Laboratory Assistant

Job Overview

Overview

Lab Assistant

Dubuque, IA

Monday-Friday 6:30AM-5:00PM

Full Time Benefits

The Laboratory Assistant I plays an important role in the lab. The LA I is the face of the lab interacting with patient and healthcare personnel. Primary responsibilities include processing laboratory specimens for testing, evaluates specimen acceptability, registration, and responding to requests for information from customers. Responsibilities may also include waived testing and phlebotomy.

Why UnityPoint Health?

At UnityPoint Health, you matter. We’re proud to be recognized as a Top 150 Place to Work in Healthcare by Becker's Healthcare several years in a row for our commitment to our team members.

Our competitive Total Rewards program offers benefits options that align with your needs and priorities, no matter what life stage you’re in.  Here are just a few:    

• Expect paid time off, parental leave, 401K matching and an employee recognition program.

• Dental and health insurance, paid holidays, short and long-term disability and more. We even offer pet insurance for your four-legged family members.

• Early access to earned wages with Daily Pay, tuition reimbursement to help further your career and adoption assistance to help you grow your family.

With a collective goal to champion a culture of belonging where everyone feels valued and respected, we honor the ways people are unique and embrace what brings us together.  

And, we believe equipping you with support and development opportunities is a vital part of delivering an exceptional employment experience.

Find a fulfilling career and make a difference with UnityPoint Health.

Responsibilities

Clinical Excellence

• Performs frequent processing of patient specimens.

• May be responsible for performing and resulting waived testing.

• Registers, orders and accessions specimens utilizing the laboratory and hospital information systems.

• Greets everyone with a pleasant and professional manner, using patient experience best practice guidelines (example: AIDET)

• Identifies patients and samples using two patient identifiers, always labeling samples in the presence of the patient.

• May perform a variety of blood draws and specimen collections, including but not limited to venous, capillary blood and newborn heel sticks.

• Assists with sample receiving and delivery of specimens to testing areas while ensuring sample stability through proper handling.

• Achieves understanding of lab tests to answer patient questions in an easy-to-understand way.

• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of computer programs for patient identification, order, and sample tracking.

• May be required to float to multiple locations and settings.

• Other duties as assigned
Quality and Safety

• Aware of and provides support of department and hospital quality metrics.

• Responsible for following all infection control and safety standards.

• Correctly performs and documents testing, troubleshooting, quality control and maintenance on POC waived testing

Committed Team

• Utilizes supply items in a cost-effective manner, recognizing when to reorder, and assisting with unpacking and/or restocking items.

• May be responsible for clerical duties such as answering phones and collecting consents.

• Exercises judgment in determining work priority. Interacts with nursing units and clients to ascertain critical priorities and verify discrepancies which include judging specimen acceptability and canceling test as needed.

• Attends department huddles, staff meetings and other required training.

• Checks emails regularly for important communications relevant to assignment.

• Assist with training of new employees, nursing and students

Qualifications

Education

• High School Diploma/GED

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  Basic computer skills