Clinical Lab Scientist

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements:
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • Education: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
  • Foreign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials.
  • Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following:
  • Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency - and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program.
  • The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination.
  • May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
• Certification: Candidates must meet one of the certification options below:
• (a) Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT
• (b) Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT
• (c) Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT
• Note: Categorical and specialist certifications are not acceptable for CLS Generalist positions or lab sections unrelated to the categorical or specialist certification held.
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Duties

• The Clinical Laboratory Scientist serves as a generalist on Evening/Nights within the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the Richard LRoudebush VA Medical Center.
• This position is intended for evenings and nights but is also eligible for compressed shifts/tours.
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties and tasks include - but are not limited to the following:
• Maintains and demonstrates knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles - practices - concepts - and theories that support sound - independent work.
• Utilizes comprehensive knowledge of laboratory equipment and maintains - troubleshoots - and repairs instrumentation and demonstrates proper documentation of corrective action.
• Evaluates the suitability of each specimen for analysis - requesting a new specimen if determined to be unusable.
• Prepares specimen for analysis according to established procedures.
• Follows established procedure for handling of mislabeled - unlabeled - or unsuitable specimens.
• Selects - performs - evaluates - and monitors the performance of test procedures using manual and/or automated techniques in accordance with established protocols.
• Recognizes and reacts to indicators of malfunction; locates and implements corrective action.
• Performs initial testing on all reagents received in chemistry - blood bank - coagulation - and hematology before reagents are put into use.
• This includes lot-to-lot testing and/or parallel testing that is then presented to the supervisor or laboratory director to review/approve before reagents or supplies are put into use.
• Calibrates - standardizes - adjusts - and maintains instruments.
• This includes verifying correct instrument operation using established procedures and quality control checks and monitoring.
• Identifies the cause of common problems and makes simple repairs.
• Ensures maintenance - calibrations - and quality control are completed as scheduled and within the required timeframes.
• Reviews and investigates delta checks - flags - alerts - etc and performs additional testing to clarify or confirm abnormal patient results.
• Recognizes abnormal results that require immediate attention by the physician and reports them directly and follows the proper laboratory and medical center policies.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of reagents - supplies - and blood products to prevent workflow interruptions.
• Performs checks to maintain compliance with regulatory bodies such as AABB - FDA - The Joint Commission (TJC) - College of American Pathologists (CAP) - and the Office of Inspector General (OIG) such as temperature checks - inventory control - blood utilization tracking - instrument maintenance and testing.
• Maintains accountability for inventory and ordering of all supplies - including blood products and reagents for all shifts and inventory of expendable supplies.
• Logs and stores reagents and supplies per standard operating procedures and maintains optimal inventory levels of re