Clinical Laboratory Scientist

TridentCare • Irvine, CA

3d • $50 - $60

About The Position

The Clinical Laboratory Scientist ensures that tests requested by physicians and facilities are performed accurately and promptly, and that laboratory policies and procedures are correctly followed and implemented. The role handles specimen processing and analysis, maintains patient result records, performs complex testing requiring professional judgment, and verifies laboratory results before release. The scientist also supports quality control, instrument calibration and maintenance, inventory, and operational improvements while communicating with nurses, physicians, facilities, and laboratory colleagues.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, with major coursework in medical technology, microbiology, chemistry, biology, or a related field.
• General Supervisor license issued by the State of California.
• Meet CLIA requirements for personnel performing high-complexity testing.
• Ability to work independently and exercise sound analytical judgment, including under stress.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work closely with others on a team.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and interact effectively with physicians, facilities, and laboratory personnel.
• Speed, consistency, and accuracy sufficient to meet laboratory standards.
• Customer-service orientation.
• Self-starter with initiative and strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
• Flexibility to perform a variety of changing tasks.
• Commitment to tasks and strong cognitive, interpretive, and judgment skills.

Responsibilities

• Follow laboratory procedures for specimen handling, processing, analysis, reporting, and maintaining patient test-result records.
• Verify patient names, specimen numbers, specimen types, collection times, and specimen integrity.
• Follow procedures for handling potentially infectious materials.
• Maintain records showing proficiency-testing samples are tested in the same manner as patient samples.
• Adhere to quality-control policies and document quality-control activities, instrument and procedural calibrations, and maintenance.
• Follow quality-control policies when test systems do not meet established performance levels.
• Identify problems that may adversely affect test performance or result reporting, and document corrective actions when systems deviate from specifications.
• Perform routine and new complex test procedures requiring professional judgment in assigned areas.
• Apply knowledge of the theory behind tests and recognize departures from normal findings in adult and geriatric patients.
• Calibrate instruments, assess equipment accuracy, and perform preventive and corrective equipment maintenance.
• Check and verify laboratory test results, including accepting or rejecting results based on delta-check inconsistencies, requesting redraws, and canceling results due to gross hemolysis, clots, or insufficient quantity.
• Review outgoing reports for technical and clerical errors.
• Communicate with nurses and physicians and work effectively with others.
• Assist the Lead CLS with maintaining adequate supplies and inventory levels.
• Prioritize work duties and adapt to administrative changes in staffing and scheduling.
• Assist in developing and implementing quality-control standards to ensure accurate results.
• Assist the Lead CLS in reviewing and resolving quality-control problems.
• Suggest and, when necessary, implement technical and administrative changes with approval of the Laboratory Director.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time