Inpatient Phlebotomist

Department Overview

The purpose of this position is to provide adult and pediatric phlebotomy service to the inpatients served by the OHSU Hospital, Clinics and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. This person works closely with the Phlebotomy team and other inpatient departments to ensure immediate, courteous, and comprehensive responses to requests for service, or concerns about specimens and related matters. This person maintains a professional and customer service oriented focus at all times. The employee in this position promotes OHSU's mission statement by delivering high quality, cost effective, family-oriented service. All tasks and duties are performed with support and oversight by the Phlebotomy Management Team. This position helps to create a collaborative environment by integrating education, research, and clinical leadership.

Function/Duties of Position

Inpatient Speciment Collection and Processing

• Collects SCHEDULED, ROUTINE, COLLECT NOW, AND TIMED DRAW specimens from inpatients using approved specimen collection methods. This includes following the policies and procedures as found in the Phlebotomy Procedure Manual on the MCN Policy site.
• Performs venipuncture using approved procedures on adult and pediatric patients on inpatient units.
• Assists coworkers as needed.
• Correctly identifies patients using two patient identifiers, scans barcoded inpatient ID Band, and labels tubes by the bedside.
• Greets patients and interacts in a professional, courteous manner.
• Collects on-demand and timed specimens from inpatients as directed.
• Collects scheduled draws at due time or earlier.
• Reviews Rover for Taken draws and triages urgent draws .
• Documents collections, cancellations, notes, and moved draws.
• Correctly executes downtime procedure for equipment and Epic failure.
• Ensures timely transportation to lab of all collected specimens.

Clerical and Customer Service Functions

• Answers Vocera messages and calls, aids with clarifying orders, notifying clinics or inpatient floors of specimen problems, etc.
• Communicates clearly and accurately with staff and patients
• Does whatever is reasonable to meet the needs of the customers.
• Demonstrates high level customer service to both internal and external customers through timely responsiveness to customer needs, including ensuring client satisfaction through friendly professional communication, appropriate greeting, excellent telephone skills, timely handling of specimens and paperwork, and thorough problem- solving.
• Interacts with all other professional staff in a courteous and helpful manner.

Other Duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent and completion of phlebotomy training program including significant time spent in a clinical rotation or 3 months of recent (within the last 12 months) phlebotomy experience in a clinical laboratory. Certification as ASCP (PBT), NHA (CPT), RPT (AMT) or equivalent required, or must be completed in the first year of employment. OR 
• One year of college level psychology, communications, or science course work plus 1 year of dedicated phlebotomy experience/training in a clinical laboratory. Certification as ASCP (PBT), NHA (CPT), RPT (AMT) or equivalent required, or must be completed in the first year of employment.

Job Related Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Competencies):

• Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to interact with a variety of clients including doctors, nurses, laboratory staff and patients, and maintain a customer service focus at all times.
• Ability to initiate procedures and policies to improve work flow and work accuracy in Phlebotomy.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions accurately.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Skills in dealing with high volume fast paced environment, with sometimes difficult public contact.
• Ability to work independently within established guidelines, to communicate and work effectively within a group.

Preferred Qualifications

• Phlebotomy skills and knowledge
• Experience with a Laboratory Information System and Hospital Information System. 
• Phlebotomy skills including inpatient and/or ambulatory pediatric and/or adult patient populations

Additional Details

This position will serve the OHSU Hospital and Clinics and Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. Positions in the laboratory and environs may require working flexible schedules, including nights weekends and holidays; working at multiple laboratory or hospital sites; traveling between units and sites by stairs, elevator, tram, shuttle or other means; exposure to blood and body fluids, chemical hazards; working in a sometimes noisy and crowded environment; wearing gloves and other Personal Protective Equipment for long periods of time; experiencing occasional temperature control fluctuations in buildings.

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.