What are the responsibilities and job description for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist position at Adventist Health?
Central to all that California has to offer, Adventist Health Bakersfield has been providing an extraordinary team of world-class physicians, top-notch medical technology, caring professionals and award-winning quality since 1910. We are comprised of a 254-bed acute care hospital and 20 primary and specialty care medical offices. As one of America's fastest growing cities, Bakersfield offers affordable housing on the West Coast, beautiful weather, high-quality education and it is just a few hours away from Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, the Central California Coast and Southern California's great sports, theaters, concerts and amusement parks.
Job Summary:
Prioritizes and performs a wide variety of clinical laboratory tests on various biological specimens. Reviews, evaluates, documents and reports results. Preserves confidentiality of patients and follows lab safety and maintenance protocols. Trains and supervises trainees, laboratory assistants and clerks as needed.
Job Requirements:
Education and Work Experience:
- Bachelor’s Degree in medical technology, clinical laboratory science, biological sciences, chemical sciences or allied health technologies or equivalent: Required
- Clinical laboratory experience: Preferred
Licenses/Certifications:
- Valid Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS) license in state of employment: Required in CA
- Current certification from American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) or National Credentialing Agency for Labs (NCA): Preferred
Essential Functions:
- Employs positive patient identification procedures to ensure the integrity of each specimen for pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical testing. Performs proper specimen collection (including phlebotomy procedures as necessary), labeling, handling, preservation or fixation, processing or preparation, transportation and storage. Adheres to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other patient confidentiality guidelines and regulations.
- Prioritizes lab orders according to type (STAT, ASAP, routine and timed studies) and performs various testing (including chemistry, coagulation, hematology, special chemistry, urinalysis, blood bank, serology, immunology, bacteriology, microbiology, referral testing and more) following prescribed quality assurance policies and procedures. Performs, evaluates and documents quality control checks. Reviews testing results evaluating validity of test results in comparison to anticipated results indicated per procedure manual.
- Reviews and evaluates the validity and accuracy of test results, recognizing the interdependency of tests, the physiological conditions affecting results, patient age and normal values, controls, linearity errors, instrument codes, delta checks and more. Correlates test results with diagnoses and questions incompatible results. Thoroughly documents and communicates test results, expediting all critical values and results to appropriate clinicians.
- Disposes of contaminated materials and equipment in accordance with policy and assures that work area is properly cleansed after each test. Performs equipment and instrumentation maintenance, troubleshooting and calibration as needed. Inventories and restocks reagents, calibrators, controls and supplies as needed.
- Participates in the collection and evaluation of data for Performance Improvement evaluations. Documents adverse events using incident reporting tool. Orients, instructs and supervises laboratory assistants and clerks as needed.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned.
Organizational Requirements:
Adventist Health is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our associates and patients. Therefore, we require that all associates receive all required vaccinations, including, but not limited to, measles, mumps, flu (based on the seasonal availability of the flu vaccine typically during October-March each year), COVID-19 vaccine (required in CA, HI and OR) etc., as a condition of employment, and annually thereafter. Medical and religious exemptions may apply.
