Phlebotomist

The University of Kansas Health System • Kansas City, KS

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Kansas Health System Phlebotomist is a position within the clinical laboratory responsible for interpreting lab work orders from both internal providers (via Hospital Information System) and external providers (manual orders). The Phlebotomist must accurately identify correct tube types for each test, adhere to regulatory, accreditation, safety, and hospital standards, policies, and procedures, and perform positive patient identification before and after blood draws. In ambulatory settings, labeled tubes are confirmed with the patient, while in in-patient settings, they are matched with the patient's wristband. This role requires understanding pre-analytical variables affecting laboratory results and participation in quality assurance/improvement. Responsibilities include releasing orders from HIS, receiving specimens in LIS, and processing specimens (centrifugation, aliquoting, pouring off plasma/serum). The Phlebotomist serves as the "face" of the clinical laboratory, expected to be professional, respectful, and courteous, following AIDET guidelines for customer service. In ambulatory settings, they prepare specimens for transport by scanning bar-coded samples onto a LIS packing list. The Phlebotomist troubleshoots difficult orders and assists with missing specimens, performs data entry, manages requisitions, and answers telephones to assist laboratory customers. This position demands a patient-focused individual capable of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

• High School Graduate
• Less than 1 year 6 months experience in an internal phlebotomy training program OR 1 or more years experience in specimen collection and processing OR completion of an external phlebotomy program
• Fluent English - ability to understand, read, write, and speak English

Nice To Haves

• Advanced level of skill in adult and pediatric phlebotomy
• Phlebotomy Technician (PBT) - American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP)
• Valid driver's license recommended

Responsibilities

• Performs blood draws by venipuncture according to standard protocol, ensuring patient safety and quality specimen collection.
• Performs specimen collection using appropriate techniques and adhering to requirements.
• Provides patients and/or care providers with instructions and necessary materials for specimen collection
• Provides immediate patient care if patient exhibits sign of a post-venipuncture reaction, typically vaso-vagal.
• Pro-actively assesses patient presentation and escorts patient to draw room with recliner if patient is an adolescent or young adult or states that they typically have a reaction to having their blood drawn.
• Performs data entry in applicable information systems in compliance with departmental and organizational policies
• Demonstrates knowledge of specimen collection techniques and requirements.
• Ensures proper container type, centrifugation, and transport conditions for specimens.
• Able to determine appropriateness of specimens for add-on testing.
• Releases orders on ambulatory health system patients with orders in HIS
• Receives samples in LIS, prints bar code labels and affixes labels to specimens.
• Enters outside orders in LIS when copy of outside order is scanned into HIS.
• Consults Phlebotomy Coordinator, Supervisor or Lab Leadership when appropriate if situation requires assistance
• Provides assistance to nursing staff when requested.
• Performs specimen processing duties such as aliquoting urine and separating blood samples when required for testing.
• Understands pre-analytical variables that can impact test results: Container Type, Time, Temperature, Centrifugation, labeling.
• Able to determine appropriateness of specimens for addon testing
• Responds to telephone inquiries and provides customer service to the end caller by addressing their needs and troubleshooting.
• Instructs, orients and mentors students, employees, patients and other health care providers as applicable.
• Maintains an adequate inventory of supplies
• Other duties as assigned which may include NP, oral, or nasal swab collections with appropriate PPE.
• May be expected to provide coverage at alternate locations to help meet critical staffing level needs, as requested by management.
• Must be able to perform the professional, clinical and or technical competencies of the assigned unit or department.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees