Medical Laboratory Technician I - Lab AdminGeneral

CHRISTUS Health•Alexandria, LA

About The Position

Performs clinical testing in assigned laboratory sections, including general laboratory, Blood Bank, and Microbiology, and completes duties necessary to produce accurate and timely results. Responsibilities include quality control, performance improvement, proficiency testing, equipment preventive maintenance, recognition and reporting of abnormal critical values, and clerical, general, and phlebotomy tasks supporting daily laboratory operations. Provides or dispenses blood products as requested by medical staff. The technician collects, identifies, labels, processes, and tests specimens; reports results and critical values according to policy; operates laboratory analyzers and computer systems; and performs blood bank procedures. The role also includes maintaining documentation and supplies, troubleshooting minor equipment problems, following applicable regulatory and safety standards, pursuing professional growth, assisting with training, and completing annual competency assessments.

Requirements

Associate degree or higher in clinical laboratory science or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution, or equivalent laboratory training and experience meeting CLIA regulation 42CFR493.1489.
CLIA-equivalent education may be met by completing an official U.S. military medical laboratory procedures training course of at least 50 weeks and currently holding the military enlisted occupational specialty of medical laboratory specialist (laboratory technician); or by completing 60 semester hours or equivalent from an accredited institution, including at least 24 semester hours of medical laboratory technology courses, or 24 semester hours of science courses with six semester hours of chemistry, six semester hours of biology, and 12 semester hours of chemistry, biology, or medical laboratory technology in any combination.
Laboratory training must include completion of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by ABHES, NAACLS, or another organization approved by HHS, or at least three months of documented laboratory training in each specialty in which the individual performs high-complexity testing.
No experience is required for graduates of a clinical laboratory training program approved or accredited by NAACLS or another organization approved by HHS; alternatively, six months of approved clinical laboratory experience is required, including a clinical rotation through Blood Banking, Microbiology, Chemistry, Hematology, Immunology, and Urinalysis/Body Fluids in the U.S. or at an accredited laboratory within the last five years.
Louisiana state licensure is required for positions in Louisiana.
New graduates must be board certified or eligible and complete board certification within one year of hire; Louisiana is excluded from this provision.

Responsibilities

Meet applicable OneCHRISTUS competencies and demonstrate the company philosophy and core values in service to customers.
Collect blood specimens by venipuncture and/or fingerstick; identify and label specimens accurately; answer the pneumatic tube system; process specimens according to procedures, including operating centrifuges; and obtain other designated patient specimens.
Recognize errors or improbable results and take appropriate action; report critical values according to policy; and perform tests within established timeframes.
Perform laboratory testing, when designated, in Hematology, Urinalysis, Coagulation, Chemistry, Special Chemistry, ER Stat Lab, and Microbiology.
Perform blood bank procedures, including crossmatching, antibody identification, and dispensing blood products.
Operate automated laboratory analyzers according to established procedures.
Perform, analyze, and document quality control according to policy and applicable CLIA, CAP, AABB, and JCAHO guidelines; record performance improvement indicators and report results.
Perform and document scheduled preventive maintenance; troubleshoot minor problems and initiate service calls as needed.
Order or notify the assigned associate of supply and reagent needs, restock supplies and reagents, review policy and procedure manuals, date reagents, and discard expired reagents.
Pursue professional growth and continued education; assist in training new associates and students in laboratory practices.
Follow CAP, AABB, Compliance, CLIA, JCAHO, and OSHA standards, as well as established safety, infection control, security, compliance, and hazardous-material protocols.
Use LIS and HIS computer systems appropriately to perform, charge, and report laboratory results.
Successfully complete the annual competency assessment by the assigned date.