In this article, we’ll go over the daily tasks that a lab support services tech may perform during an average workday.
Like employers in any other industry, healthcare systems often use many different titles to describe similar roles, so the duties described in this article may also be performed by a:
- Laboratory Technician
- Clinical Lab Assistant
- Medical Laboratory Assistant
Support staff are vital to keeping clinical laboratories and running smoothly. Their work ensures that patients get the right diagnoses in a timely manner, doctors prescribe the correct medicines, and more.
Lab support services techs may begin their shifts by readying their workspace and performing quality control checks to ensure that all lab instruments are working properly. While the exact instruments may differ between laboratories, common equipment includes:
- Microscopes
- Centrifuges
- Autoclaves
- Incubators
- Spectrophotometers
- Blood gas analyzers
If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry—laboratories ensure that all new employees complete training on how to use their basic equipment!
After preparing their equipment for the day, lab technicians may then check on existing cultures, which could be samples from patients’ blood, wounds, urine, or sputum.
Conducting tests on these samples may allow lab support services techs to quickly determine the illness from which a patient is suffering, and in more complicated cases, their work provides key data points that clinicians use to find a diagnosis. When a job description mentions “specimen processing,” it is referring to these vital tests!
Depending on the size of the facility, lab support services technicians may also perform the duties of a phlebotomist. If phlebotomy is a part of the job description, then a lab technician will also interact with patients in order to collect blood samples and prepare them for testing.
These interactions with patients may include explaining the procedure, calming patients’ nerves, choosing the appropriate needles, then labeling samples for testing. Lab technicians may handle hundreds of samples in a single day, so correctly labeling specimens and keeping their workspace organized is a crucial part of the job.
Throughout the day, lab support services techs are also responsible for keeping patient’s records updated with findings from tests and communicating with other members of the care team to discuss any relevant findings.
At the end of the shift, each lab support services tech hands off their work to the next assistant that reports for work, ensuring that each test is set up properly and their patients’ charts are updated before leaving.
Overall, lab support services techs typically have little interaction with patients, spending most of their time in the laboratory rather than on the hospital floor. This work setting is great for people that are interested in working in the healthcare industry but aren’t yet sure if they would enjoy working a full-time patient care role.
Due to the delicate nature of many scientific laboratory tests, lab techs should have good fine-motor skills and a keen eye for detail. To ensure that results are reported accurately, clinical lab assistants should also be well-organized and willing to adhere to strict laboratory rules and regulations.
If you are interested in working as a laboratory assistant, contact one of our career counselors today to get started!
