Associate Practitioner Histology

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

The post holder will perform under limited supervision the routine activities within the department and provide assistance to senior staff. The role entails providing both support to qualified BMS as well as performing complex testing not requiring state registration by the HCPC. The post holder will also be expected to assist with the training of Medical Laboratory Assistants and other trainees. To offer supervised assistance in providing appropriate advice to clinicians and other users of the laboratory service in respect of laboratory investigations and results.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Scientific and Technical:

·         Specimen reception: To deal with the reception, sorting and labelling of patient specimens, identifying inadequate and mis-labelled specimens and ensuring urgent samples are prioritised.

·         Recording specimen dissection descriptions, data entry, preparing specimens for analysis, including booking in patient and specimen details, storing, retrieving and disposing of specimens.

·         Carefully prepare samples for diagnostic testing or storage. This may involve delicate procedures to manually handle category A samples, describe samples and place into a labelled cassette matching necessary paperwork and documentation.

·         As directed, undertake basic testing under supervision of BMS staff.

·         Assist in the training of new members of staff in the standard operational procedures required of them

·         As directed by BMS in technical charge of section, assist in the induction, basic training and competency assessment (as appropriate) of new or less experienced staff by demonstrating duties and providing advice and guidance

·         Loading/unloading tissue processors and initiating processing programmes.

·         To carry out, under supervision, laboratory procedures:

o   Embedding. Morphological alignment of surgical biopsies within molten wax

o   Microtomy.

o   Special stains; Undertake staining procedures to identify specific tissue structures or organisms

o   Antigen retrieval procedures

o   Undertaking manual immunocytochemistry procedures

·         Use laboratory equipment:

o   Slide staining machine,

o   Immunocytochemistry autostainer (programming daily runs, loading/unloading of slides, preparation of reagents general maintenance)

·         To work in compliance with local health and safety rules to ensure a safe working environment for you, colleagues and visitors.

·         To adhere to department and Trust Health and Safety policies (including COSHH, Risk assessments and Standard Operating Procedures) and to report any non-compliances to a senior member of staff.

·         Oversee MLAs working in the section

·         Train new members of staff (MLAs)

·         Answer telephone enquiries, retrieving results in accordance with SOPs

·         To manage and prioritise assigned tasks within timescales determined by a senior member of staff

·         Prioritises urgent work.

·         They will be required to solve day-to-day problems such as mislabelled or lost samples.

·         The post holder will be required to work under the supervision of qualified staff and follow departmental standard operating procedures and policies.

·         To ensure that adequate consumable stocks and reagents are maintained in immediate working areas and to report low levels to a senior member of staff

·         To assist with the operation of expensive laboratory equipment (see knowledge, training and education).

·         To undertake maintenance and decontamination of equipment

·         To report any faults and non-compliances to a senior member of staff.

Communication and Relationships:

·         To provide a first point of contact for enquiries for users of the service and to direct as appropriate to a senior member of staff in accordance with department protocols.

·         Take and convey accurately, messages relating to patients’ samples from Medical, Nursing and Administrative staff within the Trust and from external organisations.

·         The post holder will be required to communicate with all grades of staff within the department on matters relating to the Histological preparation of patient samples.

·         Input patient demographics and tests requested into the Laboratory computer system to enable Histology reports to be produced.

·         The post holder will be expected to communicate to Biomedical Scientists regarding operational issues in their section

·         Follows policies prepared by others, comments on and makes suggestions for improvements.

·         Implements policies within their area of work.