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Job Description:

Cytotechnologist

Rush University Medical Center is one of the country's leading medical centers pushing the boundaries of healthcare services with innovative, compassionate, and accountable team members. Are you ready to challenge and grow your skills, contribute to providing top quality patient care, and enhance your career? Rush is a diverse and inclusive culture, and offers a competitive salary, and a valuable compensation package including health, dental and vision benefits, retirement, health savings accounts, and tuition assistance to invest in your future.

This position is responsible for performing complex laboratory procedures related to cytopathology testing, including screening slides, performing adequacy checks on fine needle aspirates, and processing and staining specimens. This position requires teamwork to achieve common goals and meet deadlines to provide quality care to clients and patients. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures. Must adhere to the Rush Code of Conduct and Rush ICARE values: Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, executing these values with compassion.

Position Responsibilities:

Performs Laboratory Testing

• Utilizes required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to perform all laboratory procedures efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision once trained. All testing must be done following Rush approved Policies and Procedures.

• Screening cytopathology slides of both gynecological and non-gynecological fluids Performs adequacy checks of fine needle aspirates in the clinical areas (IR, OR, Endoscopy, etc).

• Process specimens using cytospin, or thin-prep instrument.

• Reviews negative cytological cases as a means of quality control.

• Participates in the training program for residents of Pathology and retains records of positive and interesting cases for educational purposes and inspecting agencies.

• Works closely with clinical staff providing information on correct handling of specimens, test results, pertinent clinical information and decision-making priority cases.

Quality Control and Preventative Maintenance

• Performs required quality control (QC) procedures and preventative maintenance, including corrective action and documentation, for all procedures and instrumentation.

• Recognizes QC problems or discrepancies and attempts to determine the cause of problem. Notifies appropriate supervisor or designee regarding QC problems or discrepancies according to the established procedure.

Troubleshooting

• Performs basic troubleshooting of equipment and processes with minimal assistance, documents action and notifies appropriate personnel, for example, supervisors, of problems all of the time. Able to recognize when additional help is needed and seeks out that help.

Organization of Work Area

• Keeps work area neat, clean, organized, and well stocked at all times. Disinfects area at the beginning and end of each shift.

Specimen Acceptability

• Accepts no inappropriate specimens annually.

Turnaround Time Expectations

• Meets turnaround time expectations by prioritizing and organizing the workload for the shift. Monitors the pending list periodically to ensure turn-around time of all samples.

Time Management

• Utilizes time effectively and seeks out additional job duties when shift tasks are complete.

• Completes work without incurring overtime. Assists fellow workers to finish shift tasks.

• Adheres to the defined allotted time for breaks and lunch.

Continuing Education

• Required to obtain and document 12 hours of laboratory continuing education per year.

Special Projects

• Accepts and/or volunteers for method evaluations and new procedure development or other special projects and completes them within an agreed upon time frame.

• Participates in procedure implementation and training of new staff and students.

• Identifys and participate in process improvement projects.

Tech-in-Charge

• May perform the duties of the tech-in- charge for specified periods of time. Over sees operations according to departmental guidelines.

• Understands when to defer issues to appropriate personnel, for example a supervisor or director.

Results Reporting and Reviewing.

• Transcribes results accurately into the Lab Information System.

• Reviews lab results as required and takes actions before verification and release.

Additional Job Components

• The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job.

• It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements.

Position Qualifications Include:

• Bachelor of Science Degree

• Certification: - CT(ASCP) required

• Personal: Interacts effectively with peers, internal and external customers, excellent communication and organizational skills, ability to work effectively with others.

• Proficiency Testing: Required to pass CAP proficiency testing annually.

Company Highlights:

• Ranked among the top academic medical centers in the country, Rush University Medical Center is an outstanding place to enhance your career. Everything we do centers on one goal: improving patient care.

• Rush offers a competitive salary, and valuable healthy living benefits including: health, dental and vision to help you maintain and improve your health. Rush also offers several ways to invest in your future.

• Rush University Medical Center was ranked among the top 20 best hospitals to work at in 2019 by Indeed.

• All three hospitals in the Rush University System for Health have been designated a "Leader in LGBTQ Healthcare Equality" in the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI).

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.

Position Qualifications Include:

• Bachelor of Science Degree

• Certification: - CT(ASCP) required

• Personal: Interacts effectively with peers, internal and external customers, excellent communication and organizational skills, ability to work effectively with others.

• Proficiency Testing: Required to pass CAP proficiency testing annually.