Medical and pathology laboratory technicians

Medical and pathology laboratory technicians perform clinical tests on specimens of bodily fluids and tissues in order to obtain information about the health of a patient or cause of death.

Skill level: Skilled

Job Responsibilities

  • Conducting chemical analysis of body fluids, including blood, urine, and spinal fluid, to determine presence of normal and abnormal components
  • Operating, calibrating and maintaining equipment used in quantitative and qualitative analysis, such as spectrophotometers, calorimeters, flame photometers, and computer-controlled analyzers
  • Entering data from analysis of laboratory tests and clinical results into records-keeping systems and reporting results to medical practitioners and other health professionals
  • Analyzing samples of biological material for chemical content or reaction
  • Setting up, cleaning, and maintaining laboratory equipment
  • Analyzing laboratory findings to check the accuracy of the results
  • Establishing and monitoring programs to ensure the accuracy of laboratory results and developing, standardizing, evaluating, and modifying procedures, techniques and tests used in the analysis of specimens
  • Obtaining specimens, cultivating, isolating and identifying microorganisms for analysis
  • Examining cells stained with dye to locate abnormalities
  • Inoculating fertilized eggs, broths, or other bacteriological media with organisms

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