Medical Laboratory Scientist, Specialist I (NYQ) / Technologist Specialist I, Certified (NYQ)

Schedule:

Monday - Friday (40 hrs/wk)

8:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Department: Technical Operations - 398

Primary Purpose:

This position provides technical and non-technical support within the laboratory areas qualified. Functions include an expansive mastery of technical material and knowledge of high complexity tasks. Must be able to work flexible hours and on call may be required.

This position is qualified for delegation of supervisory duties for NY testing areas.

About ARUP:

ARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory and an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

ARUP proudly hires top talent to create a work environment of diversity, professional growth and continuous development. Our workforce is committed to the important service we provide to over one million patients each month. We always strive for excellence and have a strong desire to have involvement with the advances in medicine and the role laboratory services plays within each patient's life. We never forget that there is a patient behind every specimen we receive.

We are looking for individuals who want to contribute to ARUP's culture of accountability, integrity, service, and excellence. Consider joining our dynamic team.

Essential Functions:

General

Performs all representative activities and accountabilities as defined by the Medical Laboratory Scientist Job Description/Primary Purpose.

Performs assigned testing and verification duties as scheduled.

Evaluates new procedures and updates existing procedures.

Maintains continual compliance necessary to meet the standards of regulatory agencies.

Performs assessment of peers performing testing.

Functions in a designated leadership role with assigned responsibilities when supervisor, lead, or other staff member with a leadership role is not available and/or on site.

Other duties as assigned.

Specialized in one or more of the following categories

Technical Specialist:

Monitors the standards of accuracy, precision, and efficiency in the performance of assays and or the operation of equipment in a specialty area.

Ensures the examination of reporting of patient and proficiency results for the specialty area.

Accepts, resolves, and facilitates the resolution of problems in the specialty area.

Assesses the plausibility of laboratory results through correlation of data with common physiological conditions.

Consults with specialty related questions.

Assists with test transfer from Research and Development (R&D).

Monitors quality control (QC) and suggests corrective action when indicated.

Ensures that the QC inventory is maintained and up to date.

Monitors all performance check systems and preventative maintenance programs for instruments and equipment in the specialty area.

Assists with evaluation and recommendation of new assay, software, instrument, or equipment in the specialty area. Ensures the training of all employees and students who may rotate or work in the specialty area. Develops training modules as requested.

Maintains appropriate level of supplies and reagents, and if necessary determines appropriate substitutes.

Assists with maintaining current files of reference materials related to the specialty area.

Teaching Specialist:

Assists with the training, staff development, and or competency programs for a department.

Provides portions of new employee orientation and or staff development.

Promotes a cooperative environment between students and staff providing a positive learning atmosphere.

Presents practical information to students through various methods such as bench experience, shadowing, handouts, and case studies.

Assesses practical abilities by administering exams.

Assists in the development and revision of instructional objectives, schedules, handouts, case studies, and exams related to student educational materials.

Evaluates interactive behavior, theoretical knowledge, and practical abilities of students.

Ensures the status of mandatory competency and training requirements are communicated to the supervisor.

Assists with the documentation of competency and training assessment as needed.

Adjusts competency and training modules as required.

Maintains competency in a majority of assays performed in the laboratory.

Instrument Specialist:

Maintains records of all instrument maintenance. Notifies Biomedical Engineering and Purchasing of any vendor visits.

Notifies the supervisor of any instrument, calibration, or linearity issues.

Verifies that all daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance is performed and documented as scheduled.

Serves as the lab instructor on issues concerning instrument function, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Makes recommendations to the Supervisor concerning instrument replacements, upgrades, and/or operations.

Performs and oversees the validation, precision, and correlation studies of new methods for existing and new instrumentation.

Performs or assists in all instrument troubleshooting.

Monitors instrument reagent and supplies inventories, in conjunction with the supervisors' orders as necessary.

Monitors calibration and linearity checks as defined in the instrument manuals.

Serves as the primary contact with instrument vendors regarding troubleshooting and interface issues.

Develops expertise in interface software.

Workflow Coordinator:

Evaluates the daily shift work flow of a Technical section(s). Reports findings to supervisor.

Provides the technical expertise in the use, calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting of all laboratory instruments, equipment, reagents, and testing.

Provides input for the scheduling and/or performance of instrument maintenance.

Completes the review of daily QC for trends, shifts, or other problems. Helps with the troubleshooting and resolution of QC problems.

Provides verbal communication and/or consultation to clients/physicians or related questions or assigns the problems.

Provides detailed knowledge of specimen collection, handling, transport, processing, analysis, and clinical interpretation to clients/physicians.

Acts as a secondary contact and resource for couriers, specimen receiving, client services, account representatives, product management, referral testing, and evening/night managers.

Provides problem resolution for sample handling, split samples, sample retrieval, lost samples, and request for samples.

Enforces all safety guidelines and policies including evacuation procedures.

Reviews the DAR and pending sample reports.

Communicates all shift issues to the supervisor, manager, and medical directors as required.

Float Specialist:

Serves as an immediate testing replacement for shift vacancies according to skill level and area of expertise. Assignments may be short term or long term in duration.

Maintains technical competency in a variety of testing methodologies including validation.

Required to work from lab to lab and or shift to shift within a lab as needed.

Must be able to work flexible hours on short notice.

Physical and Other Requirements:

Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist.

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Mobility: The person in this position needs to occasionally move between work sites and inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.

Communicate: Effectively communicate with others.

PPE: Biohazard laboratory environment that requires use of personal protective equipment in accordance with CDC and OSHA regulations and company/departmental policies.

ARUP Policies and Procedures: To conduct self in compliance with all ARUP Policies and Procedures.

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.

Fine Motor Control: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Vision: Having close, far, and peripheral visual acuity to perform a variety of tasks such as make general observations of depth and distance.

Color Vision: Perception of and ability to distinguish colors.

Continuing Education: Continual assessment of current literature and best practices.