Essential Requirements for CLS

         Functions

Essential Observational Requirements

·          Observe laboratory demonstrations in which body fluids and other biologicals are tested for their biochemical hematological, immunological, and microbiological characteristics.

·          Characterize the color, odor, clarity, and viscosity of body fluids, reagents, or reaction products.

·          Use a binocular microscope to discriminate among fine structural and color differences in microscopic specimens.

·          Read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in print, on instrument scales, or video monitors.

·          Observe biological samples and their labeling to assess the acceptability of samples for analysis.  

·          Observe and describe colonial morphology of bacteria.

·          Observe and quantitate the degree of agglutination or other antigen-antibody reaction.

Essential Movement Requirements

·          Move freely and safely about the laboratory and campus.

·          Reach laboratory work stations, shelves, the interior of refrigerators and cupboards, and patients in hospital beds or seated in specimen collection furniture.

·          Travel to assigned sites for course work or practical experience.

·           Perform moderately taxing physical work, often requiring prolonged sitting and repetitive motions over several hours.

·          Gather equipment needed to perform assigned procedures.

·          Maneuver phlebotomy and culture acquisition equipment to collect valid laboratory specimens from patients safely.

·          Control small pieces of laboratory equipment such as pipettes and inoculating loops, and make sensitive adjustments to laboratory instruments.

·          Use an electronic keyboard to operate instruments and to calculate, record, evaluate, and transmit information.

·          Use equipment and instruments according to manufacturer’s guidelines and established institutional protocols.

Essential Intellectual Requirements

·          Read and comprehend technical and professional materials such as textbooks, professional journals, laboratory procedures, and instructional manuals.

·          Apply these intellectual skills: comprehension, measurement, mathematical calculation, reasoning, integration, analysis, comparison, self-expression, and criticism.

·          Exercise sufficient judgment to recognize and correct performance deviations.

·          Apply knowledge of related sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, to laboratory test procedures.  

·          Apply knowledge to the interpretation of laboratory test results, including correlation of results with diagnoses.

·          Apply knowledge to the assessment of laboratory results, taking appropriate action when invalid or grossly abnormal results occur.

Essential Communication Requirements

·          Follow verbal and written instructions to perform assigned procedures correctly and independently.

·          Effectively and sensitively communicate with patients and others identifying and valuing cultural and religious differences.  

·          Use appropriate terminology to instruct patients and others prior to specimen collections, adjusting communication style to meet the needs of the patient and situation.

·          Respect patients’ rights to privacy and confidentiality.

·          Communicate effectively and clearly with faculty, students, staff, and other health care professionals verbally, in writing, and/or via graphical presentations.

·          Use facility guidelines and legal requirements concerning methods of sending and receiving information, including test results and other patient information.

·           Independently prepare papers and laboratory reports, and take paper, computerized, and practical examinations.

Essential Behavioral Requirements

·          Manage time in order to prioritize and complete professional and technical tasks efficiently.

·          Employ intellect and exercise professional judgment effectively, seeking clarification or assistance when needed.

·          Be able to provide professional and technical services under the stressful conditions of the clinical laboratory, including (but not limited to): ambiguous test ordering, ambivalent interpretations, emergent demands, and a distracting environment.

·          Identify and operate within the scope of professional practice.

·          Be flexible and creative in adapting to professional and technical change.

·          Recognize potentially unpleasant and/or hazardous materials, equipment, and situations, and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of injury to self and others.

·          Support and promote the activities of fellow students, health care professionals, and health care organizations.

·          Promote a team approach to learning, task completion, problem solving, and patient care.

·          Perform honestly, compassionately, ethically, and responsibly, admitting errors and taking corrective action where appropriate.