Clinical Laboratory Scientist

About the role

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for a Clinical Laboratory Scientist to function within Pathology & Laboratory Medicine.

Responsibilities

• Maintains and demonstrates knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories that support sound, independent work.
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
• Demonstrates skill in informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes.
• Utilizes comprehensive knowledge of laboratory equipment and maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs instrumentation and demonstrates proper documentation of corrective action.
• Uses independent technical judgement to analyze and interpret laboratory results.
• Reads, interprets, and applies complex written instructions.
• Communicates, consults, and interacts with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
• 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.
• Ensures acceptable orders have been placed by a provider and accurately accesses and receives specimens, maintaining correct patient identification throughout each phase of processing, analysis, and resulting.
• 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.
• Conducts quality control procedures on instrumentation, equipment, reagents, and products and maintains proper records for quality control reports. Performs initial quality control of all incoming reagents and supplies as required.
• 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.

Requirements

Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Must be able to pass a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Must be able to pass a VA security clearance.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
• Certification: Generalist certification as an MLS or MT given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
• Experience: 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related science.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories; knowledge of laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement; skill in informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes; ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation; ability to use independent technical judgement to analyze and interpret laboratory results; ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions; ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.

Benefits

Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid time off ranging from 37-50 days per year. Retirement with traditional federal pension and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance. Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care. Parental leave after 12 months of employment. Child care subsidy after 60 days of employment for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Schedule

Monday - Friday; 3:30p - 12am or Float Float (8a - 4:30p; 3:30p - 12:00a; 12:00a - 8:30a), including rotating weekends and holidays.