The Senior Clinical Technologist plans and implements special, complex procedures for use in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases, along with assisting in the establishment and maintenance of quality control standards.
In addition to performing the duties of a medical technologist at a high level of expertise, and with assistance from Medical Technologist Specialists, the Senior Clinical Technologist is normally responsible for and oversees the following activities in their area of expertise.
Technical Lead:
- Provide day-to-day technical direction of qualified personnel performing testing and reporting high complexity test results.
- Responsible for reviewing procedures and policies no less than biennially within the document management system. This includes modifying and archiving. Final approval for any new or revised document is completed by the CLIA Laboratory Director.
- Provides advanced problem solving, troubleshooting, interpretation, consultation, and verification of test results. Acts as technical adviser/expert in area of expertise.
- Assist in the development and implementation of new protocols and selection of new equipment.
- Performs validation of equipment, analyzers, and tests in area of expertise.
- Participate in inventory management and control.
- Communicate workflow and other changes specific to section.
- Participate in departmental safety meetings and audits.
- Responsible for coverage for call-ins during the week and weekends in absence of Supervisor.
- Acts as CLIA General Supervisor (in absence of Supervisor).
QC/QA/Compliance
- Monitor, organize, maintain Quality control and Quality Assurance Records. Ensure that quality assurance and control is being performed in a timely manner. Maintains all QA/QC records.
- Review Quality Control and instrument function reports to ensure that acceptable levels of analytical performance are maintained.
- Monitors instrument maintenance, repair, and calibration in area of expertise
- Assists in preparation for CAP inspections.
- Submits PT surveys and performs summary review, along with review with testing personnel.
- Monitor, improve, and implement corrective action for process improvement.
- Help create and manage QA program for section and participate in the lab QA program.
Training/Competency
- Assess training competency of new employees, initially, and after 6 months. Performs annual evaluation.
- Conduct training competencies for all new test methods or new equipment.
- Creates, maintains, and evaluate training plans and checklists.
- Distribute proficiency testing among employees in the area of expertise.
IT Tasks
- Submit and monitor tickets for general IT and test-related tasks.
- Is aware of departmental IT projects, and schedules section IT tasks.
Validations
- Create validation plan in conjunction with technical supervisor.
- Create procedures and implement newly validated tests.
- Maintain clear communication of validation.
Perform Testing for Waived, Moderate, and High Complexity Tests
- Perform and document quality control and proficiency testing for waived, moderate, and high complexity tests. Act on out-of-range quality control values.
- Perform waived, moderate, and high complexity testing.
- Analyze patient samples and report test results consistent with accuracy and quality assurance goals of the laboratory into laboratory databases.
- Interpret test results for waived, moderate, and high complexity tests.
Other Duties
- Comply with departmental continuing education requirements.
- Provides instructions in laboratory technique, instrumentation, and application of procedures to students and new employees.
- Assist in scheduling and evaluation of needs.
- Other duties as assigned.
- All previously mentioned functions including:
- Maintain expertise in area.
- Writing and maintaining documents and SOP?s in MediaLab.
- Knowledge of or experience with microorganisms in a clinical setting, ability to recognize and identify pathogenic organisms and understand the criteria for susceptibility testing on appropriate organisms.
- Knowledge of or experience with blood culture systems, bacterial identification systems, susceptibility systems, and molecular based technologies.
- Ability to explain microbiology culture reports and specimen requirements for testing to all clients.
- Is motivated to be part of a team effort, contribute to improvements and support initiatives in the lab.
- Use critical thinking to solve problems, follow up with documentation and technical support when required
- Minimum 2 years Bacteriology culture experience.