Hospital Lab Technician 1

University of California, San Francisco•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Clinical Laboratory at Zuckerberg San Francisco General provides testing services for inpatients and outpatients of ZSFG, Laguna Honda Hospital, District Health Centers, and other facilities under the San Francisco Public Health Department. The Hospital Lab Technician 1 primarily performs pre-analytical laboratory procedures and also supports laboratory inquiries, outpatient registration, phlebotomy, specimen collection, instrument operations, data management, and information-system downtime procedures. Work must be performed efficiently and accurately in accordance with University, ZSFG, departmental, regulatory, health, and safety policies. The role requires teamwork and supports the UCSF and ZSFG mission, vision, and values. The technician receives and prioritizes STAT and routine blood, urine, stool, and other body-fluid specimens; checks specimen and requisition requirements; enters and verifies data in the laboratory information system; processes, centrifuges, aliquots, labels, routes, and, when assigned, packages specimens for referral laboratories. The role also includes answering and routing calls, communicating results and specimen information to healthcare providers, instructing patients and providers on specimen collection, registering outpatients, and performing phlebotomy and other specimen collection. The position operates and maintains laboratory automation and instruments, troubleshoots workflow and equipment issues, documents quality assurance activities, supports laboratory operations and improvement projects, and assists with data collection and processing. The technician must follow applicable procedures for patient identification, infection control, specimen handling, data privacy, and information-system downtime. The role may include lifting, pushing, or pulling containers, reagents, parts, boxes, and supplies weighing up to 60 pounds as needed.

Requirements

Blood-drawing experience and a California Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT 1) license are required.
Knowledge of medical or clinical laboratory terminology.
Ability to communicate clearly in English, verbally and in writing.
Strong interpersonal skills and willingness to work as a team player.
Strong personal computer and typing skills.
Graduation from college with a major in an applicable natural science and coursework in biology or chemistry; or two years of college natural-science coursework including biology or chemistry plus two years of applicable experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
A B.S. degree in biology or chemistry is listed under required licenses and/or certifications.
One year of appropriate clinical laboratory experience is listed under required licenses and/or certifications.

Nice To Haves

B.S. degree in biology or chemistry.
One year of appropriate clinical laboratory experience.

Responsibilities

Perform pre-analytical procedures for Chemistry, Hematology, and Serology specimens, including blood, urine, stool, and other body fluids.
Prioritize, timestamp, review, receive, and process STAT and routine specimens within laboratory turnaround-time standards.
Enter patient and test-request data into the laboratory information system, verify entries, clarify incomplete or unclear requests, and complete computer registration.
Check specimen labeling, requisitions, tube and volume requirements, and special handling requirements; resolve discrepancies or notify a supervisor.
Centrifuge, aliquot, label, rack, bag, route, and deliver specimens to the appropriate testing areas; prepare and package send-out specimens when assigned.
Monitor add-on requests and maintain continuous specimen flow by organizing workload efficiently.
Answer and route laboratory telephone calls, use paging or messages as needed, communicate specimen instructions and status, and report specimen problems and critical results to healthcare providers.
Provide outpatient laboratory registration and file patient requisitions for scanning.
Identify patients correctly and perform venipuncture and other assigned specimen collections using appropriate equipment, collection techniques, safety devices, and post-collection care.
Provide collection containers and instructions for urine, stool, and other specimens; administer glucose drinks and collect timed glucose-tolerance specimens as required.
Collect appropriate specimens for blood culture and other assigned testing, and ensure specimens are properly labeled and transported.
Operate laboratory instruments and automation, manage workflow, perform scheduled preventive maintenance, replenish reagents and supplies, troubleshoot issues, document corrective actions, and escalate issues appropriately.
Perform basic APTIO automation-line operations, including loading specimens, retrieving tubes, carrying out scheduled maintenance, checking the outstanding log, and escalating problems.
Complete required training, follow current policies and procedures, manage workflow to meet turnaround-time goals, communicate expected delays, and assist colleagues and laboratory leadership.
Perform assigned quality assurance tasks, document and communicate QA issues and corrective actions, maintain a clean and safe work area, and support investigations and improvement projects.
Assist with data collection, handling, processing, and statistical information using approved laboratory and institutional software; comply with data-access, security, and privacy requirements.
Follow laboratory information-system downtime procedures and continue assigned work, forwarding specimens to appropriate testing sections with barcode labels.
Participate in training new employees, huddles, meetings, instrument validation, testing assays, quality assurance activities, and other team projects as assigned.
Maintain supplies, organize department documents, calculate miscellaneous statistics, and perform clerical duties as needed.
Lift, push, or pull containers, reagents, parts, boxes, or supplies weighing up to 60 pounds as needed.