medical records and any additional requests of recovered donors to facilitate timely release of tissue for transplant.
• Adheres to inventory control practices, including the utilization of the inventory management system(s), and stocking supplies according to protocol.
• Follows standard quality practices and utilizes the quality management system to address filing and resolution of occurrences, root cause analyses, partner complaints, doc control, internal auditing, etc. according to protocol.
• Participates in process improvement initiatives, policy updates, and other administrative tasks as needed.
• May serve as any of the following roles:

Circulator / Back Table

• Assists procurement specialists as necessary.
• Maintains sterile back table set-up.
• Packages tissues in a sterile manner.
• Accurately labels all tissues.
• Assists with specimen collection.
• Assists with other duties (i.e., prepare supplies, donor reconstruction, instrument decontamination, recovery site cleaning, etc.).

Eye Team Lead

• Accurately and thoroughly reviews available donor information, including medical records and donor risk assessment interview information.
• Surgically recovers ocular tissue per SOP.
• Obtains required specimens.
• Coordinates logistics to facilitate donation as necessary.
• Accurately documents required information in donor record.

Procurement Specialist

• Performs the prep and recovery of musculoskeletal, cardiovascular tissues, skin and other tissues per processor criteria and SOP.

Tissue Team Lead

• Accurately and thoroughly reviews available donor information, including medical records and donor risk assessment interview information.
• Coordinates logistics related to facilitating tissue donation, including transportation, specimen retrieval, and shipment/storage of tissue.
• Accurately documents required information in donor record.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Skills & Abilities

Education

• Bachelor's Degree (preferred); relevant work experience may be substituted for academic requirements.

Experience

• Six months to one-year healthcare related experience (preferred).

Computer Skills

• Basic computer skills.
• Knowledge of MS Office programs.
• Experience with facsimile/scanner/copy machine.

Certificates & Licenses

• RN, Paramedic/EMT, CST licenses considered.
• Must have a valid Nevada driver's license.

Other Requirements

• Knowledge of basic aseptic technique, universal precautions, medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology preferred.
• Availability on-call or on-site, according to a fixed schedule and able to participate in twelve (12) hour shift rotations, day and night.
• Required to have a personal cell phone and must remain within a reasonable radius to respond to case activity within one (1) hour of being notified when on-call.
• Travel by personal or company auto is required to meet all of the duties and responsibilities of the position.

Other Physical Requirements

• Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including surgical scrubs, eye protection, facial mask/shield, gown, disposable surgeon gloves, shoe covers, head cover, etc.

Work Environment

• Non-smoking office and hospital setting.