Laboratory Assistant

Navajo Preference Employment Act

In accordance with Navajo Nation and federal law, TCRHCC has implemented an Affirmative Action Plan pursuant to the Navajo Preference in Employment Act.  Pursuant to this Plan and corresponding TCRHCC Policy, applicants who meet the necessary qualifications for this position and (1) are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, or San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe will be given preference in hiring and employment for this position, (2) are legally married to enrolled members of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, or San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and meet residency requirements will be given secondary preference, and (3) are enrolled members of other federally-recognized American Indian Tribes will be given tertiary preference.
Overview

Position Summary: 

The primary purpose of this position is to perform specimen processing and test performance in compliance with regulatory requirements, policy, and procedures, and the TCRHCC’s goals of providing quality patient care.  All essential functions will be performed under the direct supervision of a medical technologist or medical laboratory technician. The Laboratory Assistant will not be allowed to report patient results. The laboratory provides 24- hour coverage and rotational, day, evening, or night shifts, weekends, holidays and occasional overtime.

Qualifications

NECESSARY QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

High School Diploma or GED

 

Experience:

No experience necessary

 

Other Skills and Abilities:

A record of satisfactory performance in all prior and current employment as evidenced by positive employment references from previous and current employers.  A successful interview exhibiting an overall outstanding performance. All employment references must address and indicate success in each one of the following areas:

• Positive working relationships with others
• Possession of high ethical standards and no history of complaints
• Reliable and dependable; reports to work as scheduled without excessive absences
• Ability to take initiative, apply teamwork principles and build rapports with others
• Must commit to comprehensive on the job training with the ability to follow instructions
• Effective communication skills to deal effectively with all levels of co-workers
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize and manage time to strict deadlines
• Basic computer skills and literacy for communication, records, forms, and ordering
• Successful completion of and positive results from all background and reference checks, including positive employment references from authorized representatives of past and current employers demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC a record of satisfactory performance and that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job.
• Successful completion of fingerprint clearance requirements, physical examinations, and other screenings indicating that the applicant is qualified to be employed by TCRHCC and demonstrating to the satisfaction of TCRHCC that the applicant can perform the essential functions of the job.
• Submission of all required employment-related documents, application, resumes, references, and other required information free of false, misleading, or incomplete information, as determined by TCRHCC.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL EFFORT

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical:

Work requires long periods of regular and recurring standing, walking, and bending. This work may require frequent need to crouch maintain balance, reach, and lifting, pushing and pulling of objects up to over 100lbs; may be required to work additional hours to maintain patient care accepting flexible schedule to meet until needs. Incumbent will need to be have comprehensive scientific concepts. Incumbent must have the prolonged (3/4 day) ability for far vision, near vision, color vision, depth perception, seeing fine details, hearing normal speech, hearing overhead pages over a loudspeaker, and telephone use. Incumbent must be able to utilize hand manipulation prolonged ability with simple/firm grasping, fine manipulation, and use of keyboards.

Mental:

Incumbent must be able to prioritize and use good judgment. Immediate response to telephone requests, verbal requests. Mental attention and assertiveness are required at all times. The ability and willingness to learn new information is an expectation. Incumbent must have the prolonged ability to cope with high levels of stress, make decision under high pressure, concentrate, handle a high degree of flexibility, handle multiple priorities in a stressful situation, demonstrate high degree of patience, and adapt to shift work. This position often requires the frequent ability to cope with anger/fear/hostility of others in a calm way, manage altercations, and work alone. Incumbent will need to occasionally work in area that are close and crowded.

Environmental:

Incumbent may be exposed to prolonged periods of Infectious Disease, chemical agents, and hazardous or moving equipment. May also be exposed to loud noises. Incumbent can also expect occasional exposure to dust, fumes, gases, extremes in temperature or humidity, and at times unprotected heights.

 

Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Follows the laboratory’s policy, processes and procedures for specimen handling and processing, test analysis, and maintaining records of patient results under general supervision of certified testing personnel.
   1. Perform basic routine testing as ordered by medical professionals
   2. Plating routine microbiology specimens
   3. Perform point of care testing (i.e., influenza testing, pregnancy testing, etc.)
   4. Specimen processing and preparation including microscope slides and reference laboratory packaging.
2. Adhere to the laboratory’s Quality Control policies and documenting all Quality Control activities, instrument and procedural calibrations and instrument maintenance under general supervision of certified testing personnel.
   1. Performs routine instrument preventative maintenance
   2. Assist with quality control, linearity studies and instrument comparison studies
   3. Utilizes computer software to perform statistical analysis for quality verification of reagents and test systems
3. Perform and document Corrective Actions when test systems are not within the established acceptable level of performance.
4. Perform proficiency testing under the general supervision of certified testing personnel; to determine the performance of individual laboratories for specific tests and to monitor laboratories’ continuing performance.
5. Maintain inventory control to assure adequate supplies and reagents needed for laboratory operation.
6. Actively participate in the maintenance of Laboratory Accreditation by adhering to standards in safety, performance improvement, document control, quality assurance, proficiency, and competency.
7. Participate in Continuing Education by attending department meetings and in-services.
8. Responsible for electronic health records data entry pertinent to patient service role.
9. Provides superior customer service daily to all internal and external visitors, patients, fellow colleagues.
10. Participates in communication including hand off communication between shifts and colleagues. Participate in departmental workflow and or testing teams as related to electronic health record or other project initiatives.
11. Ensure proper PPE is worn at all times while on duty including but not limited to, face mask, gloves, gown, isolation gown, NIOSH-approved N95 filtering facepiece respirator or higher, if available), and eye or face shield. 
12. Complete all donning and doffing tasks in a safe acceptable method and discard of used PPE accordingly. (see CDC website for most current updates)
13. Complete task training for all routine cleaning and decontamination processes for all surfaces contaminated by a communicable disease to ensure a high level of patient, visitor, employee, and external customer satisfaction
14. Perform other job-related duties as assigned including clerical duties.