Job Summary:

In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic direction of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

The Laboratory Technologist, Histopathology performs established histological procedures including cutting and staining samples and performing other related duties as assigned.

Duties/Accountabilities:

1.    Performs manual and automated histological procedures on specimens received from various clinical and hospital units, including frozen sections and minimal sample specimens following established operating policies.
2.    Screens and examines the finished product of test procedures in histopathology prior to their evaluation by the pathologist.  Notifies the Section Head, Histopathology of any procedural difficulties.  Submits completed slides to pathologist for review.
3.    Assists pathologists in gross section cutting by performing duties such as preparing work area and setting up specimens.
4.    Preparing and staining of material for specified grant-funded projects.
5.    Performs a variety of duties related to the BCCA Pathology Consultation Service, including reviewing samples with special staining to ensure quality standards have been maintained and cutting and staining minimal sections to support cases and registry archives, as required by the Director of the Pathology Consultation Service.
6.    Records quality control statistics on quality control forms and notifying the Section Head, Histopathology of any unexpected results. Takes follow-up action such as redoing procedure as directed by the Section Head, Histopathology.
7.    Performs equipment maintenance as scheduled, including tissue processors, cryostat, embedding centre, staining equipment and microtomes, notifying the Section Head, Histopathology of any non-functioning equipment.  Troubleshoots minor equipment problems such as cryostat not up to optimal temperature, and wax not dispensing from instrument, by reviewing instrument manuals under the direction of the Section Head, Histopathology.
8.    Receives, logs, and maintains records of specimens, following established protocols.
9.    Monitors levels of supplies at own workstations. Notifies the Section Head, Histopathology of restocking needs.
10.    Completes information for department reports including recording units for workload measurement and forwards information to the Section Head, Histopathology.
11.    Maintains current knowledge of theoretical and technical procedures being used, including immunohistochemical techniques, and of changes in histopathological technical methods by reviewing relevant literature, consulting with other professionals and attending relevant education programs approved by the Section Head, Histopathology.
12.    Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications:

Education, Training and Experience

• Successful completion of recognized competency assessment exam and registration in the relevant field(s) of practice in accordance with the Canadian Alliance of Medical Laboratory Professionals Regulators (CAMLPR) pathways, or certification with the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS).

• Field of practice: Histology.
• Graduate of a recognised program in Medical Laboratory Technology plus three (3) years of recent related experience in histopathology or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of immunohistochemical and in-situ hybridization techniques and tissue array preparation.
• Demonstrated ability to perform routine histological procedures on minimal samples.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of staff both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise and organise workload.
• Physical ability to perform the job including visual acuity sufficient to differentiate between all colours of the spectrum.
• Demonstrated ability to operate related equipment including ability to work with various database and word-processing software programs.