Medical Laboratory Assistant Duties
A medical assistant is a member of a laboratory who carries out laboratory experiments on medical samples. The medical laboratory assistant's main duty is to provide additional help and support to the medical technologist, who will also be his supervisor. Duties of a medical laboratory assistant include chemical handling, making reports, analyzing samples and fixing equipment.
Other People Are Reading
-
Handling Chemicals
-
Laboratory assistants must have the proper knowledge of the chemicals they handle and of how to use these chemicals in experiments and how to store them. Certain chemicals cannot be stored in transparent containers. Some chemicals must be stored at a specific temperature. Mixing certain types of chemicals can destroy the samples tested and potentially be dangerous for the assistant and for the whole lab. Laboratory assistants handle a great deal of chemicals throughout their workday and knowing how and why a certain chemical is used is crucial to their work.
Making Reports
-
The medical laboratory assistant makes the reports for the samples tested and for the results obtained and files them or sends them off to different medical departments. Reports include the tests carried out, sample analysis, and any significant findings. These reports are what medical examiners, doctors and specialists will base their diagnosis on.
-
Analyzing Samples
-
The laboratory assistant examines, analyzes and processes samples ordered by the medical lab technologist. Samples can include body fluids, tissues, malignant cells, bacteria and microorganisms. The assistant conducts medical research and a detailed analysis of the laboratory results before filing the report to the medical technologist. The laboratory assistant must carry out proper protocol for each lab sample tested and analyzed to obtain correct analysis and correct results.
Fixing Equipment
-
Medical laboratories hold scientific equipment to carry out a wide range of tests and analysis to ensure the correct results. Laboratory assistants must have the knowledge to use the laboratory equipment and to fix equipment that can be fixed or order new equipment to ensure that misdiagnosis does not occur and the correct results of the samples are obtained. The equipment within the lab must function properly as the results obtained will have an impact on diagnosing the patient's illness or disease. Misdiagnosis of an illness based on laboratory results can have devastating consequences.
-
