University of California, Los Angeles
March 2007
Class Specifications - I.25
Hospital Laboratory Technician IV - 8970
Hospital Laboratory Technician III - 8974
Hospital Laboratory Technician II - 8975
Hospital Laboratory Technician I - 8976
SERIES CONCEPT
Hospital Laboratory Technicians perform or supervise the performance of a wide variety of technical procedures in a hospital laboratory or other facility directly involved in patient-care activities; and perform other related duties as required.
The technical determinations made or supervised are in one or more fields of hospital or laboratory procedure, and either directly or indirectly yield technical data about patients. The fields include biochemistry, microbiology, hematology and hemodialysis and may include specialized work in areas such as ophthalmology, dental prosthetics and pathology. Installation, operation and maintenance of laboratory equipment and instruments may be a secondary, but essential part of the duties. The primary usage of the technical data yielded is related to direct patient care; however, this data may be used for research purposes secondarily.
The Hospital Laboratory Technician series consists of four classes which are differentiated either by the type of supervision exercised, or for a non-supervisory position, the complexity of technical determinations made. Generally, the more repetitive technical determinations are made in the entry level Hospital Laboratory Technician I and operational level Hospital Laboratory Technician II classes. The higher-level classes are characterized by either a degree of supervision over a number of personnel or the performance of more complex, specialized or developmental work. The developmental work performed may consist of improving methodologies, procedures and equipment used, and may include publication of studies and reports, with patient care rather than basic research the primary objective.
The Hospital Laboratory Technician series is differentiated from the Clinical Laboratory Technologist series by the absence of licensure requirements. It is differentiated from the Staff Research Associate series primarily by the usage of the technical data yielded. For the Staff Research Associate series, technical data yielded is used primarily for research and teaching, secondarily for public service such as patient care. Whereas, the converse is the case for the Hospital Laboratory Technician series.
The examples cited in the class concepts are illustrative and do not preclude allocation to the series of positions requiring equivalent technical knowledge and skill, and that meet the basic patient care orientation intended in this series.
CLASS CONCEPT
Hospital Laboratory Technician IV
Under direction, incumbents may perform either a) supervisory duties, such as direction of the work of a large laboratory, or section involved in patient care activities or supporting services, or b) non-supervisory duties, such as performance of non-repetitive specialized procedures and developmental work or methodologies used in patient care. Positions that are primarily supervisory usually involve laboratory management over (a) one Hospital Laboratory Technician III or (b) three Hospital Laboratory Technician II’s or comparable level positions.
Hospital Laboratory Technician IV positions differ from Hospital Laboratory Technician III positions in that they involve either (a) greater laboratory management over personnel in higher level classes, or (b) developmental work in addition to complex specialized procedures for non-supervisory positions.
Hospital Laboratory Technician IV positions differ from Staff Research Associate IV positions in their primary emphasis on patient care, rather than research or teaching. Developmental work performed at the Hospital Laboratory Technician IV level has application in improvement of methodologies used in patient care.
Examples:
1. Under medical direction, supervises the technical procedures in a Clinical Laboratory section, including direction of six Hospital Laboratory Technicians; trains subordinates, schedules work, maintains
records and makes reports; and performs developmental work on methodologies including publication such as an operations manual for new and existing techniques.
2. Within the Clinical Laboratories, performs the updating and troubleshooting of existing methodologies; develops, researches, implements and evaluates new procedures and equipment. Such positions may involve ongoing production areas, such as developing, implementing and evaluating methodologies involved with the use of Automatic Clinical Analyzers, or they may be involved in such areas as toxicology and endocrinology.
Hospital Laboratory Technician III
Under general supervision incumbents may perform either (a) supervisory duties such as directing the work of a medium-sized laboratory, section or other facility involved in patient care activities or directly supporting services; or (b) non-supervisory duties that require performance of non-repetitive complex specialized work involved with methodologies used in patient care. Supervisory positions typically carry responsibility for laboratory or section management and supervision of at least one Hospital Laboratory Technician II, or two Hospital Laboratory Technician I's, or comparable level positions. Incumbents may also be required to perform such tasks as standardizing techniques and procedures, preparing standardized materials and reagents, and training subordinate staff members and checking the
accuracy of their work.
Non-supervisory positions at the Hospital Laboratory Technician III level differ from those at the Hospital Laboratory Technician IV level in that they perform complex specialized tasks that are not developmental, and that while requiring great skill, utilize established procedures.
Examples:
1. Supervises the patient care activities performed in such areas as a Nuclear Medicine Clinic, Pulmonary Function Laboratory, or an Adult Catheterization Laboratory. The technical duties performed within each area usually include such procedures as collecting of blood samples and analyzing for oxygen content within the Adult Catheterization Laboratory; testing of patients for pulmonary disease and using blood gas analyzers within a Pulmonary Function section; or performing scans of organs within a Nuclear Medicine Clinic.
2. Within a Maxillofacial Prosthetics Clinic, performs non-supervisory functions involving non-repetitive complex tasks such as fabrication of various types of oral prostheses. This may include set-up of artificial teeth for unusual denture cases, fabrication on stone duplicate molds, investment and casting of metal molds from linotype material, and polishing and finishing cast molds for facial prostheses.
3. Within an Ophthalmology Clinic, performs non-supervisory functions involving non-repetitive specialized tasks such as fabrication of Scheral and Corneal Contact Lenses by making molded impressions of the eye, constructing, fitting and adjusting lens to the patient's eye, and instructing the physician and patient on adjustment and removal techniques.
Hospital Laboratory Technician II
Under general supervision incumbents perform a wide variety of repetitive technical procedures of the kind described under the Series Concept, at the operational level of skill; or perform a limited variety of repetitive but specialized laboratory procedures requiring a high level of skill, finesse and judgment in one specialized field of work.
Examples of assignments allocated to this level of difficulty and responsibility are:
Chemical technician in a hemodialysis unit, performing a wide variety of repetitive chemistry determinations on patient body fluids and dialysate, with a high degree of accuracy and volume of production.
Clinical Laboratory technician (without license) in a hospital laboratory or facility performing a wide variety of repetitive, standardized tests; and in addition may perform tests on patients for pulmonary disease within the Pulmonary Function section by using blood gas analyzers; or may work in the Immunology section modifying standard kits for certain specialized immunological procedures.
Blood bank technician (without license), performing repetitive, standardized procedures on blood, such as blood typing, Rh factor determination, cross matching, and other techniques required in unusual
cases.
Hemodialysis technician (without license) in a hemodialysis unit, is responsible for the operation and servicing of equipment and system, during and between dialysis runs, and for instruction of patients and family members.
Incumbents may work alone without technical supervision to provide shift, weekend and holiday coverage. Incumbents may have responsibility for demonstrating technical procedures and instructing others, including staff members, students and/or patients, but supervisory responsibility is not required at this level.
