Consultation Lab Specialist - Evenings

GULF COAST REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER

Location: 1400 LaConcha Lane in Houston, Texas 77054

TITLE/CODE:                          Consultation Lab Specialist

DEPARTMENT:                      Consultation & Reference Laboratory

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Performs complex and routine serological investigation and testing.  Involves frequent contact with internal and external customers, requiring good judgment, diplomacy and tact.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following; other duties may be assigned.  Management retains the discretion to add to or change the duties of the position at any time.

• Plan and implement testing strategies as well as perform, document, and interpret tests necessary to resolve complex serological problems.
• Provide information on serologic problem resolution to clients.
• Perform antigen screening to locate antigen-negative blood.
• Prepare consultation reports in Microsoft Word.
• Assist as needed in internal and external education programs (MT, SBB, other) with lectures, mentoring, etc. Prepare wet samples for educational purposes.
• Participate in QC and QA improvements within the department.
• Obtain current information in the field through utilization of professional journals, in-services, workshops, seminars, etc.
• Perform, interpret, and document in Transfusion Management System  Ò routine compatibility testing, type and screen, antibody identification, and routine donor serological testing.
• Evaluate acceptability of requests and patient samples per established guidelines.
• Enter patient demographics into Transfusion Management System  Ò .Record, place and fill orders for antigen-negative red blood cells in BECS (blood established computer software).
• Monitor inventory of components, reagents, and supplies.
• Prepare washed and deglycerolized rbcs; prepare reagents. 
• Perform quality control and preventative maintenance as assigned.
• Enter rare cell and serum samples into Access database.
• Communicate with external customers regarding patient requests and samples, rare donor donations, and/or ARDP.
• Communicate with internal customers.
• Enforce The Blood Center’s policies on EEO, Affirmative Action and Safety/Health.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Safety

Must not pose a direct threat or significant risk of substantial harm to the safety or health of himself/herself or others.  Must comply with all applicable safety rules and policies and be willing to report actual and potential safety violations to the appropriate supervisor or manager.

Attendance

Must maintain regular and acceptable attendance at such level as is determined in The Blood Center's sole discretion.

Regular Hours

Full time: Must be regularly available to work at least 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week, or such days or hours per week as The Blood Center determines are necessary to meet business needs.

Overtime or additional hours (applicable only to non-exempt positions)

Must be available and willing to work such overtime or additional hours per day or per week as The Blood Center determines is necessary or desirable to meet business needs.

Weekends and Holidays

Must be available and willing to work such weekends and holidays as The Blood Center determines are necessary or desirable to meet its business needs.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

May be required to perform supervisory duties in the absence of other CR Management (Transfusion Management System  Ò overrides, case resolution).

Must mentor new employees and less-experienced employees

QUALIFICATIONS 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

MT/MLS from an accredited program (ASCP or equivalent) and minimum of one-year recent (within past 2 years) experience in blood banking and immunohematology; or

MT/MLS from an accredited program (ASCP or equivalent) BB and minimum of one-year recent (within past 2 years) experience in blood banking and immunohematology; or

MT/MLS from an accredited program (ASCP or equivalent) SBB or SBB eligible and minimum of one-year recent (within past 2 years) experience in blood banking and immunohematology

OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED AND KEPT IN PERSONNEL FILE.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

MT/MLS – ASCP or equivalent certification required

MT/MLS BB/SBB (ASCP or equivalent) strongly preferred

PROOF OF CERTIFICATION OF MUST BE PROVIDED AND KEPT IN PERSONNEL FILE.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and standard operating procedures.  Ability to communicate effectively with staff and clients.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.  Ability to compute percentages and volumes.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral or diagram form.  Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Must be flexible with working hours and days.

Computer literate:  Microsoft Office Word, Excel, and Access, BECS (blood established computer systems), Transfusion Management System, LMS. 

POSITION DRIVING STATUS

Non-driver

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk and hear.  The employee frequently is required to stand and walk; occasionally required to sit, climb or balance.  The employee must frequently lift and\or move up to 25 lbs. Employees are required to be familiar with and abide by the team lift requirements as specified in the Safety Program in an effort to prevent bodily injury and for the health and safety of others. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to blood and blood components as well as other biohazardous materials, moving mechanical parts and extreme cold.  The employee is occasionally exposed to toxic or caustic chemicals, risk of electrical shock, and risk of radiation.  The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Job duties involve an inherent potential for mucous membrane or skin contact with blood with a risk of exposure to Hepatitis and HIV.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

The Blood Center is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.  Qualified applicants for positions are considered without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, military status, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic testing results or any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable law, statute, regulation or Executive Order.