Blood Component Specialist Trainee

Location

University Hospital, 50 N. Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA

Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM (Daytime shift for approx. 3 months)

Transfusion Services - 441

Hourly rate estimate includes shift differential for nights, evenings or weekends. Rates vary based on schedule.

Flu vaccination OR medical or religious exemption required prior to starting.

Blood component specialist trainees (BCS) are front‑line staff of the Transfusion Services Department at the University Hospital, a level 1 trauma center and Huntsman Cancer Hospital, a National Cancer Institute‑designated cancer center. Duties include communication with medical personnel, evaluation of samples for pre‑transfusion testing acceptability, routine dispensing of blood products to patient care units, and dispensing of uncross‑matched blood in emergency situations.

Responsibilities extend to storage and modification of blood products from ARUP Blood Services and outside suppliers, including thawing, washing, irradiating, dividing, and pooling. Other duties include ordering blood bank testing, performance and documentation of quality control and equipment maintenance, inventory control and component selection, active participation in the Blood Bank quality assurance program, and other regulatory activities.

Will be required to pass the ARUP Blood Component Specialist Examinations at the end of training and another examination within 9 months of hire.

Opportunity available for candidates with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university with 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of biology, chemistry and/or medical sciences. Those who meet this requirement can apply to complete a structured program in blood banking under an NAACLS accredited Medical Laboratory Scientist Program.

ARUP Laboratories is a national clinical and anatomic pathology reference laboratory and an enterprise of the University of Utah and its Department of Pathology. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah. ARUP proudly hires top talent to create a work environment of diversity, professional growth and continuous development. Our workforce is committed to the important service we provide to over one million patients each month.

• Accurately evaluate sample acceptability for pre‑transfusion testing.
• Check patient history for previous testing or problems.
• Order blood bank tests in the computer.
• Dispense cross‑matched and/or reserved products to nursing services.
• Select and dispense trauma blood or uncross‑matched blood in emergency situations.
• Receive and ensure proper storage of all blood products received from donor processing or outside suppliers.
• Control inventory of blood products, including proper disposal and tracking of expired products, release of reserved units when cross‑match expires.
• Return or ship blood and blood products to suppliers or other hospitals as required.
• Select, thaw, modify, and reserve fresh frozen plasma for patients.
• Modify and reserve platelets for patients.
  
  Select, modify, and reserve blood products for neonatal transfusion.
• Leukocyte reduce red blood cells and platelets by filtration using the sterile docking system, including documentation, labeling, and product modification in computer.
• Irradiate red blood cells, whole blood or platelets using the blood irradiator, including documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.
• Thaw and pool multiple units of cryoprecipitate, including documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.
• Wash red cells using the COBE instruments, including selection of proper unit, setup of instrument, documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.
• Thaw frozen red blood cells and deglycerolize using the COBE instruments, including documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.
• Take proper action when blood or product storage refrigerators, freezer, or platelet incubator alarms sound.
• Log and store blood bank reagents and supplies.
• Actively participate in the blood bank Quality Assurance program, including variance…