Medical Technologist

About the Role

Performs clinical procedures and testing in accordance with approved policies and procedures and clinically accepted standards. Provides technical expertise to the Supervisory Medical Technologist regarding assigned laboratory areas. Assesses, prepares and/or updates procedure manuals, performs and reviews quality control and maintenance manuals while being cross-trained to function in any area of the clinical laboratory. Performs scheduled duty on weekends, holidays, and on an emergency callback basis as well as when requested to facilitate patient care.

May be necessary to work when Administrative leave is granted if patient care would be compromised.

Responsibilities

• Performs clinical procedures and testing in accordance with approved policies and procedures and clinically accepted standards.
• Provides technical expertise to the Supervisory Medical Technologist in any of the intra-laboratory disciplines: chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunology, serology, parasitology, and blood banking.
• Performs instrument start-up procedures, observes all safety procedures, identifies instrument malfunctions, unacceptable reagent performance, and provides clinical instruction to other technologists and technicians.
• Develops and reviews complex laboratory section procedures and participates in proficiency testing (CAP) as requested.
• Performs laboratory instrument calibration standardization and preventative maintenance.
• Develops and maintains inventory control of all reagents, quality controls, and materials associated with laboratory testing.
• Performs phlebotomy procedures in accordance with accepted policies and standards on pediatric and adult patients.
• Maintains a working knowledge of statistics and is responsible for the calculation of monthly quality control statistics (mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, etc.). Uses statistical data to conduct a critical assessment of daily, monthly, and yearly quality control performance.
• Keeps abreast of new developments by research and continuing education in assigned discipline area and shares this information with other technologists and technicians in the department.
• Prepares special reports and performs special research as directed by the Supervisory Medical Technologist.
• Prepares workload reports for assigned clinical area and submits them on a monthly basis to the laboratory supervisor.
• Develops, assesses, prepares, and/or updates procedure manuals for assigned clinical laboratory area.
• Develops and maintains clinical processes and procedures with the assistance of the laboratory supervisor in accordance with all applicable accrediting organizations (e.g., CAP, JCAHO) and participates in applicable accreditation inspections.
• Performs and reviews quality control and preventive maintenance procedures for various areas of the laboratory on an ongoing basis.
• Maintains confidentiality of all patient results and reports. Provides careful and respectful treatment to all patients and staff members.
• Uses safe work practices including maintaining a clean workplace, following established policies and procedures for safety and infection control, following universal blood/body fluid precautions, and reporting accidents/incidents promptly.
• Organizes and prioritizes work efficiently to maintain a high level of productivity without sacrificing quality.
• Collects data, organizes, and prepares reports as required to fulfill compliance requirements by CAP, JCAHO, or any other agency. Meets all competency requirements, including age-specific competencies as mandated by accreditation organizations.
• Assists the laboratory with maintaining CAP/JCAHO accreditation by compliance with standards and accurate performance of proficiency testing.
• Performs complex data analysis on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis for each test in assigned clinical area (Hematology, Chemistry, Immunology, etc.).
• Performs validation and crossover studies when introducing new testing methodologies into the laboratory.
• Performs the following tasks in each specialized area of the laboratory:
  • Chemistry/Immunology/Serology:
    • Separates serum and plasma from red cells and performs Chemistry, Immunology, and Serology testing on patient specimens, ranging from simple qualitative tests to highly complex quantitative analyses using both manual and automated methods.
    • Tests include but are not limited to: glucose, sodium, potassium, chloride, CO2, BUN, creatinine, liver function tests, cardiac tests (troponin, CKMB), phosphorous, calcium, protein, albumin, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL, salicylate, acetaminophen, ETOH, and ketones.
    • Performs highly complex quantitative analysis on urine and CSF specimens.
    • Verifies that results are reportable by analyses and interpretation of quality control and possesses a thorough clinical knowledge of physiological possibilities for humans with and without disease processes and physiologic abnormalities.
    • Repeats testing on both specimens and quality control materials as necessary to assure accuracy of results.
    • Maintains equipment in working condition, performs preventative maintenance as scheduled, and keeps records of maintenance and corrective actions.
    • Assesses when samples must be recollected due to interferences such as hemolysis or lipemia.
  • Microbiology/Parasitology:
    • Cultivates pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms for identification and susceptibility assays on clinically significant isolates for patient treatment.
    • Monitors all specimens for proper collection, preservation, and identification. Specimen types may include fluids, wounds, blood, throat swabs, rectal, or vaginal swabs.
    • Prepares, treats, and inoculates specimens onto appropriate media and maintains them under special conditions (e.g., CO2 enhancement, oxygen deprivation) to enhance microorganism growth.
    • Examines culture and subculture growth for potential pathogens, discriminating between potential pathogens versus normal flora or contaminants.
    • Identifies isolated colonies to the species level for bacteria using biochemical analytical methods and identifies the presence of fungal elements.
    • Performs susceptibility testing using precise dilutions of microorganisms with known concentrations of antimicrobials.
    • Performs gram stains, oxidase, and indole testing as well as other manual biochemical methods.
    • Maintains equipment in working condition, performs preventative maintenance, and keeps records of maintenance, temperature checks, QC testing, and media QC testing.
    • Reports susceptibilities using NCCLS standards to aid physicians in appropriate therapy.
  • Hematology:
    • Performs Hematology testing and reports results in a timely and efficient manner to assist physicians in diagnosing anemias, blood dysplasias, blood loss, and coagulation anomalies.
    • Performs hematology differentials and counts, differentiating between cellular components within blood specimens.
    • Performs venipuncture, capillary puncture, therapeutic phlebotomy, and bleeding times as appropriate.
    • Prepares, treats, dilutes, and identifies blood specimens for all requested hematological analysis (e.g., CBC, ESR, Reticulocyte Counts, Coagulation, WBC differential, RBC Counts, and morphology).
    • Performs complex cellular analysis and testing on body fluids (e.g., CSF, joint fluids).
    • Uses clinical knowledge of normal and abnormal physical conditions to identify patients requiring more specialized testing (e.g., by Hematologists or Pathologists).
    • Tests non-ideal specimens by pretreatments to remove interferences when encountered (e.g., lipoma).
    • Maintains equipment in working condition, performs preventative maintenance, and keeps records of maintenance and corrective actions.
  • Blood Bank:
    • Performs all required Blood Bank procedures according to AABB standards, including ABO, Rh typing, antibody screening, antibody identification, antibody titer, cross-matching, direct Coombs, and transfusion reaction investigation.
    • Recommends blood components to physicians for specific situations (e.g., pheresed platelets for increasing platelet count effectively and safely).
    • Coordinates with the American Red Cross for the acquisition of needed products and maintains records of acquired blood products to ensure safety and tracing.
    • Selects correct types of blood products depending on component needed, adhering to protocol and severity of the situation.
    • Monitors all critical temperature-controlled refrigerators and freezers according to AABB and CAP standards.
    • Maintains records of Quality Control testing to assure adequate and appropriate function of reagents.
    • Maintains equipment in working condition, performs preventative maintenance, and keeps records of maintenance and corrective actions.
    • Capable of reacting immediately and appropriately in all emergency transfusion requirements.
  • Urinalysis:
    • Performs automated or manual “dipstick” testing of urine and microscopic exams of urine sediment.
    • Performs crystal analysis on urine specimens.
    • Maintains equipment in working condition, performs preventative maintenance, and keeps records of maintenance and corrective actions.
• Performs other special duties:
  • Possesses a working knowledge of statistics, quality control performance, calculations, and interpretation of quality control (e.g., standard deviation, coefficient of variation, precision, and accuracy).
  • Writes and maintains at least one procedure manual.
  • Teaches students or newly hired technologists in all areas of the laboratory as needed.
  • Attains adequate skills to work alone on weekends, holidays, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shifts when needed.
  • Subject to on-call status as necessary and must be able to return to the laboratory within 30 minutes when called for laboratory work on patients at all hours of the day.
  • Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor (e.g., workload reports, changing shifts occasionally).

Schedule

• Performs scheduled duty on weekends, holidays, and on an emergency callback basis.
• Time allocation: 95% direct patient care, 3% administrative, and 2% teaching/education.
• Subject to on-call status and must be able to return to the laboratory within 30 minutes when called.