Lab Technician Job Description

Lab technicians are also called clinical lab technicians or medical technologists. The term 'lab' is a short form of 'laboratory', while a technician in general is a person skilled in the techniques of a particular field. For example, a technical expert in the field of electronics is called an electronics technician or a technical expert in the field of automotive is called an automotive technician. Likewise, in medical parlance, an expert in the technical aspects of a laboratory is called a lab technician. What technical aspects are we talking about, though? Not only does it include lab safety rules, but many more. We will look into the profile of a lab technician which will give us a clear and thorough understanding on lab technician duties and the job description for lab technician.

Job Description of Lab Technicians

Lab technician job description and profile differs depending on the place of employment and nature of work. Puzzled? Let me simplify it for you. The name suggests that the lab technicians indeed work in laboratories. However, they are not restrained to working in clinical laboratories only. Besides clinical laboratories they are also employed in research institutes, clinics and commercial medical laboratories. Except for some minor differences that distinguishes a lab technician working in a clinical laboratory and a lab technician employed with a research institute, the basic nature of work by far remains the same.

Medical/Clinical Lab Technician
The nature of work of this group of lab technicians involves collecting samples of human body tissue, blood or body fluid to identify an ailment or a disease. The process further requires testing the samples using certain measures and laboratory equipment and then evaluating the results. In an indirect way, they play an important role in patient care. Indirect because they don't personally communicate with the patients, they help in identifying the disease by checking the sample for any bacteria or parasites causing the disease. After testing, they evaluate the results that are further sent to the physicians, and based on the test results effective treatment is prescribed to the patients.

Research Lab Technician
The job of a lab technician belonging to this group involves performing various experiments and studies in the relative field which depends on the nature of the research subject. Using several medical tools and tests they perform the research. Unlike hospitals and clinical laboratories, lab technicians in the field of research are required to work in teams, though in small research projects they might get to work independently. After the conclusion of initial tests conducted by the lab technicians, the results are submitted to a senior lab technician for analysis.

Duties of a Lab Technician

Depending on the setting that you are working in, the following duties might change. Also, the following list is not all-inclusive.

• Examining and analyzing cells, tissues and blood by collecting samples. For example, collecting blood samples to conduct blood tests.
• Performing tests to look for microorganisms, parasites or bacteria in body fluids and blood.
• Matching blood for blood transfusions.
• Making specimens or samples to examine the count of cells in blood and abnormal cells in blood or body fluids.
• Using microscopes and other sophisticated laboratory equipment to conduct tests.
• Maintaining the laboratory equipment and ensuring that the laboratory is stocked well with all the necessary instruments.
• Interpreting results and submitting the initial tests to the superior for further analysis.
• Procuring up-to-date knowledge on technical developments in medical science.
• Last but not the least, following science lab safety rules.

How to Become a Lab Technician

The minimum requirement to become a lab technician involves getting an associate degree in medical technology. To get into research, one has to either have a four-year degree or, for an entry-level lab technician, a two year associate degree or certifications are also sufficient as an educational requirement. Apart from the degree, many employers consider having a lab technician certification to be a very essential requirement when hiring for the designation of a lab technician.

Most of the lab technicians are employed in hospitals, but they can change their forte if they are interested in research, as many find research more interesting than a regular job at the hospital.