Medical Laboratory Scientist; Blood Bank

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Main Campus/Bethesda - Bethesda, MD 20892

Overview: Salary Range: $1.00 - $1.00 Salary/year Position Type:
Full Time

Job Shift:
Day Education Level:
Masters Degree

Travel Percentage :
None Category:
Public Health

Position Objective: Provide services as a Medical Laboratory Scientist in support of the overall functions of the Clinical Center (CC), Department of Transfusion Medicine (DTM), Transfusion Services Laboratory (TSL) within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The TSL performs specialized and technically demanding serologic and molecular Immunohematologic procedures for clinical diagnostic transfusion support and research purposes. The DTM includes an FDA-licensed collection facility where the TSL manufactures most blood components transfused in the CC.

Additionally, the contractor provides transfusion medicine training for the various training programs sponsored by the CC, i.e. accredited Transfusion Medicine Fellowship and Specialists in Blood Banking programs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Study basic principles of plant and animal life, such as origin, relationship, development, anatomy, and function.
• Performs quality assurance functions in support of improving operations and methods.
• Operate, calibrate, or maintain equipment used in quantitative or qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, or computer-controlled analyzers.
• Maintain laboratory equipment 4
• Manages blood inventory, arranging for import/export of necessary blood components 5
• Monitor operational procedures in technical environments to ensure conformance to standards.
• Interpret research or operational data.
• Record research or operational data.
• Perform laboratory testing (pre-analytical, analytical, post-analytical phases) in accordance with regulatory and accrediting agency requirements 1
• Evaluate blood transfusion orders for appropriateness based on screening criteria.
• Communicate with nurses and physicians to clarify questionable transfusion or testing orders.
• Perform compatibility cross match testing of donor and patient-recipient samples using automated and manual methods 2
• Independently resolve routine RBC blood group antibody problems; perform moderately complex testing to resolve complex RBC blood group antibody problems in consultation with technical specialist 3
• Perform component manufacturing duties, i.e. prepare blood components like frozen plasma, leukoreduced RBC and buffy coats from whole blood collections and pathogen reduced platelets.
• Perform lot release and labeling for blood components.
• Position is Tier I --Emergency Essential/Excepted.
• Clean Equipment, Run Validation, Inspect Equipment.
• Meet with lab members to present updates.
• Work products and documents related to performing laboratory testing (pre-analytic, analytic, post-analytic phases); evaluate blood transfusion orders for appropriateness based on screening criteria; communicate with nurses and physicians to clarify questionable transfusion or testing orders.
• Work products and documents related to performing compatibility (cross match) testing of donor and patient-recipient samples using automated and manual methods.
• Work products and documents related to resolving routine RBC blood group antibody problems; performing moderately complex testing to resolve complex RBC blood group antibody problems in consultation with technical specialist.
• Work products and documents related to preparing blood components such as frozen plasma, leuko-reduced RBC and buffy coats from whole blood collections and pathogen reduced platelets; perform lot release and labeling for blood components.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Miscellaneous Health Medical Professions.
• Minimum of 3 years of blood bank experience in a laboratory environment.
• Completion of an accredited clinical laboratory science training program.
• Skilled in MS Office Suite (including MS Teams).

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree preferred
• Ability to multi-task and pay close attention to detail.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and time management skills.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with non-technical and technical staff.
• Detail-oriented and possess strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks and projects.

* This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

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