Clinical Lab Assistant II - Delnor Cancer Center Laboratory, Full-Time, Days

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Geneva, IL

17h • $21 - $28

About The Position

The Clinical Lab Assistant II supports the mission, vision, and values of Northwestern Medicine and follows its Code of Ethics, Corporate Compliance Program, applicable policies and procedures, and regulatory and accreditation standards. The role collaborates with laboratory and ancillary staff, departments, nurses, and providers to support patient care. It receives, registers, processes, distributes, and transports specimens; enters and retrieves results; performs waived and/or moderate-complexity testing under the direction of a Clinical Laboratory Scientist; and reports results to providers. The position also supports quality control, instrument and automation maintenance, troubleshooting, laboratory communications, and specimen collection. Department-specific work includes phlebotomy, biological specimen transport, supply management, microbiology preparation, possible bone marrow and biopsy processing, and handling anatomic pathology slides for second-opinion requests.

Requirements

• High school diploma.
• At least 1 year of work experience in a general laboratory, specimen processing, or phlebotomy area, or enrollment in a laboratory-related education program.

Nice To Haves

• Phlebotomy certification or training from an accredited school or institution.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with main laboratory staff, ancillary departments, nurses, and providers to support patient care.
• Receive specimens into the laboratory information system and register specimen drop-offs with accurate data entry.
• Input and retrieve laboratory results in laboratory or hospital computer systems.
• Process specimens for transport to reference laboratories and distribute specimens to the appropriate testing area.
• Identify and address problems using appropriate resources, with supervisor, manager, pathologist, or coworker assistance when appropriate.
• Verify instruments and test kits; perform quality control, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Operate and maintain laboratory automation systems as appropriate.
• Perform diagnostic and analytic testing, interpret and document results, and report results to providers.
• Perform waived and/or moderate-complexity testing under the direction of a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
• Ensure appropriate testing is ordered and identify the correct reference laboratory for referred specimens.
• Communicate specimen rejections and critical or notifiable results to appropriate clinical personnel and complete required documentation.
• Review or record refrigerator temperatures and QC/QA records as needed; document concerns in the Corrective Action Log and report repair needs to maintenance.
• Follow up on outstanding orders, including time-sensitive draws and charges.
• Answer and appropriately triage laboratory phone calls.
• Coordinate courier pickups as needed.
• Perform phlebotomy and other specimen collections according to age-related standards as required.
• Complete required biological transport training and maintain competency.
• Recognize temperature-dependent transport conditions and select the correct packing list destination.
• Monitor and maintain specialty supplies, including kits, swabs, and collection containers, and distribute them to units.
• Ensure supplies are available and stored at appropriate temperatures.
• Perform microbiology setups and other testing preparation duties.
• May assist with bone marrow and other biopsy processing.
• Pull anatomic pathology slides for second-opinion requests and log material back into Epic when returned.

Benefits

• The employer describes a wide range of benefits supporting physical, emotional, and financial well-being, with detailed benefits information available via the company benefits webpage.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Loan forgiveness.
• 401(k) matching.
• Lifecycle benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED