Blood Component Specialist Trainee

About the job

University Hospital

Schedule: 7-On/7-Off B week 11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

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

Department: Transfusion Services - 441

*Hourly rate is an estimate only which includes shift differential for nights, evenings or weekend shifts. Overall hourly rates will vary based on schedule

Flu vaccination OR  medical or religious exemption are required prior to starting this position

Primary Purpose:

The primary duty of the Blood Component Specialist Trainee is to learn the duties, procedures, and regulatory requirements required of a Blood Component Specialist at ARUP Laboratories. Learns to work in a highly regulated manufacturing environment to produce and/or modify blood products and components intended for transfusion. Maintains traceability and trackability for all steps in the manufacturing process. Duties include data handling and input; preparation of specimens for processing in the laboratory; manufacturing and modification of blood products;  blood product inventory control; blood component selection; dispense and return of blood products; answering the telephone; performance and documentation of quality control and equipment maintenance; minor problem solving.

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

Career ladder advancement opportunity available for candidates with a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university with a combination of 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 the auspices of a NAACLS accredited Medical Laboratory Scientist Program.

About ARUP:

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. We always strive for excellence and have a strong desire to have involvement with the advances in medicine and the role laboratory services plays within each patient’s life. We never forget that there is a patient behind every specimen we receive.

We are looking for individuals who want to contribute to ARUP's culture of accountability, integrity, service, and excellence. Consider joining our dynamic team.

Essential Functions:

Accurately evaluates sample acceptability for pre-transfusion testing.

Checks of patient history for previous testing or problems.

Orders blood bank tests in the computer.

Dispenses cross-matched and/or reserved products to nursing services.

Selects and dispenses trauma blood or uncross-matched blood in emergency situations.

Receives and ensures proper storage of all blood products received from donor processing or outside suppliers.

Controls inventory of blood products, including proper disposal and tracking of expired products, release of reserved units when cross-match expires.

Returns or ships blood and blood products to suppliers or other hospitals as required.

Selects, thaws, modifies, and reserves fresh frozen plasma for patients.

Modifies and reserves platelets for patients.

Selects, modifies, and reserves blood products for neonatal transfusion.

Selects and leukocyte reduces red blood cells and platelets by filtration using the sterile docking system, including all correct documentation, labeling, and product modification in computer.

Irradiates red blood cells, whole blood or platelets using the blood irradiator, including all correct documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.

Thaws and pools together multiple units of cryoprecipitate, including all correct documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.

Washes red cells using the COBE instruments, including selection of proper unit, set up of instrument, correct documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.

Thaws frozen red blood cells including set up of instrumentation, deglycerolization of thawed units using the COBE instruments, correct documentation, labeling, and product modification in the computer.

Takes proper action when blood or product storage refrigerators, freezer, or platelet incubator alarms sound.

Logs and stores blood bank reagents and supplies.

Actively participates in the blood bank Quality Assurance program, including variance reporting, cGMP training, and all other regulatory activities.

Performs and documents quality control and equipment maintenance within predetermined parameters.

Maintains work area. Cleans bench tops and equipment after each spill, and daily at the end of the work shift as required. Documents as required.

Stocks and maintains supplies. Notes receipt date on supplies and rotates supplies to insure that the oldest stock is used first. Discards reagents with expired outdates and notifies the appropriate supervisor or designated individual.

Other duties as assigned.

Physical and Other Requirements:

Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist.

Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Mobility: The person in this position needs to occasionally move between work sites and inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc.

Communicate: Frequently communicate with others.

PPE: Biohazard laboratory environment that requires use of personal protective equipment in accordance with CDC and OSHA regulations and company/departmental policies.

ARUP Policies and Procedures: To conduct self in compliance with all ARUP Policies and Procedures.

Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Fine Motor Control: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Absolute integrity in the accurate identification of samples, test performance, and reporting of results

Vision: Having close, far, and peripheral visual acuity to perform a variety of tasks such as make general observations of depth and distance.

Color Vision: Perception of and ability to distinguish colors.