Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Chemistry & Point of Care Testing

Guidehouse•Bethesda, MD

8d•Onsite

About The Position

We are currently searching for a Clinical Laboratory Scientist to provide support to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This is a full-time, on-site opportunity based in Bethesda, MD. The selected individual will spend 50% of the time assisting with the day-to-day workflow, coordinating functions, and maintaining optimum laboratory productivity within the Point of Care Testing (POCT) section of the laboratory’s Chemistry Service. The remaining 50% of the time will rotate through the General Chemistry, Urinalysis, Immunoassay, Special Chemistry, and Mass Spec sections, as needed. Additional Duties (Based on Program Needs): May support laboratory operations for the NIH Clinical Center Special Clinical Studies Unit (SCSU), which includes environments involving patients exposed to communicable diseases outside standard care conditions. May perform clinical laboratory testing across Hematology, Chemistry, and Microbiology under enhanced BSL-2 safety protocols. May participate in training and maintain competency requirements to support SCSU laboratory operations, as applicable. May handle and ship biohazardous specimens in accordance with established safety and regulatory guidelines. If selected to support SCSU coverage, all required training will be provided.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university including courses in biological science, chemistry, and mathematics AND successful completion of a Medical Laboratory Scientist/Clinical Laboratory Scientist program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained.
Minimum of three (3) years full-time experience working in a clinical chemistry laboratory AND minimum of one (1) year of experience in point of care testing in a clinical laboratory/hospital environment is required, including advanced knowledge of regulatory guidelines for clinical point of care testing in a Joint Commission accredited hospital and College of American Pathologists (CAP) accredited clinical laboratory.
Ability to lift 10 – 30 pounds.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Federal or DoD “public trust”; candidates must receive approved adjudication prior to onboarding with Guidehouse.
Candidates with an active public trust or suitability are preferred.

Nice To Haves

Preferred fields of study: Medical Laboratory Science, Biological Science, Chemistry, or a related discipline.
Excellent hand-eye coordination.
Strong communications skills, both oral and written.
Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills.

Responsibilities

Communicate POCT program assignments, projects, problems, action items, milestones, issues under review, deadlines, and completion timeframes.
Coach non-laboratory personnel (nursing staff) on the selection and application of effective problem-solving methods; provide advice on work methods, practices, and procedures; and assist the team and/or individual members in identifying the parameters of a viable solution.
Facilitate the training of team members on the technical use of point of care analyzers and software programs.
Conduct section meetings to communicate procedural changes and seek input for improvements or resolution to problems.
Maintain POCT program and administrative reference materials, project files and relevant background documents.
Make available policies, procedures and written instructions from the Chief Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Chemistry supervisor); maintain current knowledge to answer questions from team members on procedures, policies, and directives.
Prepare required reports, maintain records of work accomplishments and administrative information, and periodically update the Chemistry Supervisor on team and individual accomplishments, challenges, task proficiency, work processes, and training or resource needs.
Represent the team consensus and convey the team’s findings and recommendations in meetings and interactions with other team leaders, program officials, and other customers on issues related to (or that have an impact on) the team’s objectives, work products, and/or tasks.
Resolve simple, informal complaints of employees and inform Chemistry Supervisor; refer others, such as formal grievances and appeals, to the Chemistry Supervisor or an appropriate management official.
Assist with fiscal management of the POCT section as delegated by the Chemistry Supervisor.
Perform routine and specialized testing in the POCT, General Chemistry, Urinalysis, Immunoassay, Special Chemistry, and Mass-Spec sections in accordance with regulatory and accrediting agency requirements.
Assist with the monitoring and evaluation of quality control specimens.
Validate new lots of reagents and calibrators.
Identify and evaluate abnormalities generated by automated equipment.
Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot instrumentation; evaluate patient results using critical thinking; and document corrective actions.
Identify and address issues in testing that may affect results such as interfering substances, disease conditions, limitations of the test procedure, or other problems in the test system.
Interact directly with the patient care team, including nurses and physicians, in discussing the interpretation of test results and suggest follow up procedures which may help answer clinical questions.
Monitor non-laboratory personnel (i.e. nursing staff) to ensure that they adhere to required policies and procedures.
Use problem solving skills to handle unusual situations in any phase of the laboratory testing system.
Perform quality assurance functions in support of the Chemistry Supervisor and coordinate those functions with the Quality Management Officer.
Participate in laboratory proficiency testing programs.
Develop and maintain standard operating procedures and regulatory policies that apply to the POCT section.
Participate in the development, evaluation, and implementation of new test methodologies in the POCT section.
Develop quality control procedures for tests and modify existing ones as needs change.
Manage reagent and supply inventory, rotate stock, and maintain inventory records for the POCT section.
Participate in training activities required by the hospital or department including technical training of clinical fellows, visiting scientists, and medical technology/clinical laboratory scientist students.
Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

Medical, Rx, Dental & Vision Insurance
Personal and Family Sick Time & Company Paid Holidays
Parental Leave
401(k) Retirement Plan
Group Term Life and Travel Assistance
Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance
Health Savings Account, Health Care & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Transit and Parking Commuter Benefits
Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
Tuition Reimbursement, Personal Development, Certifications & Learning Opportunities
Employee Referral Program
Corporate Sponsored Events & Community Outreach
Care.com annual membership
Employee Assistance Program
Supplemental Benefits via Corestream (Critical Care, Hospital Indemnity, Accident Insurance, Legal Assistance and ID theft protection, etc.)