Medical Technologist

SUMMARY AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Perform all the functions of a Medical Technologist; function as a bench technologist when workload warrants, or when a bench technologist is assigned to a special project. (see Position Title: Medical Technologist)
• Assume technical responsibility for the specific laboratory department(s). This entails assuring that necessary technical manuals and equipment are available.
• Assume primary responsibility for writing/revision of procedures in an assigned area of the laboratory for presentation to the Adm. Director/Laboratory Director. This entails ensuring that procedures are current, and in accordance with the established guidelines.
• Confer with the Laboratory Director with regard to modification of procedures/methodologies/products in the laboratory. Implement changes as appropriate.
• Review daily all laboratory results for accuracy, completeness, adherence to laboratory guidelines, and timeliness of reporting.
• Assist in maintaining a Quality Control program to ensure validity and accuracy of results. Recommend corrective action as necessary.
• Review all maintenance logs, QC logs, and troubleshooting logs according to schedule to assure compliance with all regulatory agencies and/or guidelines.
• Resolve technical problems and ensure that remedial actions are taken whenever test systems deviate from the laboratory's established performance specifications.
• Ensure patient tests_ results are not reported until all corrective actions have been taken and the test system is functioning properly
• Orient and train new laboratory personnel and assist in developing the skills and knowledge of other laboratory personnel. Answer technical questions posed by personnel or direct personnel in finding answers to their questions.
• Assist in evaluating the competency of testing personnel and ensure that the staff maintain their competency to perform test procedures and to report test results promptly, accurately, and proficiently.
• Provide input to the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services in assessment of employee performance appraisals.
• Ability to supervise the work of others. Position requires strong interpersonal and communication skills. Must be able to work professionally and cooperatively with patients, physicians, and other hospital staff members.
• Assist the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services in resolving technical and administrative problems, and assume a leadership role in the absence of the Administrative Director of Laboratory Services when asked to do so.
• Adhere to laboratory and hospital wide policies and procedures.
• Work effectively with co-workers by being congenial, courteous and establishing work priorities in order to facilitate efficient reporting in the time frame established by the Lab Director. Organize work according to protocol.
• Communicate with physicians, hospital staff, lab staff, other area hospital laboratory staff, and reference laboratory staff in order to exchange factual information and results of routine and unusual laboratory tests performed in laboratory medicine. These interactions are to clarify such information, and to obtain information necessary for smooth and consistent work flow.
• Obtain blood samples and prepare them for analysis and distribution; instruct patients in appropriate specimen collection procedures.
• Responsible for receiving specimens and reviewing patient samples and test requisitions.
• Accurate and timely accessioning of patient and testing information into the laboratory information system (LIS) and initial troubleshooting of problems.

REPORTS TO:  Administrative Director of Laboratory Services: Section Leaders

SUPERVISES:  None

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONTACTS:

• Patients,  physicians, nurses
• Ancillary staff, Area Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Area Clinics and Physician Offices, Reference Laboratories
• Vendors, Technical Support

QUALIFICATIONS:

Satisfactory completion of a course of instruction given by a school of Medical Technology approved by the Council on Medical Education and Hospitals of the American Medical Associate or who is otherwise recognized as a Medical Technologist by the strictest of any external agency whose standards may be binding upon this hospital.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Individual must possess the knowledge, skills and abilities listed below to perform essential functions of the job. Individual must be able to explain and demonstrate that he/she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities and to possess the necessary physical requirements, with or without the aid of mechanical devices, to safely perform the essential functions of the job.

• Ability to bend the body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist;   bend legs at knee to come to rest on the knee or knees; bend the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine; extend hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction; stand for sustained periods of time; move about on foot to accomplish task; raise objects from a lower to a higher position or move objects horizontally from position to position; pick pinch, type or otherwise work with fingers rather than the whole hand or arm. Ability to apply pressure to an object with fingers and palm; perceive attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips; sustain substantial movements of wrists, hands and/or fingers.

• Ability to express or exchange ideas by means of the spoken word.  Essential functions include activities in which individual must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to patients, physicians, families and other employees accurately, loudly or quickly.

• Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make fine discrimination in sound.

• Visual acuity sufficient for work that deals largely with preparing and analyzing     data and figures, computer terminal and extensive reading.

• Exerting up to 1O pounds of force occasionally or a negligible amount of force frequently to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• Responsible for the general cleanliness and appearance of the area of the laboratory where the Technologist is working. Tasks involving organizing, removing clutter and related duties.
•    Clinical  Laboratory:  Constant exposure to blood-borne pathogens, infectious agents, patient rooms, nursing homes, and emergency areas.