
Essential Functions for Medical Laboratory Science Students
In order to successfully complete coursework required in Medical Laboratory Science, several
"Essential Functions" must be met. Essential functions, the nonacademic standards
that a student must be able to master to participate successfully in the program,
are as follows:
Essential Visual and Observation Skills
The Medical Laboratory Science student must be able to:
- observe laboratory demonstrations in which biological (i.e., body fluids, culture
materials, tissue sections, and cellular specimens) are tested for their biochemical,
hematological, immunological, microbiological, and histochemical components
- characterize the color, odor, clarity, and viscosity of biologicals samples, reagents,
or chemical reaction products.
- utilize a clinical grade binocular microscope to discriminate among fine structural
and color (hue, shading, and intensity) differences of microscopic specimens.
- read and comprehend text, numbers, and graphs displayed in print and on a video monitor.
- recognize alarms.
Essential Motor and Mobility Requirements
The Medical Laboratory Science student must be able to:
- perform laboratory testing adhering to existing laboratory safety standards
- perform moderately taxing continuous physical work, often requiring prolonged sitting
or standing, over several hours.
- travel to assigned clinical laboratory Practicum sites.
- reach laboratory benchtops and shelves, patients lying in hospital beds or patients
seated in specimen collection furniture.
- grasp, hold, transport, utilize specimens, reagents, hazardous chemicals and equipment
in a safe manner as needed to perform laboratory testing.
- obtain patient specimens in a timely, safe, and professional manner (e.g. perform
phlebotomy).
- use laboratory equipment (e.g. pipettes, inoculating loops, test tubes) and instruments
to perform laboratory procedures according to established laboratory guidelines.
- use a computer keyboard to operate laboratory instruments and to calculate, record,
evaluate, and transmit laboratory information.
- troubleshoot and correct basic equipment malfunctions.
Essential Communication Requirements
The Medical Laboratory Science student must be able to:
- read and understand technical and professional materials (i.e. textbooks, journal
articles, handbooks, and instruction manuals).
- follow oral and written instructions independently.
- clearly instruct patients regarding specimen collection.
- demonstrate sensitivity, confidentiality and respect when speaking with patients.
- communicate clearly, accurately and tactfully with faculty members, student colleagues,
staff, and other health care professionals orally and in a recorded format (writing,
typing, graphics, or telecommunications).
Essential Intellectual Requirements
The Medical Laboratory Science student must be able to:
- comprehend, measure, calculate, reason, integrate, analyze, evaluate, correlate, problem-solve
and compare.
- recognize abnormal laboratory results (e.g. patient and QC) and take appropriate action.
- demonstrate critical-thinking and judgment skills appropriate to a given situation.
- independently prepare papers, prepare laboratory reports, and take paper, computer,
and laboratory practical examinations.
Essential Behavioral Requirements
The Medical Laboratory Science must be able to:
- organize work and perform multiple tasks within given time constraints and under stressful
conditions while maintaining the ability to communicate clearly.
- be able to manage the use of time and be able to systematize actions in order to complete
professional and technical tasks within realistic constraints.
- possess the emotional health necessary to effectively apply knowledge and exercise
appropriate judgment.
- be able to provide professional and technical services while experiencing the stresses
of task-related uncertainty (i.e., ambiguous test order, ambivalent test interpretation),
emergent demands (i.e. "stat" test order), and distracting environment (i.e., 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 unpleasant biologicals.
- support and promote the activities of fellow students and of health care professionals.
Promotion of peers helps furnish a team approach to learning, task completion, problem
solving, and patient care.
- be honest, compassionate, ethical, and responsible. The student must be forthright
about errors or uncertainty. The student must be able to critically evaluate her or
his own performance, accept and act on constructive criticism, and look for ways to
improve (i.e., participate in enriched educational activities).
- show respect for individuals of different age, ethnic background, religion, and/or
sexual orientation.