Laboratory Assistant jobs in Baton Rouge, LA

JOB PURPOSE OR MISSION: Under supervision of a licensed Medical Technologist or Medical Laboratory Technician, performs duties in the pre-analytic test phases including specimen aliquoting and labeling, specimen delivery to testing areas, culture plating, specimen placement on testing equipment and performance of designated waived laboratory testing. Correlates data obtained based upon knowledge of techniques principles, and instruments. Investigates problems, performs corrective and preventive maintenance of equipment, prepares reagents and performs data entry. Applies clinical laboratory techniques in accordance with standard methodologies.

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

CRITERIA A: Everyday Excellence Values - Employee demonstrates Everyday Excellence values in the day-to-day performance of their job.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Demonstrates courtesy and caring to each other, patients and their families, physicians, and the community. • Takes initiative in living our Everyday Excellence values and vital signs. • Takes initiative in identifying customer needs before the customer asks. • Participates in teamwork willingly and with enthusiasm. • Demonstrates respect for the dignity and privacy needs of customers through personal action and attention to the environment of care. • Keeps customers informed, answers customer questions and anticipates information needs of customers.

CRITERIA B: Corporate Compliance - Employee demonstrates commitment to the Code of Conduct, Conflict of Interest Guidelines, and the GHS Corporate Compliance Guidelines.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Practices diligence in fulfilling the regulatory and legal requirements of the position and department. • Maintains accurate and reliable patient/organizational records. • Maintains professional relationships with appropriate officials; communicates honesty and completely; behaves in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner in all professional contacts.

CRITERIA C: Personal Achievement - Employee demonstrates initiative in achieving work goals and meeting personal objectives.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Uses accepted procedures and practices to complete assignments. Uses creative and proactive solutions to achieve objectives even when workload and demands are high. • Adheres to high moral principles of honesty, loyalty, sincerity, and fairness. • Upholds the ethical standards of the organization.

CRITERIA D: Performance Improvement - Employee actively participates in Performance Improvement activities and incorporates quality improvement standards in his/her job performance.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Optimizes talents, skills, and abilities in achieving excellence in meeting and exceeding customer expectations. • Initiates or redesigns to continuously improve work processes. • Contributes ideas and suggestions to improve approaches to work processes. • Willingly participates in organization and/or department quality initiatives.

CRITERIA E: Cost Management - Employee demonstrates effective cost management practices.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Effectively manages time and resources • Makes conscious effort to effectively utilize the resources of the organization — material, human, and financial. • Consistently looks for and uses resource saving processes.

CRITERIA F: Patient & Employee Safety - Employee actively participates in and demonstrates effective patient and employee safety practices.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Employee effectively communicates, demonstrates, coordinates and emphasizes patient and employee safety. • Employee proactively reports errors, potential errors, injuries or potential injuries using hospital incident reporting system. • Employee demonstrates departmental specific patient and employee safety standards at all times. • Employee demonstrates the use of proper safety techniques, equipment and devices and follows safety policies, procedures and plans. • Willingly participates in organization and/or department patient safety and satisfaction initiatives.

JOB FUNCTIONS

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS include, but are not limited to:

1. Collects blood and specimens from patients according to departmental protocol and policy.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Reviews requisitions for accurate identification of patients. • Performs skin or venipunctures to obtain patient blood samples for laboratory examination. • Accurately labels blood sample tubes. • Delivers collected samples to the laboratory on a timely basis. • Keeps blood drawing trays and equipment clean and well organized. • Disposes of contaminated syringes, needles, tubes, etc. in accordance with established procedures. • Enters and retrieves computer data.

2. Accessions patient samples into the laboratory computer system and distributes to the technical departments for analysis.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Receives and accurately logs all specimens into the Laboratory Information System. • Enters and retrieves computer data from LIS and HIS. • Monitors printer for test orders. • Accurately labels laboratory specimens. • Prepares samples for testing by centrifugation. • Notifies technical personnel of any special specimen handling required for testing. • Communicates with ordering personnel (physician, nursing staff, unit clerks, etc.) to clarify test orders and aid in order entry. • Prepares send out test for shipping. • Stores previous day’s samples.

3. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the principles of phlebotomy and accessioning.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Demonstrates a working knowledge of reagent stability and storage. • Handles specimens in a safe manner based on lab procedures and regulatory guidelines. • Understands various medical terms and laboratory tests. • Aware of the factors that influence test results. • Demonstrates knowledge of the actions of various anticoagulants. • Able to explain the anatomy and physiology of blood vessels and the circulatory system. • Demonstrates working knowledge of the components and functions of those components to blood to include, RBC, WBC, platelets, and plasma or serum. • Participates in competency assessments.

4. Follows established safety policies regarding biohazard and sharp exposure.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Wears laboratory coat while on duty in laboratory and during patient venipuncture. • Wears gloves during patient venipuncture, specimen handling and when handling contaminated material. • Disposes of contaminated needles and syringes in safe manner and in accordance with established procedures.

5. Practices appropriate safety, environmental, and infection control procedures.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Performs proper waste removal from assigned areas. • Actively participates in maintaining the cleanliness of the laboratory. • Ensures patient safety by adhering to BRGMC Safety Policy guidelines. • Demonstrates working knowledge of laboratory safety to include OSHA standards for handling blood borne pathogens. • Demonstrates working knowledge of aseptic techniques and methods of sterilization. • Follows BRGMC policies and procedures related to the operation and maintenance of equipment. • Assists with morgue duties as necessary once deemed competent.

6. Maintains recollects at or below 2 % benchmark.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS • Follows established phlebotomy procedure according to test being ordered. • Collects blood in appropriate tube order. • Demonstrates appropriate use of butterfly needles with collection tubes minimizing hemolytic occurrence.

5. Maintains accurate patient identification in phlebotomy, accessioning, pre-analytic and designated analytic areas of the laboratory.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Utilizes patient armband for accurate patient identification with each collection performed. • Accurately labels specimens aliquots prepared for shipping, testing or storing. • Maintains patient identification throughout the testing & reporting process. • Consistently maintains accuracy inpatient identification on all position functions as evidenced by following criteria. • Exceeds=0 exceptions/year; Meets=1-2; Needs Improvement=>3.

6. Maintains good performance in blood culture collection.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Uses sterile technique on venipunctures prep site and administration of blood to culture container. (Exceeds=0-2.5% contamination rate; Meets=3.0-3.5%: Needs Improvement=>3.5%). • Administers appropriate ml of blood to bottle for each year of patient age up to 10 years of age (minimally 7 ml of blood/container). (Exceeds= Improvement=>7/year).

7. Performs accurate and timely plating of cultures according to departmental protocol.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Selects appropriate media for specimen plating based on order received. • Performs plating techniques according to established protocol/procedure. • Maintains sterility in plating technique. • Performs plating of specimen within one hour of specimen receipt in laboratory.

8. Performs and reports accurate designated waived testing in a timely fashion.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Verifies specimen integrity requirements prior to test performance. • Performs selected tests according to department procedure. • Performs and records indicated quality control associated with testing. • Interprets findings accurately. • Reports results accurately and according to established procedure.

9. Performs specimen loading on designated equipment under direction of MLT or MT. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS: • Demonstrates basic understanding of equipment. • Recognizes and ensures specimen requirements are maintained for instrumentation which is utilized. • Maintains patient identification in process. • Loads specimen accurately and in timely fashion. • Brings abnormal or unusual test results to attention of MT or MLT. • Removes and stores specimens appropriately upon test completion.

10. Performs other duties as assigned.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: High School Diploma or GED required per CLIA guidelines

SPECIAL SKILL, LICENSE AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

current Louisiana Lab Assistant license through LASBME

Demonstrated CRT/computer knowledge.

Performs job for the age population served, as defined in the department’s scope of service.

Able to handle numerous tasks simultaneously.

Excellent organizational skills.

Able to perform assigned duties in a timely manner with minimal supervision.

HIPAA REQUIREMENTS: Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable HIPAA regulations appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Paper medical records with limit to job functions, electronic GHIN without limitation to job functions, patient demographics, surgery or appointment schedule, patient related complaints, and/or information related to patient location.

SAFETY REQUIREMENTS: Maintains knowledge of and adherence to all applicable safety practices appropriate to Job Position including but not limited to: Incident reporting, handling of wastes, sharps and linen, PPE, exposure control plans, hand washing, environment of care, patient identification, receive orders for patients, and collects blood samples.

PRN