U

University of Washington

Public research university in Seattle, WA

Medical Laboratory Scientist Lead - UWMC Northwest Lab

Diagnostics & Laboratory ProfessionalsConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeSeattle, WA, USA$46.90 - $68.19 /hr

About the Job

Requirements

  • An accredited bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science or equivalent education/experience is required.
  • Medical Laboratory Science certification with the American Society for Clinical Pathology or equivalent, or certification with a specialty organization appropriate to the laboratory division, is required.
  • Three years of professional experience, including one year as a Medical Laboratory Scientist 2 or equivalent, is required.
  • Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except where legal requirements such as a license, certification, and/or registration apply.
  • The technologist must demonstrate knowledge of laboratory safety and comply with personal protective equipment requirements and standard operating procedures for hazardous chemicals and waste.
  • The technologist must maintain competency in assigned departments and the Laboratory Information System.
  • The technologist must be proficient in transfusion medicine electronic laboratory information systems.
  • The technologist must demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in challenging situations.

Responsibilities

  • Perform routine clinical laboratory tests used in screening, diagnosing, and treating pathological conditions.
  • Work with departmental managers on higher-level tasks, including monthly quality control reviews, new lot verifications, procedural editing, safety and quality assurance assessments, competency development, AMR studies, linearity studies, Laboratory Information System testing, and biannual CAP/CMS requirements.
  • Perform testing in hematology, chemistry, coagulation, microbiology, and urinalysis, including running varied sample types and performing dilutions, neutralizations, ultracentrifugation, or other sample alterations to improve reliability.
  • Interpret reportable ranges and respond when results are outside those ranges or require intervention.
  • Identify critical and urgent results, communicate them to clinical providers within the expected timeframe, document the communications in the Laboratory Information System, and obtain read-backs or document reasons for their absence for management review.
  • Run and evaluate quality control for applicable tests according to standard operating procedures and enter results in the Laboratory Information System or applicable monitoring system.
  • Perform assigned quality assurance tasks.
  • Organize and validate research samples when appropriate.
  • Perform applicable carryover studies.
  • Organize and validate new instrumentation and assays.
  • Perform maintenance procedures for laboratory benches and trained-section automated analyzers.
  • Triage samples in middleware, interpret flags, determine when further intervention is needed, and decide when results are reportable.
  • Validate results from middleware programs.
  • Perform manual testing across reporting sections, including manual differentials, urine microscopic examinations, gram staining and slide interpretation, body fluid counts and analysis, manual hematocrit testing, pregnancy kit testing, occult blood testing, mononucleosis testing, HIV antigen/antibody testing, fetal fibronectin testing, and rapid strep testing; prepare and analyze cytospin specimens.
  • Differentiate normal and abnormal cell morphology, including white blood cells, nucleated cells, crystals, casts, and other urine elements.
  • Identify bacteria, fungi, parasites, and foreign material on microbiology smears using microscopes.
  • Train students and new employees on assigned bench tasks.
  • Replenish reagents for automated analyzers and manual testing methods, document and sequence reagent use, and request new reagents or kits as needed.
  • Manage inventory in assigned areas by unpacking, labeling, storing, rotating stock, identifying low reagents, and borrowing reagents or notifying a manager of critical shortages.
  • Calculate concentrations; prepare, verify, and document reagents, controls, and standards; and update instruments with new lot parameters when appropriate.
  • Troubleshoot technical issues and follow up with the departmental manager as necessary.
  • Retrieve samples, slides, reagents, or other testing materials from storage for review when requested.
  • Cancel and credit results as needed, notify providers of canceled tests, and enter requests for additional testing.
  • Identify and manage mislabeled specimens.
  • Recognize when consultation with a Laboratory Medical Resident may be required and seek it when appropriate.
  • Process transfusion medicine specimens.
  • Monitor temperatures of blood component storage devices.
  • Maintain and troubleshoot transfusion-related equipment, including primary and backup storage devices.
  • Retrieve, tag, and release blood components.
  • Process blood components, including thawing, as appropriate.
  • Return units to inventory and quarantine components and return them to the Montlake campus where applicable.
  • Respond to transfusion emergencies in an organized manner, expedite product provision, and complete documentation.
  • Organize data and troubleshoot issues for clinical teams regarding blood component readiness, turnaround expectations, and review of transfused components.
  • Support colleagues as a team member and provide assistance when needed.
  • Maintain an effective work environment with internal colleagues and other clinical teams.
  • Discard hazardous chemical and biohazardous waste according to standard operating procedures.
  • Act as a resource for students, trainees, Medical Laboratory Scientist 1 and 2 staff, new employees, medical laboratory scientist program students, residents, and post-doctoral fellows.
  • Provide peer-review feedback on performance.
  • Coordinate educational programs and review competency materials to support retraining and competency initiatives.
  • Provide staff with feedback on procedures, workflows, and competencies, including reviewing process deficiencies, discussing best practices, and retraining staff for competency.
  • Write and edit procedures as needed.
  • Organize and orchestrate monitoring and identification of key performance indicators.
  • Assist in preparing the laboratory for College of American Pathologists inspections.
  • Assist with documentation and follow-up for College of American Pathologists proficiency testing failures.

About the Company

University of Washington

Public research university in Seattle, WA

The University of Washington is a public research university founded in 1861, with campuses in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma. It provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional education alongside research and public service.

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