Medical Laboratory Scientist (Blood Bank)

Position Objective: The Medical Laboratory Scientist Blood Bank provide clinical support services to The National Institutes of Health, 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 the majority of 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 4
• Maintain laboratory equipment
• 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 and post-analytical phases in accordance with regulatory and accrediting agency requirements 1
• Evaluate blood transfusion orders for appropriateness based on screening criteria
• Communicate with patients nurses and physicians to clarify questionable transfusion or testing orders
• Perform compatibility cross-matching testing of donor and patient-recipient samples using automated and manual m 2
• Independently resolve routine RBC blood group antibody problems and perform moderately complex testing in consultation with technical specialist 3
• Perform component manufacturing duties, i.e. prepare blood components such as frozen plasma, leukoreduced RBC, and buffycoats 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 compatibility (crossmatch) testing of donor and patient-recipient samples using automated and manual methods.
• Work products and documents related to performing laboratory testing (pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases); evaluate blood transfusion orders for appropriateness based on screening criteria; communicate with patients' nurses and physicians to clarify questionable transfusion or testing orders.
• 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 the technical specialist.
• Work products and documents related to preparing blood components such as frozen plasma, leukoreduced RBC and buffycoats from whole blood collections and pathogen reduced platelets; perform lot release and labeling for blood components.