Clinical Lab Assistant, Laboratory

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Heywood Healthcare values its employees and offers competitive wages, great benefits, and generous earned time off. This Per Diem position involves day and evening shifts, including weekends. The role focuses on assisting technical laboratory staff in specimen processing and performing waived laboratory testing after thorough training and competency verification. The Clinical Lab Assistant is responsible for patient identification, verifying physician orders, preparing specimens, and maintaining a safe and organized work environment. Effective communication and adherence to safety regulations are crucial. The position also involves assisting in the Central Processing area and educating patients and co-workers on specimen collection procedures.

Requirements

Associate of Science in Biology, or completion of core courses in this area of study preferred.
Previous phlebotomy experience preferred.
Six months to one year of experience preferred.
Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
Frequently reaches (extending hands and arms in any direction), and handles (seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or working with hands).
Achievement motivation
Concern for order
Flexibility
Initiative
Self-confidence
Customer service oriented
Interpersonal effectiveness
Teamwork
Analytical thinking
Information seeking

Responsibilities

Identifies patients correctly by checking identification wristbands and asking for name confirmation or having a healthcare professional identify the patient.
Verifies all physician orders to ensure correct tests are ordered.
Reviews all testing requirements prior to obtaining samples to ensure necessary supplies are available.
Communicates with technical laboratory staff regarding timed, urgent, or stat specimens to ensure acceptable turn-around-time.
Assists with and performs packaging of specimens for forwarding to other reference laboratories.
Follows criteria for centrifugation, separation, transport, and storage of specimens.
Records specimen shipment in the hospital-wide computer system.
Performs tasks in the Laboratory to assist technical staff in specimen processing, including temperature documentation, planting Microbiologic cultures, discarding specimens, aliquoting specimens, making blood smears, performing GRAM stains, staining peripheral blood smears, logging in, processing, labeling and staining PAP smears, filling VITEK cards (in the presence of MLT or MT), and putting away reagents/supplies.
May perform waived Laboratory testing per CLIA guidelines (including quality control, specimen storage and transport, procedure performance, and result reporting) after training, documentation, and competency proof. This includes urine color and clarity, urine specific gravity, urine dipstick, urine pregnancy testing, fecal occult blood testing, gastric blood testing, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rates, and glucometer testing.
Assists in the Central Processing area, including picking up samples from doctor's offices, registration, processing samples for order entry, labeling samples, filling supply orders from outreach centers, and researching sample problems.
Educates patients and co-workers on correct specimen collection procedures and determines the quality and acceptability of collected specimens.
Adheres to all required safety regulations as stated in policies and procedures.
Removes or arranges for removal of safety hazards from the environment immediately.
Maintains a safe, organized, and clean work area/environment.
Assists supervisors by performing required tasks to meet or exceed department goals.
Enters and edits ordering information in the computer system for accurate record-keeping and patient billing.
Communicates effectively, both written and verbally, with staff and co-workers regarding pertinent information.
Responds appropriately and timely to the requests and needs of patients and customers.
Acquires knowledge through educational in-services or seminars.
Possesses a comprehensive understanding of technology advances, disease processes, and regulatory changes, and retains, applies, and teaches this knowledge.
Evaluates specimens for acceptability for testing and takes appropriate action for unacceptable specimens.
Assures department supplies and reagents are utilized in a cost-effective manner.
Develops cost-benefit analysis for testing protocols.
Maintains a safe environment for patients by ensuring sharp objects, toxic substances, and other potentially harmful objects are inaccessible.
Ensures the environment of care is free of objects that may contribute to patient falls, slips, or trips.
Makes assistive devices for ambulation readily available and complies with policies related to gait belts and similar devices.
Is aware of the increased risk of falls, slips, and trips for elderly patients and visitors and ensures the environment is free of contributing objects and spills.
Performs other job-related duties as assigned.