Medical Lab Assistant

MyMichigan Health•Midland, MI

About The Position

Laboratory assistants work under the direct supervision of a medical technologist (Medical Laboratory Specialist) and a pathologist or other qualified physician. They perform pre-analytical, post-analytical, and analytical tasks in histology, cytology, microbiology, and the general laboratory. Duties vary by site and include supporting clinical testing, preparing and processing specimens, assisting with laboratory operations, maintaining required records, and following laboratory, safety, confidentiality, and infection-control policies. The role serves patients ranging in age from birth to 100+ years. The Medical Laboratory Assistant (ASCP) credential is required within 12 months of hire or transfer into the role. Candidates must meet one of the specified ASCP education and experience pathways, all of which include clinical laboratory experience in specimen preparation and processing, support for clinical testing, and laboratory operations. Organization, manual dexterity, customer service, communication, teamwork, and computer skills are required. Six months of clinical or microbiology laboratory experience and/or one year of experience handling biological specimens is preferred. The work may involve public contact and stressful situations, including trauma, grief, and death; exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious materials; and wearing personal protective equipment. The role requires mobility within the facility, adequate vision and hearing, dexterity, and the ability to sit, stand, or walk for extended periods and sometimes stoop, kneel, or crouch. The physical demand level is light, with occasional lifting or carrying of 11–20 pounds and frequent handling of 10 pounds or use of walking, standing, pushing, or pulling controls.

Requirements

Medical Laboratory Assistant (ASCP) credential required within 12 months of hire or transfer into the role.
High school diploma or equivalent, plus one qualifying ASCP education-and-experience pathway: completion of a NAACLS-approved Clinical Assistant program within the last five years, a 50-week U.S. military medical laboratory training course within the last ten years, or two years of full-time clinical laboratory experience; OR an associate degree or 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) from a regionally accredited college, including at least six semester hours of chemistry and six semester hours of biology, plus one year of full-time clinical laboratory experience; OR valid PBT (ASCP) certification plus one year of full-time clinical laboratory experience; OR completion within the last five years of an acceptable two-part formal structured medical laboratory assistant program consisting of classroom and clinical laboratory training, plus six months of full-time clinical laboratory experience.
Clinical laboratory experience used to meet the ASCP requirement must include specimen preparation and processing, support for clinical testing, and laboratory operations within the applicable timeframe.
Organization, manual dexterity, customer service, communication, teamwork, and computer skills.
Demonstrated competency in Microsoft Windows; employees may be required to participate in additional learning opportunities.
Ability to handle multiple tasks, work well with others and independently, maintain regular and predictable attendance, and stay awake.
Ability to wear personal protective equipment, including latex materials or an appropriate substitute if required.
Ability to move freely about the facility, with or without an assistive device, and perform the job functions described.
Adequate vision and hearing, with or without assistive devices, and dexterity for handling, reaching, grasping, fingering, and feeling.
Ability to sit, stand, or walk for long periods and make postural changes such as stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
Ability to meet the light physical demand level, including occasional lifting or carrying of 11–20 pounds and frequent handling of 10 pounds and/or walking, standing, or using push/pull arm or leg controls.
Follow required bloodborne pathogen and TB testing requirements.

Nice To Haves

Six months of experience in a clinical or microbiology laboratory and/or one year of experience handling biological specimens.
Knowledge of medical terminology, laboratory policies, procedures, and protocols.
Knowledge of MISYS LIS, HIS, and admitting policies and procedures.
Laboratory department job shadowing may be required depending on the candidate’s departmental experience.

Responsibilities

Perform waived testing, including reporting results.
Prepare tissue specimens and enter related information into the laboratory information system for technical personnel and the pathologist; assist with inventory management.
Prepare urine specimens and laboratory analyzers for testing; monitor inventory, load supplies and specimens, and empty waste.
Prepare and stain slides for bacteriologic study, plate specimens on specified media, prepare specimens for testing, assist with inventory management, and prepare analyzers for testing in microbiology.
Maintain accurate temperature, quality control, and other required records; assist with pending logs.
Identify specimens, prepare them for processing, use laboratory tools such as centrifuges, incubators, and balances, and perform venipunctures.
Register patients and accurately enter data into hospital and laboratory information systems.
Adhere to laboratory policies and procedures and maintain confidentiality of medical information.
Follow patient registration, billing, and coding procedures where required.
Follow infection prevention and control practices and policies.
Perform and report waived and point-of-care testing, such as glucose, pregnancy tests, urine dipsticks, and coagulation tests.
Perform and interpret quality control; retrieve and report results, including critical values and STAT results.
Prepare, label, and stain slides and perform microbiology setup and plating.
Handle reagents, standards, and controls; operate analytical instrumentation, including loading, test initiation, error recognition and reporting, specimen dilution, and calibrations.
Review, clarify, and verify physician orders.
Follow specimen identification and labeling policies; determine specimen acceptability, prioritization, distribution, storage, transport, and special handling requirements.
Process specimens, including centrifugation and aliquoting.
Follow applicable Federal CLIA, CAP, and OSHA regulations, as well as safety, infection-control, waste-disposal, equipment, professionalism, ethics, and laboratory information system requirements.
Provide for the age-specific needs of the population served according to department standards and policies.
Perform other duties as assigned.