Lab Assistant III-Full Time - Days, 8hrs

1.0 FTE Full time, 8-hour day shift, onsite at Stanford Health Care – 300 Pasteur Dr, Palo Alto, California.

About the Role

Under the direct supervision of the Pre-Analytical Supervisor or the Section Supervisor, you will be responsible for accessioning, receiving, and specimen processing, as well as answering phones, faxing results upon request, and report distribution. You will assist in training new employees and/or students, complete assignments accurately and in a timely manner, and exercise good judgment in recognizing and correcting irregularities or unusual requests.

Responsibilities

• Accession patient information accurately into the Laboratory computer system.
• Check all requests for proper and accurate patient information; consult with Supervisor, Lead, or Technologist when unclear or unusual requests are received.
• Notify physicians, nursing units, or clinics when samples received are inappropriate for testing or otherwise compromised.
• Distribute processed samples to appropriate laboratory areas, ensuring STAT requests are handled in a timely manner.
• Answer telephones, respond to inquiries regarding testing status, provide results, transfer calls, and address all inquiries politely and efficiently.
• Accurately record results from Reference labs.
• Assist with media preparation, reagent preparations, and glassware preparation when requested.
• Communicate cooperatively and courteously with physicians, nurses, visitors, and other laboratory/hospital staff.
• Follow all departmental policies regarding attendance, punctuality, and health and safety.
• Independently resolve routine problems; escalate issues requiring Supervisor or Technologist assistance.
• Maintain clean work areas and dispose of waste appropriately.
• Stay current with laboratory procedures, techniques, and changes in areas of rotation.
• Keep work areas stocked with necessary supplies and notify appropriate personnel when inventory is low.
• Maintain logs, records, and data in a legible and precise manner.
• Print, fax, and distribute reports via US mail or interdepartmental mail as requested.
• Provide backup coverage for monitoring the fax machine, handling incoming patient reports, scanning reports for CERNER and EPIC, and faxing results upon request.
• Provide orientation and training to new Lab Assistants, including general lab procedures and nontechnical duties.
• Receive samples via pneumatic system, couriers, patients, or other hospital personnel; distribute samples appropriately within the lab or route to other departments.
• Report any abnormal circumstances with equipment, machinery, or other issues to the Supervisor or Lead promptly.
• Understand patient care and laboratory priorities; assist others to ensure efficient workflow.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
• No prior experience required.

Skills and Knowledge

• Ability to establish good working relationships with a variety of professional, technical, and nontechnical staff.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, multi-task, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Ability to speak, read, write, and understand English effectively at a level appropriate for the job.
• Knowledge of aseptic technique and other lab techniques (micro/virology).
• Knowledge of basic laboratory testing procedures, precautions, and use and care of common laboratory equipment.
• Knowledge of instruments, methods, and materials used in a hospital laboratory.
• Knowledge of medical terminology.
• Knowledge of various nontechnical needs of a laboratory, usually acquired from previous work experience and/or schooling.
• Data entry skills.

Pay

Generally starting at $36.73 - $41.19 per hour. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.