Job Description

1. Follows established departmental and SMC policies and procedures, objectives, quality control and performance improvement programs, safety, environmental, and infection control standards.

• Consistently performs test procedures following written procedures conforming to current standards and manufacturers recommendations.
• Reviews and verifies patient results prior to reporting and communicates critical values and other grossly abnormal results to the appropriate healthcare personnel in a timely manner, following established policies.
• Receives and/or collects specimens and labels them appropriately, maintaining specimen integrity until specimens are discarded following established policies and procedures for specimen retention.
• Performs supply inventory as assigned to prevent shortages in assigned work areas.
• Implements infectious disease controls as appropriate including isolation procedures, proper use of hand washing and gloves.
• Follows proper procedures for disposal of sharps and hazardous materials.
• Cleans and maintains laboratory equipment as directed.

2. Maintains current knowledge and training on equipment and procedures.

• Performs required calibration, maintenance, and quality control of instruments and procedures.
• Notifies supervisor promptly of customer concerns, unsafe conditions, and malfunctioning instruments/test procedures.
• Maintains competence in computer skills pertaining to order entry, and laboratory computer system orders, collections, result entry, patient report retrieval, and report printing tasks.
• Attends required SMC and departmental safety, compliance, and infection control in-services.
• Maintains knowledge of coding and billing policies as they pertain to determination of medical necessity and federally mandated reimbursement.
• Enhances professional growth and development through participation in educational programs, current literature, and in-service meetings.
• Assesses educational needs of patients and provides patients with education of procedures, obtaining patient feedback to ensure their understanding. Adapts performance of procedures to accommodate unique needs of patients.

3. Performs and maintains documentation.

• Maintains required records, reports, and statistics, as directed.
• Documents accurate and ongoing assessments of patient status that reflect nursing interventions, patient responses, patient teaching and status of outcomes at discharge.
• Completes shift end check prior to leaving duty.

4. Performs other duties as assigned.