Documentation Job laboratory assistant

– these are not necessarily flasks and chemical experiments. Job responsibilities of a laboratory technician may include data collection, preparation of equipment and instruments, and other assistance to research staff. Of course, the job description of a laboratory assistant in a medical office and a physical laboratory will be very different. But you can easily adapt the proposed sample job description for a laboratory assistant to suit your needs and tasks, including the necessary rights and responsibilities.

Job description of a laboratory assistant
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1. General Provisions
1.1. The laboratory assistant belongs to the category of technical performers.
1.2. A laboratory assistant is appointed to a position and dismissed from it by order of the director of the organization on the recommendation of the head of the laboratory.
1.3. The laboratory assistant reports directly to the head of the laboratory.
1.4. During the laboratory assistant’s absence, his rights and responsibilities are transferred to another official, as announced in the organization’s order.
1.5. A person who meets the following requirements is appointed to the position of laboratory assistant: secondary vocational education, without requirements for work experience, or secondary education and experience of similar work for at least six months.
1.6. The laboratory assistant must know:
- guidelines, normative and reference materials related to the topic of work;
- methods of analysis, testing and other types of research;
- laboratory equipment, control and measuring equipment and rules of its operation;
- methods and means of performing technical calculations.
1.7. The laboratory assistant is guided in his activities by:
- legislative acts of the Russian Federation;
- The organization’s charter, internal labor regulations, and other company regulations;
- orders and instructions from management;

- this job description.

2. Job responsibilities of a laboratory assistant
The laboratory assistant performs the following duties:
2.1. Performs laboratory analyses, tests, measurements and other types of work during research and development.
2.2. Participates in the collection and processing of materials during the research process in accordance with the approved work program.
2.4. Prepares equipment (instruments, equipment) for experiments, carries out its checks and simple adjustments in accordance with developed instructions and other documentation.
2.5. Participates in experiments, carries out the necessary preparatory and auxiliary operations, conducts observations, takes instrument readings, and maintains work logs.
2.6. Provides department employees with the equipment, materials, reagents, etc. necessary for work.
2.7. Processes, systematizes and draws up the results of analyzes, tests, measurements in accordance with methodological documents, and keeps records of them.
2.8. Selects data from literary sources, abstracts and information publications, normative and technical documentation in accordance with the established task.
2.9. Performs computational work related to ongoing research and experiments.
2.10. Performs individual official assignments from his immediate superior.

3. Rights of a laboratory assistant

The laboratory assistant has the right:
3.1. Get acquainted with draft decisions of the organization’s management relating to its activities.
3.2. Submit proposals to management to improve your work and the work of the organization.
3.3. Inform your immediate supervisor about all shortcomings identified in the course of your activities and make proposals for their elimination.
3.4. Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties.

4. Responsibility of the laboratory assistant

The laboratory assistant is responsible for:
4.1. For failure to perform and/or untimely, negligent performance of one’s official duties.
4.2. For failure to comply with current instructions, orders and regulations on maintaining trade secrets and confidential information.
4.3. For violation of internal labor regulations, labor discipline, safety and fire safety rules.

For now profession laboratory assistant provides many auxiliary specialties. Such workers carry out their labor activities in the departments of educational institutions or in laboratories.

As a rule, the vast majority of laboratory assistants prepare instruments and materials for conducting various experiments, as well as for scientific presentations. They take readings, process laboratory test results, keep logs, clean up work equipment after themselves, etc.

History of the laboratory assistant profession

Oddly enough, the profession of a laboratory assistant is much older than many other specialties. Thus, it was first mentioned in the 12th century, while, for example, (dentistry) arose only at the end of the 17th century.

Stories about the first laboratory assistants can be found back in the Middle Ages. Thus, junior specialists from English and Italian universities prepared the laboratory before classes with students back in the Middle Ages.

In addition, even then there was enormous competition in the production of perfumes, metal products, etc., and the owners of shops and workshops were forced to resort to the help of laboratory assistants - actually apprentices.

Of course, such workers existed in antiquity, but their range of responsibilities was specified precisely in the 12th century. Thus, a huge number of medical, physical-chemical and geological works were written during the time of Roman civilization, and it is unlikely that major researchers and scientists worked without outside help.

Specifics of the laboratory assistant profession

In general, we can say that the profession of a laboratory technician involves performing work that is related to quality control of finished and intermediate products, raw materials, waste, reagents and much more.

In almost every city there are educational institutions where laboratory assistants work in departments. In addition, such junior employees work in hospitals, clinics, metrological services, etc.

All these people differ in their education and range of responsibilities, but they are united by the fact that it is almost impossible to do without them. In fact, the profession of a laboratory assistant is as irreplaceable as it is.

A good laboratory technician must have excellent tactile and olfactory sensitivity, visual memory, precise motor and visual coordination, a keen ability to distinguish colors, and also be pedantic and very neat.

A competent specialist must know the basics of chemistry, carefully study safety precautions, work with equipment, etc.

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19.05.2013

19.05.2013

19.05.2013

Tuition cost (average in Russia): 200,000 rubles

Job description:

*Tuition fees are indicated for 6 years of full-time study.

- This is actually a diagnostician who deals with clinical laboratory diagnostics.

Short description

A laboratory doctor performs laboratory analysis of biological fluids and human waste products. In modern medicine, without accurate laboratory tests, a reliable and final diagnosis is impossible, on which the correctness of the prescribed treatment depends.

A laboratory doctor is not only involved in laboratory tests and recording their results, but also takes part in the medical and scientific activities of a department of a clinic or hospital. Analysis and systematization of the data obtained is also the responsibility of the laboratory doctor.

The work of a laboratory doctor also consists of testing and introducing new methods and reagents for laboratory diagnostics.

Subordinate to the laboratory doctor, as a rule, are junior medical personnel: laboratory assistants, nurses. Training them to work with instruments and reagents, observing safety precautions in the workplace, is an integral part of the work of a laboratory doctor.

Pros of the profession

The work of a laboratory doctor is calm, without risk. As a rule, the work shift lasts part-time. It is not difficult to find a job in your specialty. Laboratory assistant vacancies are offered quite often.

Cons of the profession

There are unpleasant moments when working with analyzes of substances from human excretory organs (urine and feces). Working in a laboratory with radioactive sources (X-ray, fluorography) is considered risky if the safety rules for handling radioactive substances are not carefully followed. There is also a risk of contracting tuberculosis, hepatitis, and AIDS. One common disadvantage for all types of work is low salary.

Place of work

• clinics, hospitals of all levels from district to republican;
• laboratories of medical universities and colleges;
• blood transfusion stations;
• centers of standardization and metrology;
• sanitary and epidemiological service.

Personal qualities

• observation;
• good memory;
• ability to concentrate;
• good fine motor coordination;
• organization;
• accuracy;
• attentiveness;
• responsibility;
• discipline.

Career

The career of a laboratory doctor, if he has a higher education and participates in research and experiments, can reach the heights of a doctor of science or academician. The salary of laboratory doctors is about 20 thousand rubles per month. When working in tuberculosis dispensaries and other clinics, there is a salary bonus for harmfulness in the amount of 15%.

Education

The position of a laboratory doctor can be held by a specialist with a higher medical education or a graduate of biological, pharmaceutical or biochemical faculties of universities.

Laboratory doctors are trained in:

• specialty “Clinical laboratory diagnostics” in medical universities;
• specialty "Laboratory Genetics" at the biological faculties of universities and universities.

Veterinary laboratory assistants are graduates of veterinary universities.

Some ordinary people believe that the profession of a laboratory assistant does not involve anything complicated. They believe that such specialists simply wipe test tubes at school or stack students’ term papers at the institute.

In fact, the laboratory assistant, although his position is really positioned as an auxiliary one, does a great job, freeing the main expert from secondary matters.

There are many varieties of this specialty: laboratory research technician, research assistant, chemical analysis expert. Moreover, the last point usually affects both employees of research institutes and those people whose task is to study materials from analyzes of patients from hospitals.

There are options when a paramedic is simultaneously appointed as a laboratory assistant. This specifically applies to cases of working in a clinic or inpatient clinic, when the employee is required not only to take tests, but also to help the patient. The job description and equipment in the workplace will vary depending on the focus of the qualification.

History of the profession

Historians confirm that laboratory assistants first appeared in the Middle Ages. At that time, the universities of Italy and Austria enjoyed special authority, where they had to prepare classrooms every day to receive medical students. This hard work was dumped on the shoulders of the laboratory assistants. They had to not only arrange test tubes and instruments for dissecting frogs, but also look for material for research, or buy it from local residents.

It is believed that most ancient thinkers and progenitors of various biological, geological and chemical theories before the 12th century preferred to carry out their experiments independently. At the same time, not all historians agree with this stereotype, since in many experiments described in the old postulates, it was simply impossible to participate alone in order to achieve the desired result. This gives rise to the theory that even then, junior employees helped the great ones create significant discoveries, remaining in the shadows.

Today, the importance of this profession has increased significantly, as evidenced by numerous thematic vacancies. Moreover, this applies not only to large centers in megacities, but also to small villages. There, laboratory assistants work to check the quality of the crop and everything connected with it, and also act as the “right hand” of veterinarians on large farms.

Also, yesterday's chemist can go to work in the standardization department, local clinics, where people are always needed to check blood, feces and urine, as well as in the sanitary service or even metrology.

There will also be a place for a specialist who has received a higher education in the specialty “Ecology”. A qualified ecologist can become a so-called field laboratory worker who will obtain experimental samples of anything from soil to air.

This branch for specialists involves working in departments that have their own laboratory. Depending on the range of activities of the organization, the employee’s capabilities and responsibilities will fluctuate, because not all institutes practice only the theoretical part of research.

If the organization foresees the need and the corresponding resources, then additional responsibility falls on the shoulders of the specialist, such as monitoring a control group of subjects, even if these are just laboratory rats.

Typically, the competence of this professional category involves preparing materials and equipment for an upcoming experiment or presentation. There we talk about the results of experience, new perspectives are considered. The opposite function also lies on his shoulders - cleaning up equipment upon completion of work. But the above applies more to some special cases such as seminars or conventions.

The routine is based on taking intermediate or control readings, keeping a log, and processing received information. Such a doctor helps teams that can conduct both small experiments and global experiments. The latter include the search for cures for oncology or proof of the harm of some food additive.

The main responsibilities of such an employee, regardless of his specific category, include the following provisions:

• performing laboratory analyzes and tests;
• collection and subsequent processing of received materials;
• control over the serviceability of equipment and other inventory;
• preparing instruments for research activities.

The last point sometimes requires that in addition to a specialized biological or medical education, a person must have some kind of technical education in stock.

An engineer is the optimal solution if for the entire organization, different professors have only one such assistant, who will also have to fix broken devices.

In addition to participating in the preparatory stages, an experienced worker also often becomes the one without whom it is impossible to fully carry out the experiment. This is especially true in cases where a senior laboratory assistant is involved, who is assigned responsibilities for observation, taking indicators, and keeping logs. Sometimes the report needs to be submitted several times a day. Then a team of junior employees divides the labor, distributing it according to their own abilities and skills.

Strict requirements

Like most other medical professionals, his rank assignment may be reviewed from time to time.

This happens depending on:

• length of service;
• specifics of activity;
• undergoing additional training.

Advanced training courses are traditionally available at many medical and research centers.

There, after completing a certain program, at the end of the course they give tests, the results of which determine the fate of those wishing to improve their level.

This is done in order to qualify for a higher salary or be able to combine several similar positions.

It is also worth preparing for the fact that the laboratory assistant will be tasked not only with performing computational and other graphical work, but will also be asked to select data from the literature, abstracts, and even the regulatory and technical framework. It will also not do without personal assignments from the management team, but all of them must be within the framework of general scientific activity.

To qualify for this position, it is not at all necessary that the applicant has worked somewhere before. A future assistant is not always required to have a complete higher education. In some cases, an unfinished higher education or even a secondary specialized education is sufficient.

This applies to positions where there is mostly paperwork or a small range of responsibilities, which is typical for laboratories in schools.

But if the future range of activities involves the preparation of radioactive materials, difficult-to-use instruments, or visiting bacteriological stations, then you cannot do without a university diploma.

This is necessary to ensure that labor protection, personal and collective safety of surrounding employees is under control.

Periodically, the medical center will send its junior assistant to additional courses to ensure that he does not fall behind the generally accepted standards. Knowing the current legislation in the area assigned to him, as well as the methods and means of performing calculations, it will be easier for a laboratory assistant to find a job.

On the spot, they can help him with the direct rules for operating specific equipment, as well as give advice regarding internal labor regulations. Moreover, they should not fall outside the framework of the basic organization of labor production.

The final important point is to check the current health status of the person being hired, as well as regular checks in the future.

Such future experts are subject to more stringent requirements, including mandatory knowledge:

• all materials specific to the subject of the activity;
• methods for conducting experiments of the required spectrum;
• current conditions and requirements for documentation;
• features of control, measuring and other equipment.

This concern on the part of labor legislation is explained by the high risks of becoming a victim of harmful elements and reagents.

Many of them are allergens, and some act as poison with a cumulative effect, which is why the profession is considered harmful.

Laboratory assistant at clinical diagnostic laboratory

A clinical laboratory assistant should follow a similar pattern. This is the same person to whom patients go to donate blood for testing. He also conducts a number of other tests, helping the doctor identify the cause of the patient’s deterioration in well-being.

Despite the absence of strict requirements for previous experience in medicine, the qualifications of an employee of a clinical diagnostic center must be high. We are talking about obtaining a certificate of incomplete higher education or obtaining the status of a bachelor's degree in medicine. The list of permitted specialties of the university for applicants included only two: laboratory and clinical diagnostics.

Such a thorough approach is explained by the fact that a physician must know not only the paper part of his work, such as regulatory documents on health protection.

He will also have to demonstrate his skills in organizing the activities of a clinical diagnostic laboratory. To do this, you need to clearly know your job rights, responsibilities and be prepared to bear responsibility. From this it follows that the result of the work of this category of laboratory technicians is as important as the work of the doctor himself. One mistake in the analysis can cost the patient his life.

Because the methods for collecting material vary for each type of analysis, the laboratory assistant should keep all this in mind. It is not always the case that the same blood is donated on an empty stomach, and the specialist must interview the patient to determine whether he adhered to the established rules before testing.

The employee must also be able to store the received material and deliver it to another research center if required by the procedure. He also bears the full range of responsibilities regarding the preparation of reagents with nutrient media, which make it possible to identify deviations in the collected material.

Another important point is disinfection and other forms of processing of tools, equipment, and even just the room itself. Moreover, this must be done on a regular basis in a strictly established form.

The average person does not notice all this, believing that the clinical laboratory assistant works only until the line of people willing to donate urine or sputum dries up. In fact, they still have to identify possible deviations in the process of laboratory research in order to recognize incipient or progressive pathological processes.

In most cases, the employee is additionally required to be able to understand the etiology, symptoms and pathogenesis of the most common ailments. During training, they are even taught how to properly provide first aid.

In emergency situations, such doctors will be able to understand medications, from methods of their administration to calculating the required dosage. It is likely that this will come in handy during a global epidemic.

But in ordinary life, on an official basis, a laboratory technician cannot prescribe any course of treatment using either medication or traditional medicine. Only a doctor has such powers.

Laboratory assistant is a fairly broad profession. We all have to undergo tests at least once in our lives. Without them, they will not be able to make an accurate diagnosis, admit them to a hospital and prescribe the correct adequate treatment. Whether it's blood from a finger or vein, a swab from the nose or throat, urine or feces, pieces of tissue or fluid from cavities, all these materials go to the laboratory, where they are carefully examined for abnormalities, infection or other features. All this is done by specially trained people called laboratory assistants or laboratory doctors.

Thanks to their work, directly treating doctors can accurately say which antibiotic should be used to treat pyelonephritis, what dose of insulin to prescribe for patients with diabetes, what kind of genitourinary system infection is troubling, whether the patient’s tumor is benign or malignant, and much more. Therefore, now we will tell you in detail about these specialists, what they do and in what cases you should contact them.

Who is a laboratory assistant?

A laboratory technician can check the quality of food, the octane number of gasoline, the presence of harmful chemical compounds in drinking water, air and soil, lighting brightness, indoor air humidity, take X-rays, be an auxiliary worker at a university department, and much more. But we will talk about a laboratory assistant in the classical sense of the word, namely a clinical laboratory assistant.

When this specialist is introduced, a girl in a white coat, gloves and certainly with a scarifier in one hand and a cotton swab in the other immediately appears before your eyes. In fact, laboratory assistants are different, and they may not always be female. Most people hate the manipulation of blood sampling and compare the laboratory assistant to a “bloodsucker.”

When should you contact a laboratory technician?

Usually a doctor prescribes a list of tests, and he also issues a referral for research. But you can go get tested yourself. For such a service, you can contact a private laboratory or any private clinic. Laboratory tests are necessary for almost all diseases. Therefore, if your kidneys or back are sick, you will probably be prescribed a general urine test. If you have pale skin and feel lethargic, then a general blood test awaits you. If you have been tested for an enlarged thyroid gland, then in any case you will be tested for hormones.

What diagnostic methods does the laboratory technician use?

Depending on the type of analysis, laboratory technicians can use such diagnostic methods as:

• microscopic method;
• bacteriological method;
• serological method (RIF, RNGA, ELISA);
• biological method;
• polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

The bacteriological diagnostic method is used to determine the type of pathogen in bacteriological infections (cystitis, pyelonephritis, vaginitis, conjunctivitis, tonsillitis and other diseases), as well as to determine the sensitivity of antibiotics to infectious agents. Its principle is to grow microorganisms contained in the material on special nutrient media, determine their types and further determine sensitivity to antibiotics.

Serological research methods include various serological reactions (agglutination, precipitation, neutralization and others). The laboratory technician uses serological diagnostic methods to determine blood groups and Rh factor, the presence of certain types of immunoglobulins in the blood, determine some viral and infectious diseases, and much more.

The polymerase chain reaction method is based on determining parts of the pathogen's DNA in biological fluid (blood, urine, vaginal discharge, sputum, semen). The PCR method is relatively new, but it is already actively used to diagnose most pathogens of infectious diseases, as well as viruses.

What does a laboratory technician do?

It is clear that laboratory assistants are doing analysis. But what and how is not at all clear. Therefore, we will talk about this now. To begin with, we would like to note that there are simply laboratory assistants (specialists with secondary specialized education) and laboratory doctors (specialists with higher education). Laboratory assistants can have different categories (from first to highest), which they receive in special classes called advanced training courses. These specialists can also work in different structures, namely in clinics, clinical hospitals, maternity hospitals, morgues and individual laboratories. It is the place of work and level of education that determines the occupation of the laboratory assistant.

Clinic laboratory assistants

Each large clinic has its own laboratory where samples are collected and examined. Both laboratory assistants with secondary education and laboratory doctors work there. Tests are usually performed as prescribed by the attending physician, who issues a coupon for the test. The main tests in the clinic are general clinical blood and urine tests and biochemical blood tests. In antenatal clinics, clinics also provide referrals for tests to determine urogenital infections, cytological studies of the cervix and bacteriological studies of discharge from the genital organs, as well as special genetic tests (screenings for pregnant women). All these studies are aimed at timely identification of the problem, differential diagnosis of the disease and prescribing adequate and correct treatment for the patient.

Clinical hospital laboratory assistants

In clinical hospitals (whether for children or adults), the range of possible tests is much wider. But there are also several laboratories there. Typically, large institutions have an emergency (emergency) laboratory, a central laboratory, a bacteriological laboratory and a resuscitation laboratory. Laboratory assistants at the urgent laboratory, which is usually located in the emergency department, take emergency tests, such as a general blood test, a general urine test, a blood test for sugar, a urine test for acetone and some others to quickly assess the patient’s condition and confirm the diagnosis. . The reception laboratory is open 24 hours a day. The central laboratory carries out scheduled daily collection of samples from outpatients of all departments as prescribed by the doctor. Here they already do not only general clinical studies, but also more narrowly focused ones, for example, cytological examination of sputum, cerebrospinal fluid and other biological fluids, biochemical blood tests and others. The bacteriological laboratory conducts research on microbiological flora. An example of such tests can be the study of blood and urine and other biological fluids for sterility, bacteriological culture of the throat, nose, vagina, stool analysis for dysbacteriosis, and others. Also, the bacteriological department of the laboratory of a clinical hospital carries out internal control of the sterility of hospital premises, surgical dressings and instruments. The bacteriological laboratory is usually located separately, and entry into it is strictly prohibited. The resuscitation laboratory is a separate laboratory in which a laboratory doctor is on duty to perform emergency tests. Here the laboratory assistant performs general clinical and biochemical tests of blood and urine, as well as a blood test for group and Rh factor, and checks donor blood for compatibility. The resuscitation laboratory is also open 24 hours a day.

Maternity hospital laboratory assistants

In maternity hospitals, the organization of laboratories is similar to clinical hospitals. The only difference is that tests are taken not only from pregnant women and those who gave birth, but also from newborn children. In addition to general clinical tests and determining the group and Rh factor, newborns are also analyzed for congenital genetic diseases. The laboratory of the maternity hospital is on standby. Both laboratory doctors and laboratory assistants with secondary specialized education work here.

Mortuary laboratory assistants

Mortuary laboratory assistants, otherwise known as histologists, prepare and examine cadaveric material to clarify or determine the cause of a person’s death. The second task of histologists is to study surgically removed tumors (to determine whether they are benign or malignant), parts of removed organs, as well as abortive material. Histological analyzes are difficult to prepare and study, so the lead time for such an analysis can take up to a month.

Laboratory assistants of individual laboratories

Such laboratories include private structures, laboratories at various research institutes, as well as highly specialized laboratories. Private laboratories do almost all types of tests. Both laboratory assistants and laboratory doctors work there. Research institutes do highly focused studies (for example, tests for all types of hormones at the Institute of Endocrinology, detailed blood tests at the Institute of Hematology). Narrowly focused laboratories are engaged in the study of analyzes of a certain type. Such laboratories include HIV and AIDS trust rooms, tuberculosis dispensaries and others.

What diseases does a laboratory technician treat?

Laboratory assistants and laboratory doctors do not treat diseases or even make diagnoses. They only help, using test results, to determine the presence of a particular disease, identify the causative agent, and also differentiate one disease from another. For example, thanks to tests, it is possible to differentiate cystitis from pyelonephritis, hyperglycemic coma from hypoglycemic one, distinguish malignant neoplasm from benign one, appendicitis from renal colic, common ARVI from tonsillitis, and much more.

To obtain a reliable analysis result, the most important thing is proper preparation and collection of material. For each study there are certain rules, the main ones of which we list below.

In order for the laboratory technician to correctly interpret the blood test, it should be taken in the morning, strictly on an empty stomach. In this case, the intake of alcohol, fatty and spicy foods, and medications should be avoided during the day. If taking medications cannot be stopped, then you must inform the laboratory assistant about this. You should also not take the test after active physical activity.

In order for the laboratory technician to correctly interpret the urine test, the external genitalia should be thoroughly cleaned and the material collected strictly in sterile containers. It is advisable to use morning urine.

When submitting urogenital scrapings, you need to remember that in order to perform the analysis correctly, you need to exclude sexual intercourse for 3 days, take antibiotics for a week, women should not douche, and men should not go to the toilet for at least 2 hours.

Sperm collection should only be performed in a laboratory. To prepare for this test, you should abstain from sexual intercourse for at least five days, and also avoid taking antibiotics.

When donating stool, you need to remember that fresh morning material for research is desirable; it must be collected in a clean, sterile container. You also need to avoid taking antibacterial drugs.

When bacteriological analysis of any material, it is very important to have the freshest material, which must be collected strictly in sterile containers. Before taking the test, you need to avoid taking antibacterial drugs for at least a week.

If you follow these simple rules, the laboratory doctor will perform the analysis efficiently and on time.