Apheresis Technician

Apheresis Technician

At The Blood Connection, every role plays a part in saving lives. Join our team and help make an impact in your community today!

Position Overview

An Apheresis Technician screens and collects whole blood from allogeneic donors and if applicable, autologous, directed, and therapeutic donors in accordance with departmental SOPs and regulatory standards. In addition, this role schedules, screens, and collects double red cells, single red cells, plasma donors, and platelet donors with or without concurrent products by means of an automated collection system. This role continually observes the donor for potential problems and provides post-phlebotomy care for all donors. An Apheresis Technician performs quality control and is responsible for completion of all paperwork (such as run sheet, QC sheet, weekly maintenance log, malfunction forms, and device logs), in accordance with SOPs and regulatory standards.

An Apheresis Technician must have excellent customer service skills and a presentable appearance. This role must be able to work varied hours including working some weekends. While not desirable and is avoided, when possible, this role must be able to adapt to a work schedule that may change with less than 24 hours' notice.

Essential Functions

Donor Scheduling:

• Ensures adequate number of apheresis donors are scheduled to be collected to meet inventory needs

Donor Eligibility:

• Screens prospective donors through medical history, mini physical, and testing results

Donor Collection:

• Performs the donor health history and physical assessment according to current standard operating procedures
• Selects proper material for blood collection
• Performs venipuncture on eligible donors
• Sets up and primes automated collection system for automated procedures
• Strives to collect donor at highest possible yield
• Chooses appropriate collection procedure based on donor restraints and inventory needs
• Provides supportive care and documentation for donor reactions
• Strips, seals, and packs units for transport/storage
• Administers post-phlebotomy care
• Provides supportive care and documentation for donor reactions
• Keeps donor area stocked with required materials/equipment needed to adequately screen and collect donors

Quality Assurance:

• Performs blood collection according to SOP, FDA regulations, and AABB standards
• Performs and documents quality control for designated blood collection equipment
• Tags and reports defective equipment per SOP and if required, pulls defective equipment from service
• Ensures all paperwork/entries associated with collections are complete and accurate

Leadership/Teamwork:

• May be eligible for Center Team Leader assignment with supporting scorecard metrics and/or commensurate experience
• In absence of Center Team Leader, ensures all associated paperwork is reviewed for completeness and accuracy
• In absence of Center Team Leader, reports any disciplinary problems unable to resolve to appropriate Manager
• Works with collections and scheduling team to make each day a success

Customer Service:

• Greets each donor and/or donor contact in friendly professional manner
• Post collection, thanks each donor in appreciative manner
• Provides environment throughout blood drive in which the donor and/or donor contacts feel comfortable and important
• Maintains professional appearance and attitude at all times

Miscellaneous:

• Participates in company sponsored blood drives and other special events
• Organizes and operates (to include driving) Donor Services vehicles to include box trucks, TBC company cars/vans, and mobiles where applicable
• Other duties as assigned or required

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED
• Apheresis or plasma collection experience preferred or three or more years of experience in a closely related clinical setting.
• Valid Driver's License with no major infractions and dependable transportation
• Excellent customer services skills
• Ability to read, understand, and follow written and verbal instructions
• Ability to follow SOP in a heavily FDA regulated environment
• Ability to communicate effectively, tactfully, and courteously to patrons, donors, sponsors, and co-workers
• Ability to work with all levels and in a diverse work environment
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, management, and peers

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lifting and/or pulling/pushing up to 50 pounds
• Standing or walking for an extended period of time
• Bending and twisting

Equal Opportunity Employer Veterans/Disabled