Medical laboratory technicians play a critical role in patient care. By analyzing both bodily fluid and tissue samples for abnormalities, they help physicians diagnose and treat patients. What does an average day look like for a medical lab tech?
The Medical Lab Technician Arrives at Work
Medical lab techs across the U.S. travel to many unique facilities to begin their work each day. In fact, medical lab technicians are often found in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, long-term care facilities, specialty clinics and more. There’s plenty of flexibility for medical lab techs to choose where they’d like to work.
The Day-to-Day Responsibilities of a Medical Lab Tech
Once they arrive, medical lab techs begin to complete their day-to-day tasks which may include:
- Collecting blood and tissue samples from patients
- Preparing the necessary solutions to add to the samples for testing
- Analyzing patient samples in search of abnormalities
- Testing both blood and urine for the presence of drugs
- Analyzing a patient’s blood to ensure another blood is a match for a successful transfusion
- Prepping, sterilizing and maintaining high-tech equipment such as microscopes, gamma counters, densitometer, spectrophotometers and more
As medical lab techs move on with their day, they’re also required to ensure lab orders are correct, label specimens accurately, arrange reports for physicians, clean work surfaces, maintain quality standards and more.
The End of the Shift
To prepare for the end of their shift, a medical lab tech might enter data such as lab results into patient records or send final reports to individuals on a patient’s care team. They may also sterilize and clean their lab equipment to prepare it for another day. Some techs will communicate with physicians or other healthcare professionals directly prior to leaving to ensure a patient’s lab results are received for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Start Your Medical Lab Technician Career Today. Call Cambridge.
If you’re ready to get started towards a career in medical lab technology, take advantage of Cambridge’s in-depth Medical Laboratory Technician program. Through this program, you’ll learn the skills necessary to succeed in your career. To learn more about our program or to get started today, give us a call at 877-206-4279.