Specimen Processor - Full Time

Northeast Georgia Health System; Gainesville (GA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeast Georgia Health System is seeking a semi-technical Laboratory Assistant to support the clinical laboratory. The role involves handling and processing specimens, ensuring order accuracy, and generating reliable lab reports in a fast-paced environment.

The position requires a High School diploma or GED, with preference for those who have lab experience. Strong teamwork, communication, and meticulous attention to detail are essential for success in this role.

Qualifications

• Good interpersonal and customer service skills required.
• Basic computer literacy needed for data entry and record keeping.
• Manual dexterity and ability to follow detailed instructions.
• Strong communication skills with diverse hospital staff.

Responsibilities

• Receive and distribute all samples from nursing, phlebotomy and outpatient areas.
• Maintain communication with phlebotomists and front desk for add-ons and label reprints.
• Handle complex emergency situations such as trauma or stroke alerts.
• Ensure the integrity of all submitted clinical specimens and proper labeling.
• Document errors and assist with process improvements across lab departments.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Basic computer knowledge

Dexterity and precision

Communication skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

Minimum Experience:

Job Category:

Allied Health

Work Shift/Schedule:

8 Hr Afternoon - Evening

Northeast Georgia Health System is rooted in a foundation of improving the health of our communities.

About the Role:

Job Summary:

A semi-technical position that services several functions in the clinical laboratory. Duties are multi-varied and include a variety of invasive/sterile procedures. Responsibilities include but are not limits to: ensuring the validity and integrity of clinical specimens, ensuring doctors’ orders are executed correctly, special specimen handling for esoteric testing, handling and processing of legal specimens, lab report generation and distribution, etc. Very fast paced environment with frequent subjection to a variety of bio-hazards. Employee performs clinical duties in accordance with population specific guidelines and adheres to National Patient Safety Goals as outlined in policy and procedures.

Minimum Job Qualifications:

• Licensure or other certifications:
• Educational Requirements: High School Diploma or GED
• Minimum Experience:
• Other:

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Preferred Licensure or other certifications:
• Preferred Educational Requirements:
• Preferred Experience: Three (3) years of continuous employment as a lab assistant. Bilingual skills are a plus.
• Other:

Job Specific And Unique Knowledge, Skills And Abilities:

• Good interpersonal and customer service skills
• Knowledge of basic computer
• Manual dexterity, problem solving, following detailed instructions
• Good communication skills

Essential Tasks And Responsibilities:

• Able to perform station of pneumatic tube area in lab. Responsible for receiving and distributing all samples collected by nursing, by phlebotomy, and outpatient draw area. Maintains communication with phlebotomist on floors as well as front desk for handling add-ons, re-printing of labels, etc.
• Deals effectively with other hospital departments to help resolve sample problems with phlebotomy and nursing. Deals effectively with outside clients to resolve issues, assist with order clarification, or answer questions they present.
• Performs effectively and efficiently in complex emergency situations such as multiple trauma or disaster and stroke alerts.
• Insures the integrity of all submitted clinical specimens.
• Processes surgically obtained, irreplaceable samples, body fluids, CSF, 24 hour urine samples, Cord bloods, PKU’s and courtesy/research samples.
• Receives and routes orders to registration or client bill areas, logs in, labels and dispenses samples to correct departments within lab.
• Responsible for completing investigational type studies on and maintaining detailed records for outside locations as well as proper documentation of errors internally and externally. Works closely with Customer Service to resolve issues and improve lab processes.
• Good communication with all lab departments, nursing, radiology, surgery, OR, ER, endoscopy, and all outside ordering locations.
• Responsible for storing any extra samples for proper length of time in lab and also for storing research samples for oncology areas of hospital.
• Responsible for maintaining QA records, temperature logs of department.
• Responsible for proper accountability for every send out sample to ensure proper routing to outside reference labs. Maintains 10+ different reference lab locations for outside testing. (Would include resolving a pending log).
• Assist in clarifying Doctor orders with floor patient care techs, nursing, front desk personnel, outpatient draw areas including in NPT, any outside location or anyone ordering or requesting a test.
• Handles batching out of samples to reference labs, packaging and shipping to different locations as indicated information, insures correct billing, routes supplies, etc.
• Responsible for receiving and distributing all outside pathology/cytology samples as well as all after regular hour samples entering the lab.
• Responsible for any sample labeling error documentation using Variance Report for un-labeled, mis-labeled and any situation that is against the standard operating procedure for lab samples.
• Responsible for manual send outs to various reference labs where computer generated transmission is not available currently.
• Responsible for special billing type testing where reference lab handles billing. Specimen processing must send correct information to reference lab. Requires several steps in locating patient insurance information, diagnosis codes, physicians NPI numbers and routes to proper area of reference lab.
• Attends at least 80 % of all continuing education programs as established by the Laboratory Manager per month.
• Operates a centrifuge properly. Understands and applies proper techniques according to specimen requirements.
• Trains new employees in proper Specimen Processing duties as indicated.
• Performs specialized, in depth investigation of new test(s). Checks pricing, turn around times, testing methods and is helpful in evaluating where to route odd or non-routine testing for patients or Clients.
• Works closely with LAB IT, Pathology/Cytology, and all lab departments to investigate process improvements, then providing ideas and implementing when needed.
• Task assignment/position seating for department staff weekly rotation on different shifts.
• Act as “In charge” occasionally when Supervisor is absent.
• Performs specialized, in depth investigation of new test(s). Checks pricing, turn around times, testing methods and is helpful in evaluating where to route odd or non-routine testing for patients or clients.
• Works closely with LAB IT, Pathology/Cytology, and all lab departments to investigate process improvements, then providing ideas and implementing when needed.
• Task assignment/position seating for department staff weekly rotation on different shifts.
• Responsible for interface resulting where available; as well as manually resulting test results where interface is not available.
• Responsible for troubleshooting billing kick-off issues closely with management and works to improve processes with this area of lab.
• Able to communicate effectively as requested by upper laboratory management.

Physical Demands:

• Weight Lifted: Up to 20 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time
• Weight Carried: Up to 20 lbs, Occasionally 0-30% of time
• Vision: Heavy, Frequently 31-65%
• Kneeling/Stooping/Bending: Occasionally 0-30%
• Standing/Walking: Frequently 31-65%
• Pushing/Pulling: Occasionally 0-30%
• Intensity of Work: Frequently 31-65%
• Job Requires: Reading, Writing, Reasoning, Talking, Keyboarding

Working at NGHS means being part of something special: a team invested in you as a person, an employee, and in helping you reach your goals.

NGHS: Opportunities start here.

Northeast Georgia Health System is an Equal Opportunity Employer and will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, marital status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected classification or status.