Microbiology Lab Aide Per Diem ( Flexible Hours)

St. Luke’s University Health Network•Bethlehem, PA

About The Position

St. Luke's is proud of the skills, experience and compassion of its employees. The employees of St. Luke's are our most valuable asset! Individually and together, our employees are dedicated to satisfying the mission of our organization which is an unwavering commitment to excellence as we care for the sick and injured; educate physicians, nurses and other health care providers; and improve access to care in the communities we serve, regardless of a patient's ability to pay for health care. Responsible for the handling and processing of microbiology specimens; performs equipment maintenance, QC, computer entry and communicates with hospital staff, physician offices, and patients; requires independent judgement in the performance of the assigned duties.

Requirements

High School Diploma / GED required
Previous experience handing laboratory specimens preferred

Responsibilities

Verify specimen receipt in the laboratory information system (LIS).
Label blood and non-blood specimens, agar plates and tube media with identifying labels.
Transfer of specimens from primary container to aliquot containers and/or to proper storage media.
Delivers and properly stores specimens at the correct temperatures and, in the appropriate microbiology testing areas.
Processes all incoming specimens, including STATS, which are processed within 5 minutes of receipt; selects appropriate culture media and plates specimens according to established procedures.
Prepares specimens for referral to outside reference laboratories, which may include logging and packaging of specimens or cultures.
Media preparation of plates and tubes; quality control of sterility testing; documentation of QC checks.
Preparation and staining of smears according to established procedures;
Performs miscellaneous waived/moderately complex testing and report results according to established procedures.
Orders and stocks supplies to maintain service.
Acquires knowledge of general lab operation (including LIS) in order to efficiently answer inquiries to the lab.
Answers the telephone, gives verbal results; uses available references for inquiries to the lab.
Performs minor troubleshooting of LIS/PC; changes paper, ribbons or toner cartridges in printers as needed.
Reviews LIS reports as assigned; takes appropriate action.
Assists Manual Testing Supervisor and/or Microbiology Technical Coordinator with other duties as assigned.