Clinical Laboratory Scientist I

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Job description

Position/Program Information

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

Open Competitive Opportunity

EXAM NUMBER

Y4895U

FILING START DATE

October 8, 2021 at 10:00 A.M., (PT)

Applications will be accepted until the needs of the service are met and is subject to closure without notice.

All County workforce members must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Successful candidates for this position will be required to submit proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or request an exemption for qualifying medical or religious reasons during the onboarding process. Candidates should not present proof of vaccination until instructed to do so by the hiring department.

SPECIAL SALARY INFORMATION:

Due to the Manpower Shortage Recruitment, new appointments and current incumbents shall be compensated at Step 5 of the applicable salary range. This is in effect until June 30, 2022 or until it is determined that a shortage no longer exists, whichever is sooner.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY:

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 26 health centers and four acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS' directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS cares for about 600,000 unique patients each year, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of 6.2 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit .

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition, to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings, to supportive housing.

MISSION:

To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

DEFINITION:

Performs a variety of standardized clinical laboratory tests within a specialized area (such as biochemistry, hematology, microbiology, or immunohematology) or across specialty lines using manual or automated methodology, under the supervision of a physician or a Supervising Clinical Laboratory Scientist in a general or a specialized medical laboratory on any shift.

Essential Job Functions

* Calibrates laboratory instruments following prescribed methods and performs other quality control and improvement procedures to assure the operational accuracy of equipment and test reproducibility; performs manufacturer recommended period routine maintenance on such equipment.
* Oversees the work of Laboratory Assistants assigned to assist with testing.
* Performs specific biochemical tests on body specimens such as whole blood, blood plasma, serum, urine, spinal fluid, gastric secretions and similar products to determine the presence and quantity of metabolic and endocrine substances such as glucose, albumin, protein, urea, electrolytes, enzymes, acetone bodies, thyroid proteins, reproductive hormones, and tumor markers or to identify the presence and amount of toxic substances such as drugs and poisons.
* Performs macroscopic and microscopic examination of urine samples for the determination of blood glucose and albumin; to detect the presence of acetone bodies, blood, bile derivatives, Bruce-Jones protein, drugs and poisons in the urine using a urinometer and determines specific gravity of urine.
* Conducts hematological tests such as red blood cell count, reticulocyte, platelet, eosinophil, and leukocyte counts; microscopically examines blood smears for abnormal cells, and performs blood sedimentation tests, hemoglobin determinations, and hematocrits.
* Cultures, isolates, and identifies enteric pathogens, parasites, tubercle bacilli, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms in blood, sputum, urine, feces, exudates, tissues, spinal fluid and similar substances using standardized laboratory procedures.
* Draws, groups, types, and cross-matches donor-recipient blood; performs antibody screening tests and antibody identification tests to resolve cross-matching problems; issues whole blood and blood components for transfusion purposes and performs related blood bank activities.
* Performs immuno serological test methods such as flocculation, agglutination, complement filtration, direct and indirect fluorescence, enzyme immuno assays, molecular pathology, and serologic tests to determine the efficacy of test performed and to identify the presence and measure the quantities of antibodies associated with various medical conditions.
* Utilizes computer programs that operate in conjunction with laboratory equipment; enters test results, quality control and improvement data.
* Provides instructions to medical personnel on specimen collection requirements such as the type of container and appropriate volume, type of preservative and other handling instructions.
* Provides bench-level instruction on the detailed aspects of assignment to licensed trainees and new laboratory scientists and medical personnel in training.

Requirements

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Valid and current Clinical Laboratory Scientist license, issued by the State of California Department of Public Health.

LICENSE(S) AND CERTIFICATE(S):

Clinical Laboratory Scientist license, issued by the State of California Department of Public Health.

Applicants must attach a valid legible photocopy of their license to practice as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at the time of filing or email to the analyst within 15 calendar days of filing online.

The required license must be current and unrestricted; a provisional, probationary or restricted license will not be accepted.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

Additional credit will be given to applicants who possess the following desirable qualifications:

* Certificate of Completion from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS).*
* Work experience as a licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist in various specialized laboratory sections in an approved laboratory.
* A certificate from a post-secondary academic institution/medical center or laboratory accredited and given authority to provide Clinical Laboratory Science education by NAACLS and is recognized by the U.S Department of Education.

In order to receive credit for a certificate of completion from a Graduate program certified by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS) on this examination, you must include a legible photocopy of your "official" certificate, at the time of filing or within 15 calendar days of filing your application online.

Special Requirement Information:

An approved laboratory is defined as a clinical laboratory that has a federal issued Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment Laboratory Certificate of Accreditation that authorizes the laboratory to accept human specimens for the purpose of performing laboratory examinations, and is accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) or Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Specialized laboratory sections may include:

* Biochemistry. . .in an approved biochemistry laboratory.
* Hematology. . . in an approved hematology laboratory.
* Immunology. . . in an approved immunology laboratory.
* Blood Bank. . . in an approved blood banking laboratory.
* Microbiology. . .in an approved microbiology laboratory.
* Toxicology. . . .in an approved toxicology laboratory.
* Biology. . . .in an approved toxicology laboratory.

Applicants who are claiming work experience in another state, must have a valid and unrestricted license to practice as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in that state.

Additional Information

This examination will consist of two parts:

Part I - An evaluation of training and experience based upon application information and supplemental questionnaire, weighted 50%.

Part II - An oral interview covering Knowledge, Skills and Clinical Experience, Job Preparation, Problem Solving, Interpersonal Skills, and Oral Communication, weighted 50%.

Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on each weighted part of this examination in order to be added to the eligible register for this examination.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION:

Applications will be processed on an "as-received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

The names of candidates receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the eligible register in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of promulgation.

No person may compete in this examination more than once every twelve (12) months.

AVAILABLE SHIFT:

Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays.

VACANCY INFORMATION:
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