General Lab Assistant

Major accountabilities/Critical responsibilities

1. May assist with phone support paying attention to HIPPA guidelines and good customer service. Receives and screens incoming calls and directs calls to the appropriate person or department. May print, fax and/or mail reports.

2. Performs all LIS functions relative to the scope of his/her responsibility including patient registration and accessioning.

3. Surgical and cytology specimens are collected from various sites in the hospital. Documentation and logs are completed to ensure specimens are not lost or damaged in transport.

4. Neutralize and discard surgical specimens according to CAP guidelines.

5. Help maintain cleanliness of autoclave room, cutting area and morgue. Performs other duties to maintain a clean, organized, working environment.

6. Prepares, documents, labels, and inventories all in-house prepared supplies for the Microbiology section. Reserves samples of all prepared media for quality control and assures that the microbiology section receives retention samples. Is proficient in the use of the autoclave and drying oven.

7. Prepares samples appropriately for testing and assists in the processing area of the microbiology section. Recognizes instrument or equipment failures and evaluates problems. Takes appropriate action to troubleshoot issues and follow up with corrective action.

8. Reports low supply inventory to appropriate staff. Ensures uninterrupted testing by informing appropriate personnel when supplies fall below par level.

9. Works under the direction of a Registered Medical Technologist or a Pathology Assistant.

10. Washes, sterilizes, inventories, and distributes all re-usable glassware in the laboratory. Discards all etched, cracked, or broken glassware.

11. Maintains glassware and other materials necessary for the performance of clinical laboratory tests.

12. Additional duties may include filing, report distribution, supply distribution and record maintenance.

Qualifications/Requirements

High School Diploma or equivalent.

Good communication skills, good customer service skills, and basic computer skills

Patient population served

N/A

Manu manual skills

Significant portions of daily assignments involve application of manual skills requiring motor coordination in combination with finger dexterity.

Physi physical effort

Some portions of daily assignments involve prolonged standing, transporting material, equipment, patients, or lifting, moving or carrying heavy objects.

Physi physical environment

Significant portions of daily assignments involve exposure to dirt, odors, noise or include patient care responsibilities with exposure to human waste, body fluid, and similar elements. Significant portions of daily assignments involve occupational risk such as cuts, needle puncture, burns, exposure to toxic chemicals, injuries from falls or back injury sustained while assisting with moving equipment or materials.