Specimen Processor - PRN - Various Shifts

Northeast Georgia Health System; Gainesville (GA); On-site; USD 51,577,000 - 80,231,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeast Georgia Health System in Gainesville, GA is seeking a semi-technical Laboratory Assistant to service multiple lab functions in a fast-paced environment. You will handle specimen processing, report generation, and collaboration with phlebotomy staff and nursing to ensure accurate orders and timely results.

The role emphasizes adherence to safety guidelines, proper documentation, and attention to QA records, with opportunities to grow in a busy hospital laboratory setting.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Experience as a lab assistant preferred (3 years).
• Bilingual skills are a plus.
• Good interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Knowledge of basic computer.

Responsibilities

• Operate pneumatic tube station in lab and distribute samples from nursing, phlebotomy, and outpatient areas.
• Coordinate with phlebotomy and nursing to resolve sample issues.
• Handle complex emergencies (trauma, stroke alerts) effectively.
• Maintain integrity of submitted clinical specimens and proper routing to departments.
• Complete investigations with detailed records for outside locations and support QA processes.
• Communicate with lab departments, nursing, radiology, surgery, ER and outside locations.
• Store samples properly and maintain QA temperature logs.
• Assist in sending out samples to reference labs and ensure correct billing.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Computer literacy

Manual dexterity

Communication skills

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

• Minimum Experience:

About the Role:

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 as well as 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.