Clinical Laboratory Careers

1. 1 Clinical Laboratory Careers Janice M. Conway-Klaassen M.S., MT(ASCP)SM, CLS(NCA) Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program Director University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2. 2 Clinical Laboratories 7.25 billion tests are performed annually by 350,000 laboratory professionals. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the demand for laboratory will result in a 17% increase in testing from 1998-2008.

3. 3 Scope/Size of Profession Third largest group of health professionals: estimates are that there are approximately 288,000* working in clinical laboratories alone (does not include those working in industry) Only two health care professions with larger numbers of practitioners are physicians and nurses

4. 4 Organization of Pathology/Laboratory Medicine Anatomic pathology Clinical pathology (aka "laboratory medicine")

5. 5 Medical Laboratory Organization Anatomic Pathology Pathologist MD Pathology Assistant Cytotechnologist Histotechnologist Histotechnician

6. 6 Medical Laboratory Organization Clinical Pathology Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist Clinical/Medical Laboratory Technician Molecular Pathologist Cytogeneticist Flow Cytometrist

7. 7 Who are Laboratory Professionals? Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) Medical Technologists (MT) Generalists and Category specific Cytotechnologists (CT) Histotechnologists (HTL) Pathology Assistants (PA) Molecular Pathologists (MP) Flow Cytometrists (FC) Cytogeneticists (CG)

8. 8 Who are Laboratory Support Staff? Clinical Laboratory Technicians (CLT) Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT) Histotechnicians (HT) Clinical Laboratory Assistants (CLA) Phlebotomists (PBT)

9. 9 What is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist/Medical Technologist? A person who performs laboratory testing on blood, urine, feces, spinal fluid and other body fluids. They provide 70-80% of the objective data used to make clinical decisions.

10. 10 General Job Duties Run Lab tests Develop and evaluate the tests Interpret data Analyze the results Communicate with physicians regarding test results

11. 11 Laboratory Professionals Conduct Tests To: Verify a potentially dangerous drug level Detect a cancerous tumor with DNA techniques Identify toxic agents, such as anthrax, in cases of bioterrorism Monitor the level of anti-rejection drugs in transplant patients Type and cross-match blood samples for transfusions Identify the causative microorganism in a blood or wound infection

12. 12 Clinical Chemistry

13. 13 Serum can be tested for: Cholesterol Blood glucose (sugar) Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride) Enzymes from the heart, liver, pancreas, etc. Kidney function (blood urea nitrogen or creatinine) Hormones Vitamins Drug concentrations

14. 14 Urinalysis Measures kidney and bladder health Examines physical, chemical and microscopic characteristics of urine

15. 15 Hematology instruments analyze:

16. 16 Blood smears are examined using a light microscope in Hematology

17. 17 Hematology - Coagulation Lab Tests the ability of blood to clot Often used to monitor anti-coagulant therapy (coumadin), also called “blood thinners”

18. 18 Clinical Microbiology

19. 19 Blood Bank(Immunohematology)

20. 20 What’s a Cytotechnologist? A Cytotechnologist prepares and examines slides of cells. They are best known for the performance of Pap tests for cervical cancer, but they examine many other types of specimens as well.

21. 21 What’s an Histotechnologist? A person who prepares solid tissues such as biopsy samples and tumors for examination under the microscope

22. 22 What’s a Cytogeneticist Prepares and analyzes genetic material to identify potential defects or changes related to disease

23. 23 What’s a Flow Cytometrist Uses a flow cytometer to label, sort, and identify DNA, RNA, and cellular surface markers in health and disease

24. 24 UNLV Clinical Laboratory Sciences Program The only NAACLS accredited baccalaureate clinical laboratory science program in the state of Nevada (first graduates in 1990) 100% Board exam pass rate 100% job placement rate 10-14 graduates/year Certificate & Minor Programs available 4-16 weeks of clinical practicum (category dependent)

25. 25 What it Takes To Be a Clinical Laboratory Professional Be a problem solver Accept challenge and responsibility Be accurate and precise Be reliable and emotionally stable Be able to work well under pressure Like microscope work Like sciences Able to multi-task and complete tasks on time Communicate well, both in writing and verbally Set high personal standards and expect quality in one’s work Like to work with automated instruments

26. 26 Skills and Abilities Good manual dexterity Enjoy problem solving Work independently Interest in science, especially biology Detail oriented Work well under pressure Organized Accurate and Precise Desire to help others

27. 27 General Curriculum in Laboratory Science Programs College - general education courses Science Prerequisites chemistry biology math Specialty courses in laboratory medicine Clinical Internship – practicum in real laboratory settings

28. 28 CLS Requirements at UNLV University Core (36) same as COS Science Foundation (33) similar to COS CLS Program, Minors, and Certificates Whole CLS Program (53 credits) Minors/Certificates (20–30 specialty credits) Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Immunohematology, Microbiology, Phlebotomy

29. 29 Types of Sites Used for Internships Acute care hospital laboratories Rural hospital labs Student health center laboratories Large reference labs State or county public health laboratories Military hospitals Large physician office labs (POLs) Clinics Ambulatory care centers (Well Patient, Out Patient Centers)

30. 30 Who are Laboratory Professionals?