SUMMARY:
Perform a wide variety of patient reception, clerical and computer services and specimen collection procedures including venipuncture on infants, children, adolescents, adults and geriatric patients. Perform a variety of other preparatory functions to assist the professional laboratory staff. As an employee without clinical privileges the scope of practice may involve the oral administration of various reagents as part of the process in disease diagnosis.

Brown University Health employees are expected to successfully role model the organization's values of Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence as these values guide our everyday actions with patients, customers and one another.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Demonstrates understanding of Hospital’s Mission, Vision and Values.
• Demonstrates understanding of job description, performance expectations, and competency assessment plan.
• Demonstrates a commitment toward meeting and exceeding the needs of our customers and consistently adheres to our Customer Service Standards.
• Complies with department and hospital policies and procedures: Reviews policies and procedures Reviews Employee Handbook. Completes mandatory education.
• Hospital-wide Department-specific Job-specific. Participates in departmental and/or interdepartmental quality improvement activities.

SPECIMEN COLLECTION FUNCTIONS:

• Verifies patient identification.
• Applies tourniquet for venipuncture.
• Age specific - assesses mode and site of blood collection, venipuncture or capillary based on ages and condition of patients.
• Performs collection.
• Selects appropriate vein or capillary site and prepares site using approved cleansing technique.
• Administers post-venipuncture care and discharges patient.
• Labels tubes with complete information.
• Instructs patient appropriately regarding clean-catch urine specimens.
• Implements “Specimen Received” procedure in LIS and routes specimen to laboratory for testing.
• Informs technologists of STAT requests.
• Communicates unusual patient condition or specimen suitability or other related concerns with the technical staff of laboratory.
• Collects specimens from off-site locations as requested.
• Assists in training nursing aides, laboratory personnel and students in blood collection techniques.

SPECIMEN PROCESSING FUNCTIONS:

• Receives and accessions specimens for processing noting the demographic information on the requisition slip and specimen label.
• Prepares specimens for transport to outside laboratories.
• Logs blood units into information system.
• Unloads blood cultures.
• Performs preparatory work for Technicians and Technologists
• Performs staining procedures.
• Performs quality control and maintenance procedures; notifies supervisor of any issues with equipment or unacceptable quality control results.

OTHER FUNCTIONS:

• Receives physicians’ orders, verbally or in writing, for laboratory tests and appointments.
• Enters orders and diagnostic codes in computer system.
• Greets patients and provides specific instructions for specimen collection as required. Processes ABNs.
• Checks and prints Collection Batch orders. Prints and distributes required hard copy reports to physicians and nursing areas. Phones or faxes patient results to physicians as requested.
• Reports unsafe or other occurrences, questionable conditions or situations immediately to the manager. Adheres to Blood and Body Fluid Borne Pathogen Procedures involving the use of gloves, masks if indicated, disposal of blood collection devices, slides and specimens.
• Keeps all work areas clean and performs regularly scheduled cleaning duties.
• Stocks and maintains a clean phlebotomy collection tray.
• Takes temperatures and records receipt of supplies.
• Responds to and assists in tracking and resolving laboratory related concerns.
• Performs other related functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Phlebotomy certificate through National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences and/or completion of a Phlebotomy certificate program to include formal internship demonstrating 100 successful venipunctures.
• In lieu of internship, 6 months of phlebotomy experience may be considered.
• In lieu of phlebotomy certification, 5 plus years direct phlebotomy experience may be considered.
• Ability to perform venipuncture techniques and capillary puncture on adults, children and infants.
• Interpersonal skills to obtain and provide information to patients and to explain procedures effectively in order to allay fears and anxiety.
• Demonstrated knowledge and skills necessary to provide care patients with consideration of aging processes, human development stages and cultural patterns in each step of the care process.
• Clerical skills to prepare and maintain records and reports, including keyboard skills to enter access information.
• Familiarity with blood collector equipment, anticoagulants, special precautions and interference.
• Ability to distinguish chromatic colors.
• A Phlebotomy certificate required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Works with in-patient care environment with considerable walking between units and where some physical effort may be required to deal with patients who are uncooperative.
• Some exposure to odors when handling specimens.
• Exposure to communicable diseases while administering to patients, however chance of injury is minimized by the adherence to established infection control procedures.
• Manual dexterity to perform venipunctures.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: None.

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EEO Statement:

Brown University Health is committed to providing equal employment opportunities and maintaining a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment.

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Driving Required: