Medical Laboratory Scientist

ARUP Laboratories•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

Provides technical and non-technical services in laboratory service areas and performs routine and complex laboratory tests in an assigned clinical laboratory department to provide physicians with rapid, accurate results. Works under the direction of a specialist, lead, and/or supervisor. This position is not qualified to delegate supervisory duties for New York testing areas. ARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory and an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology, based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ARUP describes a culture committed to diversity, professional growth, continuous development, accountability, integrity, service, and excellence. The position performs laboratory testing and related quality, data, workflow, training, and client-support activities in accordance with laboratory procedures and applicable policies. It requires work in a biohazard laboratory environment, use of personal protective equipment, and ongoing assessment of current literature and best practices.

Responsibilities

Perform waived, moderate, and/or highly complex analytic processes independently when qualified, trained, and competent under established laboratory standard operating procedures.
Operate, calibrate, and troubleshoot laboratory instruments; ensure equipment functions properly and report or request service as appropriate.
Perform quality control procedures, maintain required QC records and documentation, and resolve and document QC results that fail laboratory criteria, including corrective action.
Follow specimen collection, handling, transport, and recording procedures; assess exceptions and special circumstances involving specimen collection and integrity for their impact on testing.
Process and verify data and enter it, with appropriate explanatory or interpretive information, into the laboratory information system in a timely manner.
Monitor QC and assist with data collection for Quality Assurance indicators as assigned.
Perform internal and external proficiency testing.
Meet output measures and assist with workload in sections where competency is verified and current.
Recognize critical patient results and report them through the defined process.
Identify unexpected results, errors, and patient-testing problems; escalate issues as required and investigate discrepancies using laboratory data.
Understand laboratory procedure theory, evaluate potential causes of unexpected results, and correlate clinical and laboratory data with pathologic states to determine result validity.
Recognize appropriate and inappropriate selection of basic and complex laboratory tests.
Prioritize testing and coordinate general workflow in the assigned area.
Train new and current employees on procedures and policies.
Provide technical information or instruction to clients, employees, medical students, residents, peers, physicians, and the public as requested and appropriate.
Maintain adequate inventory of reagents and supplies.
Direct workflow activities and review daily data reports as assigned.
After two years of experience, excluding New York testing, assess peers performing testing as a qualified observer.
Conduct oneself in compliance with ARUP policies and procedures.
Continually assess current literature and best practices.
Perform other duties as assigned.