Medical Laboratory Scientist 1 - Certified, 1st Shift - Chemistry

Laboratory Technician

Location: Chicago, Illinois. This position is with Rush Medical Center at Rush University Medical Center in the RML Chemistry department.

Job Description

• This position is responsible for performing all assigned laboratory testing and reporting for the testing area.
• Requires teamwork to achieve common goals and meet deadlines to provide quality care to clients and patients.
• Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision, and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.
• Must adhere to the Rush Code of Conduct and Rush ICARE values: Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence, executing these values with compassion.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in laboratory science, biological science, chemistry, or education/work experience meeting the qualifications of high complexity testing personnel as defined by CLIA 42 CFR.
• Certification from a nationally recognized certifying agency required. Some laboratory disciplines may require more stringent certification criteria.
• Acceptable credentials can vary depending on the laboratory section, including:
  • Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) via the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
  • Medical Technologist (MT) via the American Medical Technologists (AMT)
  • Blood Bank (BB) via the ASCP
  • Chemistry (C) via the ASCP
  • Cytogenetics (CG) via the ASCP
  • Cytotechnologist (CT) via the ASCP
  • Hematology (H) via the ASCP
  • Microbiology (M) via the ASCP
  • Molecular Biology (MB) via the ASCP
  • Specialist in Cytometry (SCYM) via ASCP
  • Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) via AACC or ASCP with a minimum of 5 contiguous years' laboratory-related experience.
• Experience: Bachelor's Degree with certification, no previous experience required. Associate's degree and/or education/work experience qualifications as defined by CLIA 42 CFT, AND MLT or other certification, AND 5 contiguous years of laboratory-related experience required.

Working Conditions

• Able to work in a fast-paced, often stressful, computerized environment.
• Able to lift 20 lbs. and perform repetitive motions.
• Works in a laboratory with exposure to potentially infectious and hazardous materials.

Responsibilities

• Performs laboratory testing utilizing required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as defined by the lab area.
• Labels and processes specimens properly.
• Performs all laboratory procedures efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision once trained.
• All testing must be done following Rush approved policies and procedures.
• Performs required quality control (QC) procedures and preventative maintenance, including corrective action and documentation, for all procedures and instrumentation.
• Recognizes QC problems or discrepancies and attempts to determine the cause of the problem.
• Notifies appropriate supervisor or designee regarding QC problems or discrepancies according to the established procedure.
• Performs basic troubleshooting of equipment and processes with minimal assistance, documents action, and notifies appropriate personnel of problems.
• Keeps the work area neat, clean, organized, and always stocked. Disinfects area at the beginning and end of each shift.
• Accepts no inappropriate specimens. Notifies appropriate person of specimens that must be drawn or collected again and documents the notification.
• Meets turnaround time expectations by prioritizing and organizing the workload for the shift.
• Utilizes time effectively and seeks out additional job duties when shift tasks are complete.
• Required to obtain and document 12 hours of laboratory continuing education per year.
• Accepts and/or volunteers for method evaluations and new procedure development or other special projects and completes them within an agreed-upon time frame.
• May perform the duties of the tech-in-charge for specified periods of time. Oversees operations according to departmental guidelines.
• Reviews lab results as required and takes appropriate action before verification and release.

Pay Range

$29.36 - $47.79 per hour. Rush salaries are determined by many factors including education, job-related experience, skills, internal equity, and industry-specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush's anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.