Medical Laboratory Technician

Potomac Healthcare Solutions•Washington, PA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

This role involves rotating through various sections of the Blood Donor Center and participating in blood drives at remote locations. The technician will independently perform standardized clinical laboratory tests and procedures specific to blood banking. Key responsibilities include interviewing donors to assess medical history and eligibility based on FDA criteria and current manufacturing practices, screening donors, taking vital signs, checking hemoglobin/hematocrit levels, and preparing samples for testing. The technician will also be responsible for processing whole blood units, entering results into the computer system, labeling units, manufacturing blood components, performing quality control tests, and maintaining inventory of supplies. Participation in mobile blood drives, equipment maintenance, and adherence to safety procedures for handling hazardous materials are also essential. The role requires operating computer systems for donor registration, history, component preparation, test results, inventory control, and shipping. Accurate record-keeping for all procedures is mandatory. The technician will also provide input on new instrumentation and procedures, stay updated on immunohematology developments, and assist in training new personnel. Additional duties include conducting donor assessments, explaining procedures, preparing donors for phlebotomy, screening for autologous collections, exercising independent judgment to ensure donor safety and blood product integrity, monitoring donors during donation, administering first aid, and processing apheresis donors.

Requirements

High school or equivalent.
A minimum of one (1) year of experience in a clinical laboratory in any one or a combination of the following sections: hematology, chemistry, cytology, histology, urinalysis, serology, microbiology, and blood bank.
Graduate from a medical laboratory technician training program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS) or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or educational program acceptable to the American Medical Technologists (AMT).
Certification/registration as Medical Laboratory Technician or equivalent by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), or American Medical Technologists (AMT), or other agency approved by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA)).
Must possess and maintain current course completion documentation for basic life support (BLS) through an American Heart Association or Red Cross approved training program.
Must be a US Citizen.

Responsibilities

Rotates through various sections of the Blood Donor Center and on blood drives in remote locations.
Independently performs standardized clinical laboratory tests and procedures appropriate to blood banking.
Performs personal interviews to obtain medical histories and visual inspections of blood donors, ensuring donors meet all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criteria and current manufacturing practices.
Determines eligibility of potential donors based on judgment and in accordance with SOP and regulatory guidelines.
Screens subjects donating blood (e.g., volunteer blood donors, autologous and therapeutic patients) and exercises care to ensure their blood is at a safe level prior to being used.
Takes vital signs (i.e., temperature, pulse, and blood pressure) and checks hemoglobin and/or hematocrit levels, ensuring prospective donors are eligible to donate blood.
Strips, segments, weighs, and stores whole blood units.
Records information, such as time of started and stopped drawing blood.
Prepares samples to be sent to testing laboratory.
Receives and reviews test results, ensuring proper procedures are followed if irregularities or tests discrepancies are found.
Enters results into the computer system to update the files of blood donors and follow up log for serological testing of blood donor units.
Inputs all data on the blood products in the computer system to ensure proper release and inventory of products.
Labels units for shipment or storage in accordance with SOP to ensure accuracy and appropriateness of the release and use of the blood product.
Manufactures packed red blood cells, platelets, fresh frozen plasma, and recovered plasma in accordance with SOP.
Maintains records on component preparations.
Performs quality control tests for red blood cells, platelets, and instrumentation in accordance with SOP.
Stocks blood donor, blood processing, and blood product manufacturing supplies and mobile equipment.
Ensures stock levels are adequate.
Participates in mobile blood drives to remote sites.
Operates and performs daily preventive maintenance, repair, and quality control on blood bank equipment (e.g., centrifuges, automated apheresis, venipuncture instruments).
Performs specialized tests on platelets for quality control in accordance with standards.
Works with hazardous materials (e.g., infectious biological material) and adheres to established safety procedures to minimize potential danger to self and others.
Operates various computers and computer systems, to include the computer control blood bank management system.
Uses computer hardware and software programs to enter or recall data of donor registration and history, complete blood and component preparation, maintain test result tables, label units, control inventory, and ship blood products to the transfusion service.
Records donor deferrals in the computer system per SOP.
Maintains legible and accurate records in accordance with regulatory requirements for all procedures (e.g., test results, collection, preparation, processing, inventory, shipping, quality control).
Collects and maintains quality control data and records as required.
Provides input to the supervisor in evaluating new instrumentation, procedures, and products for possible future use.
Keeps abreast of new developments in the field of immunohematology and of serological testing of donor units.
Evaluates new techniques/equipment for use in the blood bank and provides recommendations.
Participates in the training and orientation of new personnel (military and civilian), reserve military personnel, and students in blood banking theory and operations.
Conducts second overall assessment of donors.
Explains the procedures and prepares donor arm for phlebotomy.
Screens candidates for autologous collections.
Exercises independent judgment to ensure phlebotomy procedures will not harm the donor and that the collected blood is processed, tested, and available at the time of the patient’s needs.
Monitors donor during donation process and observes for possible adverse reaction (e.g., light headache, passing out, convulsing).
Administers first aid or calls for medical help depending on the circumstances.
Processes human volunteer apheresis donors.
Takes donor history, temperature, pulse, blood pressure, hemoglobin, and collection of single donor plasma and single donor platelets using apheresis equipment and standard procedures.