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ESSENTIAL
FUNCTIONS FOR CLS STUDENTS
AT THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF GEORGIA A student in the Medical Technology program at the Medical
College of Georgia is expected to meet the following requirements.
Observation Requirements
- Observe laboratory demonstrations in which biologicals
(e.g., body fluids, culture materials, tissue sections, and
cellular specimens) are tested for their biochemical,
hematological, microbiological, and immunologic components;
- Characterize the color, odor, clarity, and viscosity of
biologicals, reagents, or chemical reaction products;
- Employ a clinical grade binocular microscope to discriminate
among fine structural differences of microscopic specimens;
- Read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in
print and on a video monitor
Movement Requirements
- Move freely and safely about a laboratory
- Reach laboratory benchtops and shelves, patients lying in
hospital beds or patient seated in specimen collection
furniture;
- Travel to numerous clinical laboratory sites for practical
experience;
- Perform moderately taxing continuous physical work, often
requiring prolonged sitting, over several hours;
- Maneuver phlebotomy and culture acquisition equipment to
safely collect valid laboratory specimens from patients;
- Control laboratory equipment (e.g. pipettes, inoculating
loops, test tubes) and adjust instruments to perform laboratory
procedures;
- Use an electronic keyboard (e.g. 101-key IBM computer
keyboard) to operate laboratory instruments and to calculate
record, evaluate, and transmit laboratory information.
Communication Requirement
- Read and comprehend technical and professional materials
(e.g. textbooks, magazines, journal articles, handbooks, and
instruction manuals);
- Follow verbal and written instructions in order to correctly
and independently perform laboratory test procedures;
- Clearly instruct patients prior to specimen collection;
- Effectively, confidentially, and sensitivity converse with
patients regarding laboratory tests;
- Evaluate the performance of fellow students, staff, and
health care professionals verbally and in a recorded format
(writing, typing, graphics, or telecommunications)
- Use computer software (word processor, spreadsheet,
database, information systems), the Internet, and the World Wide
Web for communication, education, and professional purposes;
- Independently prepare papers, prepare laboratory reports,
and take paper, computer, and laboratory practical
examinations.
Intellectual Requirements
- Possess these intellectual skills; comprehension,
measurement, mathematical calculation, reasoning, integration,
analysis, comparison, self-expression, and criticism;
- Ability to solve problems and think critically;
- Exercise sufficient judgment to recognize and correct
performance deviations;
- Critically evaluate her or his own performance, accept
constructive criticism, and look forward to improve (e.g.
participate in enriched educational activities)
Behavior Requirements
- Dress to project a neat, well-groomed, professional
appearance;
- Behave in a professional manner toward fellow students,
faculty, and patients;
- Manage the use of time and systematize actions in order to
complete professional and technical tasks within realistic
constraints;
- Possess the emotional health necessary to effectively employ
intellect and exercise appropriate judgments;
- Provide professional and technical services while
experiencing the stresses of task-related uncertainty (e.g.
ambiguous test ordering, ambivalent test interpretation),
emergent demands (e.g. “stat” test orders), and a distracting
environment (e.g. high noise levels, crowding, complex visual
stimuli);
- Be flexible and creative and adapt to professional and
technical change;
- Recognize potentially hazardous materials, equipment, and
situations and proceed safely in order to minimize risk of
injury to patients, self, and nearby individuals;
- Adapt to working with potentially offensive specimens,
chemicals, biologicals;
- Support and promote the activities of fellow students and of
health care professionals;
- Help foster a team approach to learning, task completion,
problem solving, and patient care;
- Be honest, compassionate, ethical, and responsible;
- Forthright about errors or uncertainty
Adapted from: Fritsma, G.A., Fiorella B. J., and Murphey, M.
Essential Requirements for Clinical Laboratory Science. CLS 1996.
Vol. 9, pp 40-43 |