What are the Typical Job Responsibilities of a Lab Assistant?

August 01 10:17 2017 by Anna Stinson Print This Article

A lab assistant is responsible for supporting the professional lab technologist to collect the specimens, prepare the collected specimens for analysis and run the routine lab tests. A lab assistant tests not only the specimens, but also other bodily substances like blood test, urine, tissue etc.

Before searching for laboratory assistant jobs opportunity, know the typical job responsibilities of a lab assistant.

Few of them are listed below:

1. The laboratory assistant coordinates or performs certain activities in different areas of the clinical laboratory.
2. He supervises the training for a new phlebotomist.
3. The lab assistant takes care of ordering the equipment inventory.
4. He keeps updating the information about phlebotomy activities and personnel problems to the lab manager.
5. Chemical hygiene and lab safety procedures are taken care of by lab assistant.
6. He does research for the specimen requirement for reference labs and arranges for complex transportation and critical specimen requirements when needed.
7. He ensures that all the laboratory rules and regulations are being followed and enforces them. He also reports to the lab manager of any possible hazards.
8. If any used lab equipment is not functioning properly, he informs it to the lab manager.
9. The lab assistant refers to the procedures and policy manual as necessary and communicates the same with the reference lab for any specimen requirement.
10. He shares the required information with the other laboratory personnel involving difficult tasks at hand, venepuncture, timed specimens etc.
11. The lab assistant prioritises the daily tasks and adjusts the daily schedule.
12. He responds to changes in the schedule of work as requested by the other personnel.
13. The lab assistant prepares the laboratory test requisitions for outpatients from the physician orders.
14. He also monitors the processing and handling of all patient specimens as and when they are received in the laboratory.
15. He ensures that all the phlebotomy manuals and the manuals outlining the test specimen requirements are kept updated.
16. He also ensures that all the new phlebotomists are adequately oriented and training is documented for the required tasks.

These are the few typical job responsibilities of a lab assistant. If you are enthusiastic to become a lab assistant, then there are many laboratory assistant jobs opportunity options available.