Lab Assistant/Phlebotomist PRN

Trinity Health•Des Moines, IA

About The Position

At MercyOne, health care is more than a doctor’s visit or a place to go when medical attention is needed. The organization’s mission is to improve the health of its communities, including helping people stay well. MercyOne Central Iowa provides personalized care in the Des Moines metro area and surrounding counties. MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, founded in 1893, is Iowa’s largest medical center, with 802 beds and a role as one of the Midwest’s largest referral centers. MercyOne Central Iowa has more than 7,000 colleagues and nearly 1,500 physicians and allied health professionals. The Lab Assistant supports a variety of laboratory departments by assisting technical staff with the collection, processing, analysis, and reporting of laboratory tests used in patient diagnosis and treatment. The position ensures specimens, patient information, and testing workflows are handled accurately and efficiently, supporting reliable test processes, timely turnaround, data integrity, and compliance with quality and safety standards. The schedule is PRN, and the listed shift is rotating.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
Strong computer skills and the ability to learn new systems and tools quickly.
Comfort operating in a collaborative, shared leadership environment.
A personal presence characterized by honesty, integrity, and caring, with the ability to inspire and motivate others in support of Trinity Health and MercyOne’s philosophy, mission, vision, goals, and values.

Nice To Haves

Laboratory experience and knowledge of medical terminology.

Responsibilities

Perform venipunctures, finger sticks, and heel sticks for patients from neonatal through geriatric ages, following laboratory specimen-collection policies.
Accept specimens and requisitions from internal and external customers, and manage add-on orders and pending lists according to laboratory procedures.
Identify patients and specimens using two unique patient identifiers and accurately label specimen containers.
Register and log specimens in the Laboratory Information System (LIS), assess specimen adequacy and acceptability, and scan required documentation into patient records.
Process specimens through identification, aliquoting, plate streaking, slide preparation, special handling, and required documentation in accordance with laboratory protocols.
Help resolve problematic patient specimens and test orders in collaboration with laboratory staff and clients.
Follow safety, infection control, and chemical-handling procedures and support efficient workflows, accurate testing, timely turnaround, and productivity expectations.
Use laboratory information systems to support accurate data entry and workflow management.
Restock supplies, participate in peer teaching, and take part in department or hospital committees and projects as assigned.