Job Title:                    Medical Laboratory Technician

Job Code:                  MLT

Department:               Lab

Division:                    Operations

Salary Level:             Non-Exempt 8

Reports to:                 Laboratory Supervisor/Manager

Last Revised:             May 2025

Primary Function 

Performs clinical procedures and testing in accordance with approved policies and procedures and clinically accepted standards.  Performs and reviews quality control and maintenance procedures while being cross-trained to function in any area of the clinical laboratory. Performs scheduled duty on weekends, holidays, and possible emergency callback when requested to do so in order to facilitate patient care.

Job Description 

May be necessary to work when administrative leave is granted if patient care would be compromised.

Performs clinical procedures and testing in accordance with approved policies and procedures and clinically accepted standards in the following areas; chemistry, microbiology, hematology, immunology, urinalysis, serology, parisitology, and blood banking.

Performs and reviews quality control and maintenance procedures while being cross-trained to function in any area of the clinical laboratory.

Performs instrument start-up procedures, observes all safety procedures, identifies instrument malfunctions, unacceptable reagent performance, provides clinical instruction to other technologists and technicians, reviews complex section procedures and participates in proficiency testing (CAP) as requested.

Performs laboratory instrument calibration standardization and preventative maintenance.

Performs phlebotomy procedures in accordance with accepted policies and standards on pediatric and adult patients.

Keeps abreast of new developments by attending continuing education seminars. 

Prepares reports and other documents as directed by the Supervisory Medical Technologist.

Provides assistance to section supervisors in assessing, preparing, and/or updating procedure manuals.

Maintains confidentiality of reports and provides careful and respectful treatment to all patients and staff members.

Uses safe work practices that include maintaining a clean workplace, following established policies and procedures for safety and infection control, following universal blood/body fluid precautions, and reporting accidents/incidents promptly.

Organizes and prioritizes work efficiently to maintain a high level of productivity without sacrificing quality.

Assists the laboratory in maintaining CAP/JCAHO accreditation by compliance with standards and accurate performance of proficiency testing. Will also meet all competency requirements, including age specific competencies as mandated by accreditation organizations.

 Cross-trained to be able to perform the following for each area:

 

- Chemistry/Immunology/Serology: 

Separates serum and plasma from red cells and performs Chemistry testing on specimens from simple qualitative tests through complex quantitative analyses using both manual and automated methods. 

Performs quantitative analysis on urine and CSF specimens.  

Verifies that results are reportable by analyses and interpretation of quality control.    

Repeats testing on both specimens and quality control materials as necessary to assure accuracy of results.

Maintains equipment in working condition. Performs preventative maintenance as scheduled and needed. Maintains records of preventative maintenance and corrective actions. Keeping equipment in working condition may include minor repairs and will require extensive knowledge of the problem and working with technical experts from equipment vendors.

 Incumbent must also be able to assess when samples must be recollected due to    various interferences such hemolysis or lipemia as some test results are erroneous with these interferences.

 - Microbiology/Parisitology: 

 Cultures pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms for the purpose of identifying and performing susceptibility assays on clinically significant isolates for    the treatment of patients.  

 Monitors all specimens submitted for proper collection, preservation, and identification. Specimen types may originate from any part of the body but are most commonly fluids, wounds, blood, throat swabs, rectal, or vaginal swabs.  

 Places specimens in appropriate holding transport media or broth.  

 Prepares, treats, and inoculates specimens onto appropriate media and maintains   them under special conditions (ex. CO2 enhancement, oxygen deprivation, etc…) to enhance the growth of microorganisms.  

 Examines culture and subculture growth for possible pathogens, discriminating between potential pathogens versus normal flora or contaminants.  

 Separates colonies needed for identification and susceptibility testing. 

 Using biochemical analytical methods, identifies isolated colonies to the species level for bacteria.  

 Identifies the presence of fungal elements.   

 Performs susceptibility testing using precise dilutions of microorganisms with known concentrations of antimicrobials.   

 Performs gram stains, oxidase, and indole testing, as well as other manual biochemical methods.

 Maintains equipment in working condition. Performs preventative maintenance as scheduled and needed. Maintains records of preventative maintenance and corrective actions. Records include temperature checks, QC testing, rapid testing, and records of media QC testing. Keeping equipment in working condition may include minor repairs and will require extensive knowledge of the problem and working with technical experts from equipment vendors.

 Reports susceptibilities using NCCLS standards to aid the physician in appropriate   therapy.

- Hematology: 

Performs venipuncture, capillary puncture, therapeutic phlebotomy, and bleeding times as appropriate.  

Prepares, treats, dilutes, and identifies blood specimens for all requested hematological analysis (ex. CBC, ESR, Reticulocyte Counts, Coagulation, WBC differential, RBC Counts and morphology, etc…).

Performs cellular analysis on body fluids (ex. CSF, Joint fluids, etc…).

Performs hematology testing and reports the results in a timely manner.  

Refers specimens and slides to appropriate personnel who use their clinical knowledge of normal and abnormal physical conditions to appropriately and adequately identify those patients requiring more testing and analysis by more specialized personnel (ex. Hematologists, Pathologists, etc…).  

Incumbent must be able to test non-ideal specimens by pretreatments to remove interferences when encountered, e.g., lipemia.

Maintains equipment in working condition. Performs preventative maintenance as scheduled and needed. Maintains records of preventative maintenance and corrective actions. Keeping equipment in working condition may include minor repairs and will require extensive knowledge of the problem and working with technical experts from equipment vendors.

- Blood Bank: 

Performs all required Blood Bank procedures according to the standards of the AABB including but not limited to ABO, Rh typing, antibody screening, antibody identification, antibody titer, cross-matching, direct combs, and the transfusion reaction investigation.  

 Coordinates with the American Red Cross for the acquisition of needed products and maintains records of acquired blood products to ensure safety and tracing as needed.

 Selects correct types of blood products depending on component needed, adhering to protocol and severity of the situation.  

 Monitors all critically temperature-controlled refrigerators and freezers according to    AABB and CAP standards.  

 Maintains equipment in working condition. Performs preventative maintenance as scheduled and needed. Maintains records of preventative maintenance and corrective actions. Keeping equipment in working condition may include minor repairs and will require extensive knowledge of the problem and working with technical experts from equipment vendors.

 Capable of reacting immediately and appropriately in all emergency transfusion requirements.

- Urinalysis: 

 Performs automated or manual “dipstick” testing of urine and performs microscopic exams of urine sediment.  

 Maintains equipment in working condition. Performs preventative maintenance as scheduled and needed. Maintains records of preventative maintenance and corrective actions. Keeping equipment in working condition may include minor repairs and will require extensive knowledge of the problem and working with technical experts from equipment vendors.

- Special Duties: 

 Assist in teaching students or newly hired technicians in all areas of the laboratory as needed. 

Attain adequate skills to be able to work without supervision on weekends, holidays, 1^st ,2^nd and 3^rd shifts when needed.

Subject to on-call status as necessary and must be able to return to the laboratory within 30 minutes when called by a provider for laboratory work on patients at all hours of the day.

Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor (ex. workload reports, changing shifts occasionally to accommodate workload requirements, etc…).  

Education/Experience/Minimum Qualifications 

Position requires an Associate Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology and certification of MLT (ASCP) or equivalent accrediting body, or applicant must obtain certification within 24 months of hire date.

Student(s) enrolled in an accredited MLT program doing their clinical rotation at the CIHA laboratory would be eligible for hire prior to graduation. A high school diploma or equivalent is required and records of training to perform moderate complexity testing as defined in the CLIA regulation 42CFR493.1423. Failure to graduate at specified date, if hired, would be grounds for termination.

Position requires 18 months to become technically proficient.

 

Job Knowledge 

1. Knowledge of medical laboratory technology relative to the following disciplines: Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, Blood Bank, Serology, Immunology, Parisitology, and Urinalysis.

2. Knowledge and skill sufficient to organize and conduct a wide variety of complex specialized laboratory tests relative to the following disciplines: Chemistry, Microbiology, Hematology, Blood Bank, Serology, Immunology, Parasitology, and Urinalysis.

3. Knowledge of computer panels and how computers use and store data, electronic malfunctions and instrument capabilities as well as specific methodologies for the many tests in each of the laboratory disciplines.

4. Knowledge of preventive and corrective maintenance procedures for laboratory instrumentation.

5. Knowledge and understanding of quality control procedures to be able to determine conformance to protocol.

6. Knowledge of Privacy Act regulations governing the confidential safeguarding and dissemination of medical information/records.

7. Must possess a valid NCDL.

Complexity of Duties 

Incumbent provides knowledge of medical laboratory technology to the Supervisory Medical Technologist in any of the intralaboratory disciplines; chemistry, microbiology, urinalysis, hematology, serology, immunology, and blood banking. Incumbent will be responsible for performing laboratory procedures and testing in accordance with approved policies and procedures as well as clinically accepted standards. Keeps abreast of new developments by attending continuing education. Incumbent will perform and review quality control and preventive maintenance procedures for various areas of the laboratory on an ongoing basis.   Incumbent must be sufficiently cross-trained to be able to perform with limited supervision in each of the areas of the clinical laboratory as delineated above. The incumbent is required to assess, interpret, and evaluate all laboratory testing to determine if the desired results have been achieved with limited supervision.  

Supervision Received

The incumbent is under the supervision of the Supervisory Medical Technologist for clinically associated duties and all other associated duties and responsibilities. The Supervisory Medical Technologist approves the incumbent’s schedule. The incumbent will be assigned to one of three shifts (dayshift, second shift, and night shift) dependent on the needs of the laboratory. The incumbent will be required to work weekend shifts as needed, with time off through the week in equal proportions.  The incumbent performs all assigned duties in accordance with defined regulations, policies, and procedures in order to accomplish each identified unit objective, priority, and deadline.  Performs with limited supervision in carrying out assigned duties. Incumbent must possess individual initiative and judgment when interpreting a procedure relative to each established policy and objective.  Consults with Medical Technologists and the Laboratory Supervisor only on matters that may be in conflict with established regulations, policies, and procedures.  The incumbent may work alone on a regular basis and must be able to work without supervision.

Responsibility for Accuracy

The incumbent is responsible for all test results bearing his/her signature (may be electronic).   The effective diagnosis and treatment of patients is dependent upon the accuracy and reliability of the incumbent’s laboratory testing procedures and resulting determinations.  An inaccurate result reported by the technologist has the potential to create a patient fatality (ex. mistyped ABO blood transfusion, incorrect electrolyte values, etc…).

Contact with others

Various laboratory testing procedures may require direct personal contact with patients requiring tests and may include performing phlebotomy or capillary puncture or include instructions on how to collect other specimens. Additionally, the incumbent has direct communicative contact with Federal, State, Tribal, and county medical personnel, as well as nurses, midlevel, physicians, support personnel, and administrative personnel within the Cherokee Indian Hospital. Contact with repair personnel and technicians from laboratory equipment vendors is also required.   

Confidential Data

Must maintain complete confidentiality of all administrative, medical, and personnel records, and all other pertinent information that comes to his/her attention or knowledge.   Must adhere to all tribal confidentiality policies and procedures.  Violations of such confidentiality shall be cause for disciplinary action.  

Mental/Visual/Physical Environment

Extensive mental effort is required due to the multi-tasking and nature of laboratory work. Incumbent is required to use a microscope to discriminate between cell types and close-range visual acuity is required. Incumbent will be required to stand and walk for several hours at a time in all areas of the laboratory and the hospital. Certain procedures in the laboratory require manual dexterity, visual acuity, and physical effort to complete. Incumbent must occasionally assist patients in the collection of specimens that may or may not require physical effort.   Incumbent will have to carry laboratory supplies, papers, manuals, and small instruments.  

Work Environment

The laboratory environment carries risks and discomforts that require special safety precautions. The laboratory environment is a high-risk area for HIV and Hepatitis A, B, and C as well as risks of exposure to contagious diseases, carcinogenic materials, and caustic reagents. Full and appropriate safety precautions must be worn and used (ex. lab coats, gloves, eyewear, etc…) when performing laboratory work. The incumbent must practice correct and proper hand-washing protocols to maintain health. The incumbent must participate in the Employee Health Program to aide in preventing work related injuries. The laboratory environment has a higher-than-normal amount of noise pollution due to the number of analyzers, centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers that are running continuously.

Extent of Supervision:

Incumbent must be able to work without supervision. Incumbent must be able to function independently. Incumbent may resort to consulting Medical Technologists and other experts when the need arises in any given area of the laboratory.  

Scope of Supervision:

The incumbent may be required to perform official supervisory tasks for other employees at the request of the Laboratory Supervisor or Laboratory Manager.

Customer Service

Consistently demonstrates superior customer service skills to patients/customers by demonstrating characteristics that align with CIHA’s guiding principles and core values. Ensure excellent customer service is provided to all patients/customers by seeking out opportunities to be of service.