Laboratory Assistant

Phlebotomy Assistant

It's more than a career, it's a calling.

MO-SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital

Worker Type: Regular

Join a team where your work matters every moment, every patient, every community. At SSM Health, you’ll be empowered to grow, supported to thrive, and inspired to make a lasting impact.

In this role, you will provide hands-on support in a fast-paced care environment where every shift makes a direct impact on patients and families. Your attention to detail, compassion, and ability to work closely with clinical teams will help create a safer, smoother care experience.

Department: Phlebotomy

Schedule: Three 8-hour shifts per week with a flexible start time between 5:00 AM and 9:00 AM, including rotating weekends and holidays.

Job Summary:

All the duties and standards of this position will be performed according to established policies, procedures and guidelines within the department and the health system. These examples of work are not all-encompassing or restrictive and are expected to vary with changing needs and priorities. The duties for a specific position with this title will be defined and assigned by the immediate department director/manager.

Job Responsibilities and Requirements:

Performs duties in Phlebotomy, Processing, Transporting, Posting and/or Billing, Ancillary testing, Anatomical Pathology, Blood Bank, Special Testing and Microbiology, or other departments with the Pathology laboratory following prescribed procedures. The assistant laboratory I processes patients, specimens, orders, reports, requests; assists pathologists and residents in the performance of autopsies, collects and transports specimens in a courteous, timely and accurate manner. Refers unusual problems to appropriate superior. Sets priorities with changing workload to insure the final reporting of test results are within prescribed time limits.

Essential Functions: The following are essential job accountabilities and performance criteria. These functions are measured by: supervisory observation, quality assurance findings, written documentation, results of accreditation inspections and as reported by others.

1. Accurately and precisely performs duties following clinical procedures and standards. Ensures that patient identification information matches test request information consistently. Performs routine, timed, and STAT venipuncture or capillary sticks from any patient. Correctly labels tubes and requisitions consistently. Processes patients, specimens, orders, reports, requests; collects and transports specimens in a courteous, timely and accurate manner.

2. Provides good customer service with an accurate, prompt, and courteous response for inquiries from patients, physicians and other hospital staff, answering telephones calls by the third ring and identifying oneself according to the scripted message on the telephone.

3. Utilizes problem-solving skills in a variety of situations, which require corrective actions, consistently. Handles general lab issues as indicated, always exercising sound and professional judgment in determining items that require referral. Informs immediate supervisor in a timely and accurate manner of all decisions made.

4. People: Apply high-quality management and leadership principles to foster continued employee development. Treat each other and our patients with respect and dignity. Hold integrity and honesty as our most important principle and perform at the highest ethical standard at all times.

5. Growth: Maintains professional growth, development, competency and education through reading, seminars, workshops, conferences, and professional affiliations, always selecting activities which are relative to current/upcoming issues and concerns in area of responsibility and which will maximize benefits to the department and health system.

6. Accepts, follows up, and completes all additional duties that will need to be performed to maintain quality work and provide excellent service to our customers.

7. Quality: Achieve standards of excellence that become the benchmark of industry practices. Strive for daily improvement in everything we do. Use innovation and creativity to identify and solve problems.

8. Cost: Demonstrates ongoing fiscal accountability, using both time and supplies efficiently and effectively to minimize waste or overtime and maximize productivity.

9. Safety/Infection Control: Practices according to safety and infection control policies.

10. Service: Demonstrates Target 100 service always to department customers; patients, physicians, each other, visitors, other departments, and University employees. Meet the needs of each patient, whose care is our primary purpose and mission.

11. Quality Improvement (QI): Incorporates Quality Assessment into ones daily work.

Rationale for Essential Functions

1) The performance of this function is the reason the job exists.

2) There are limited employees among whom the performance of this function can be distributed.

3) This function occupies a great deal of the employees time.

4) This function is highly specialized. Employees are hired for the skill/ability to perform this function.

5) Failure to perform this function may have serious consequences.

6) The function was performed by past employees and is performed by current employees.

7) Exposure to blood borne pathogens that requires the use of protective equipment.

8) Exposure to tuberculosis that requires the use of protective equipment.

Job Specifications:

A) EDUCATION AND TRAINING: High School Diploma, GED, or grandfathered through experience. None necessary, but Medical Assisting or Phlebotomy Certificates preferred

B) LICENSING/REGISTRATION/CERTIFICATION: None

C) EXPERIENCE: None, but some preferred

D) SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

A) CPR certification is not required.

B) Good oral, written and electronic data communication skills enabling the translation of facts to/from a variety of sources both within and outside of the laboratory.

C) Good interpersonal skills.

D) Ability to work with and interpret numbers and figures.

E) Ability to manage time, organize daily schedule to meet productivity standards and cope with professional stress.

F) Work requires the knowledge and skills necessary to provide direct patient care appropriate to patient population of specialty:

• Adult (15 - 65 years)
• Geriatric (>65 years)

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:

A) Manual dexterity, coordination and skillful use of hands when working with equipment.

B) Ability to tolerate exposure to hazardous chemicals.

C) Sufficiently sighted, including color discrimination, to perform analyses.

D) Physical limitations must not impede working with instrumentation and moving easily between multiple workstations.

E) Ability to physically perform necessary documentation in writing or using tape recorder.

F) Physical and mental abilities to meet expected turnaround times in the lab environment and customer service.

G) Exposure to blood and body fluids.

H) Exposure to blood borne pathogens and other biological hazards.

I) Subject to electrical hazards.

J) Exposure to tuberculosis that requires the use of protective equipment

K) Ability to input and retrieve information from instrumentation and laboratory information systems.

L) Ability to manipulate safely biological hazards.

M) Occasional prolonged standing/walking and sitting.

N) Occasionally lifts, position push, and/or transfers supplies.

O) Occasional reaching stooping, bending, kneeling, crouch, lifting, pushes pulling 30+ pounds

P) Occasional, pulling 100+ pounds.

Employee Acknowledgment:

I have reviewed, and I understand the job duties and expectations outlined in this job description. I agree to perform the work in a manner acceptable to my immediate supervisor and within guidelines defined in the policies and procedures of SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital. I also understand that continued employment will depend on my demonstrated ability to perform the work as expected.

Employee: _________________________________________ Date: _____________

Supervisor: ________________________________________ Date: ______________

Department Director: ________________________________ Date: ______________

Administration: ______________________________________ Date: _____________

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not to be construed, as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required of personnel so classified. An individual working in their job classification must also perform specific tasks upon request by supervisor personnel. Furthermore, the duties and responsibilities for this job classification are subject to change at the discretion of the medical center.

Required Professional License and/or Certifications

• None

Department: Lab Support Services