Join a dedicated healthcare team in the heart of the Midwest region, where your role as a Laboratory Assistant I will be vital in supporting life-saving diagnostics. This position involves performing specific pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical laboratory tasks with precision and care.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Prioritize and process incoming specimens following strict safety guidelines.
• Review pending logs during and at the end of shifts to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Verify physician orders and specimen integrity, generate and attach labels correctly.
• Distribute specimens promptly, communicate STAT orders, and meet or exceed turnaround times.
• Resolve processing conflicts, coordinate re-collections when necessary, and manage workload priorities.
• Perform microbiology setups during second or third shifts as assigned.
• Answer specimen processing inquiries and relay messages to technologists.
• Conduct quality control procedures and report any discrepancies to supervisors.
• Collect chain of custody drug screens and follow glucose tolerance testing protocols.
• Review specimen types, volumes, storage, and accession accordingly.
• Maintain inventory of reference laboratory supplies and coordinate reordering.
• Manage specimen batches for pickup and reception from outreach laboratories.
• Keep work areas clean and organized, including equipment and outpatient contact areas.
• Collect specimens via venipuncture, capillary, or arterial puncture with minimal patient discomfort, adhering to protocols.
• Ensure blood culture contamination rates remain below 3% and enter specimen comments as needed.
• Practice excellent safety and hand hygiene standards.
• Provide patient instructions for urine collection and dietary restrictions with sensitivity to age-specific needs.
• Foster a respectful and dignified environment for patients and coworkers.

Education

High school diploma or GED is required.

Experience

At least one year of experience as a phlebotomist or laboratory assistant is required.

Certification/License

Certification is not mandatory, but PBT (ASCP) is preferred.

Mental and Physical Requirements

Requires close mental and visual attention for short periods. Approximately 50% of the time is spent standing and walking throughout the department and facility. Must be able to lift or carry up to 20 pounds.

Working Conditions

Exposure to infectious materials is constant. Work environment is air-conditioned with moderate noise levels. Flexibility to work any shift is required.