Clinical Laboratory Scientist - Blood Bank

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Provides testing in the areas of Immunohematology, Flow Cytometry (Cell Flow), and blood donor services in support of direct patient care.
• Performs routine and specialized work in the Blood Bank with full technical competency and minimal supervision.
• Maintains and troubleshoots laboratory instrumentation and equipment.
• Monitors quality control systems and provides education for other laboratory and health care professionals.
• Schedules and covers for the Blood Bank 100% of the time.
• Works on regular tours of duty (M-F, 8am-4:30pm) with rotating weekends and holidays.
• Performs blood bank and cell flow analyses requiring specialized training and experience.
• Collaborates with physicians to discuss processes and regulations.
• Manages quality control management, proficiency testing program, reagent/supplies inventory, and performance improvement program.

Requirements

• Basic Requirements: US Citizenship, Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, Certification as an MLS, MT, or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.
• Loses credential if fails to maintain required certification.
• Foreign education must be deemed equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program.
• Must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Must be physically capable of standing for long periods, using microscopes, lifting/reloading reagent packs, sitting at desks, counters, or benches, and operating computer terminals, telephones, and various workstations.
• Must follow special safety precautions in the laboratory.

Qualifications

• Experience or Education: 1 year of creditable experience or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. in medical technology or a directly related science.
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of professional clinical laboratory science principles, practices, concepts, and theories; laboratory quality control and quality assurance procedures; ability to analyze and interpret laboratory results; ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the health care team; ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions; ability to communicate, consult, and interact with external relations, customers, and the public.

Skills

• Informatics, laboratory data flow, and laboratory processes.
• Ability to maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation.
• Use independent technical judgment to analyze and interpret laboratory results.
• Read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions.
• Communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the health care team, external relations, customer service, and patient education.
• Monitor quality control systems and measures.
• Collaborate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
• Provide education for laboratory health care professionals and the public.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Paid time off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• Parental leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Child care subsidy: Eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care.
• Telework: Not available.
• Virtual: Not available.