CLINICAL LAB SCIENEC

CHAPTER 2: LABORATORY PERSONNEL CREDENTIALING AND FACILITY ACCREDITATION 33
medical technologists, medical laboratory technicians (MLTs) perform complex
examinations on body fluids and waste products. They stain slides and perform
routine tests on blood, tissues, and fluids. MLTs keep official records of results
and perform quality control procedures to ensure accuracy of results. They use
microscopes, computers, and other laboratory equipment to gather data used to
determine the absence, presence, extent, and cause of diseases. As they gain experience,
MLTs are given more responsibility and perform more complex tests. Possible
areas of specialization in the medical laboratory include clinical chemistry,
hematology, immunohematology, immunology, microbiology, and urinalysis.
The MT must be organized and be able to work independently while supervising
other categories of laboratory workers. A combination of good problemsolving
skills coupled with critical thinking, along with the ability to work well
under pressure, is important. MTs are the supervisory personnel and technical
experts of nearly every laboratory. They ensure a well-run operation by providing
reliable results and controlling the quality of results obtained while training
and supervising laboratory technicians. They provide data so that physicians
and researchers can determine the presence and extent of disease as well as the
evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment. MTs (also called CLSs) are skilled in
the use of sophisticated equipment, most of which is computerized, and requires
a knowledge of computer applications. The MT is a professional who performs
diagnostic analytic tests on specimens, including blood, urine, stools, sputum,
cerebrospinal fluid, and miscellaneous body fluids, such as pericardial, peritoneal,
and synovial fluids.
Most technologists find employment in hospital laboratories, but other areas
of employment include physician office laboratories (POLs), commercial reference
laboratories, research laboratories, and various positions within the biotechnology
realm. Technologists most often work as generalists and are skilled
in all areas of the clinical laboratory. MTs understand the theory behind the performance
of specific tests and the significance of those results. MTs often choose
specialty areas such as drug testing for therapeutic drug monitoring and drugs
of abuse, biogenetics, immunohematology, microbiology, and biochemistry. MTs
are the specialists in many departments of the laboratory and may possess graduate
degrees pertinent to their field of expertise. Those who possess specialty
credentials may use acronyms such as “SBB” for “specialist in blood banking”
following their basic registry status of, for instance, MT(ASCP)SBB.
Introduction to Accreditation for Educational
Programs, Facilities, and Personnel Programs
Accreditation groups are responsible for sanctioning both the medical facilities
and educational programs. Accreditation is not focused toward individuals but
toward entire facilities and programs. However, to be accredited, many of the
accreditation agencies also require that any personnel working in or completing
educational programs as students must have met certain standards—thus, the
reason for combining these two separate entities. Although facility accreditation
and personnel certification are separate entities, facility accreditation may require
that personnel hired in various departments of the facility are certified, licensed,
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