ENTRY LEVEL GOALS

  1. To provide students with both academic instruction and professional training in laboratory medicine to meet the employment needs of communities in the State of Maine and beyond.
  2. To provide an environment conducive to further developing interest in MLT education by participation in professional organizations and encouraging awareness of changing trends in medical laboratory technology.
  3. To produce graduates who will demonstrate the technical skills of an entry-level technician in an ethical and professional manner.
  4. To produce skilled laboratorians who:
    • through general and technical education, are qualified to perform with minimal supervision, the tests routinely performed in clinical laboratories,
    • can identify, collect, label, and log in specimens accurately,
    • have a working knowledge of the principles of the tests they are performing,
    • keep accurate and legible records,
    • can communicate reports clearly to fellow medical personnel,
    • correlate laboratory test results with patient diagnosis and treatment,
    • will strive for accuracy in the performance of tests and will make every effort to eliminate error through their ability to recognize irregularities in test results,
    • follow procedures,
    • perform quality assessment within the clinical laboratory; recognize interferences with pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical test factors and take appropriate actions,
    • are skillful in the operation of laboratory instruments,
    • can recognize instrument failures and take appropriate actions by problem-solving and troubleshooting,
    • can demonstrate and explain routine procedures to others in the laboratory,
    • will take responsibility for their own work, and will have the qualities of honesty and integrity
    • can organize their work to make the most efficient use of time,
    • demonstrate the ability to adapt and perform under stress,
    • observe HIPPA regulations and maintain patient confidentiality,
    • will cooperate with their coworkers and all members of the healthcare team,
    • will strive to keep their competence and knowledge current in relation to the changing work environment,
    • demonstrate knowledge of infection control and safety practices and follow established guidelines and regulations,
    • will actively participate in professional organizations.
  5. To maintain program accreditation through the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS).
  6. To produce graduates who pass certification exams as first-time applicants at a 90% pass rate.
  7. To maintain high academic and professional standards in the program and its students.
  8. To maintain a quality program through continuous assessment, evaluation, and revision.
  9. To maintain qualified faculty that pursues life-long learning and continued professional development.
  10. To prepare students and faculty for clinical practice by fostering awareness and respect for different perspectives and patient needs.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

At career entry, the Medical Laboratory Technician will be able to perform routine clinical laboratory testing in the departments of hematology, clinical chemistry, immunohematology, clinical microbiology, serology/immunology, coagulation, molecular, and other emerging diagnostics as the primary analyst making specimen-oriented decisions on predetermined criteria, including a working knowledge of critical values. Communication skills will extend to frequent interactions with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service, and patient education. The medical laboratory technician will have diverse functions in pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical processes. The clinical Medical Laboratory Technician will be responsible for information processing, training, and quality control monitoring wherever clinical laboratory testing is performed.

Upon graduation and initial employment, the Medical Laboratory Technician should be able to demonstrate entry-level competencies in the areas of professional practice listed below:

  1. Collecting and processing biological specimens and other substances for analysis;       
  2. Performing analytical tests on body fluids, cells, and other substances;
  3. Recognizing factors that affect procedures and results;
  4. Performing appropriate actions within predetermined limits when corrections are indicated;
  5. Performing and monitoring quality control within predetermined limits;
  6. Performing preventive and corrective maintenance of equipment and instruments or referring to appropriate sources for repairs;
  7. Applying principles of safety and governmental regulations compliance;
  8. Demonstrating professional conduct and interpersonal communication skills with patients, laboratory personnel, other healthcare professionals, and the public;
  9. Recognizing the responsibilities of other laboratory and healthcare personnel with regard to the patient;
  10. Interacting with other laboratory and healthcare personnel with respect for their professionals and patient care;
  11. Applying basic scientific principles in learning new techniques and procedures;
  12. Relating laboratory findings to common disease processes; and
  13. Maintaining continuing education as a function of growth and maintenance of professional competence.

Reference: Essentials and Guidelines of Accredited Educational Programs for the Medical Laboratory Technician, National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), revised 1995.

Standards for Accredited and Approved Programs, National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), revised November 2017.background check, it is the responsibility of the student to contact the external vendor for a verification check.

ENTRY LEVEL GOALS

The MLT to MLS Online Program of Maine is committed to providing quality instruction to certified Medical Laboratory Technicians for professional development, career growth opportunities, and increased technical knowledge to provide patient-centered care.   

  1. To fulfill the mission of the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program and University as well as meet the needs of the medical laboratory community, the Medical Laboratory Sciences Program will:
  2. Provide students with opportunities to develop interpersonal attitudes needed to work independently and professionally with patients and other healthcare professionals.
  3. Produce graduates who are effective communicators with all members of the health care team.
  4. Produce graduates that will demonstrate the technical skills of an entry-level scientist in an ethical and professional manner.
  5. Maintain a quality program through continuous assessment, evaluation, and revision.
  6. Maintain qualified faculty that pursues life-long learning and continued professional development.
  7. Encourage students to be lifelong learners as they seek to maintain professional competency and continuing education for career growth.
  8. Develop in our students creative and critical thinking skills needed to promote sound and independent judgments.
  9. Foster leadership through personal examples and to provide a source of leadership knowledge and guidance in medical laboratory science.
  10. Use innovative educational methods to deliver an exceptional curriculum which best suits the needs of a diverse population.
  11. Facilitate transfer of knowledge and skills to adapt to a current and evolving scope of practice.
  12. Foster an environment which develops critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and creative problem solving.
  13. Develop and investigate innovative educational methods to contribute to best practices in laboratory science education.

ENTRY LEVEL COMPETENCIES

At entry-level, the medical laboratory scientist will possess the entry-level competencies necessary to perform the full range of medical laboratory tests in areas such as Clinical Chemistry, Hematology/Hemostasis, Immunology, Immunohematology/Transfusion medicine, Microbiology, Urine and Body Fluid Analysis and Laboratory Operations, and other emerging diagnostics, and will play a role in the development of and evaluation of test systems and interpretive algorithms.

The medical laboratory scientist will have diverse responsibilities in areas of analysis and clinical decision-making, regulatory compliance with applicable regulations, education, and quality assurance/performance improvement whether laboratory testing is researched, developed or performed.

At career entry-level, the medical laboratory scientist will have the following professional competencies:

They will have the ability to:

  1. Professional Behaviors and Communication
    • Demonstrate professional and ethical behavior along with effective interpersonal communication skills when engaging with various stakeholders.
    • Establish effective interprofessional working relationships with other health care professionals, demonstrating comprehension of and respect for their roles and patient welfare.
    • Recognize and appreciate the importance of engaging with an inclusive workforce through collaboration.
    • Value and advocate for a workplace environment that fosters inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
  2. Safety and Compliance
    • Comply with government regulations and accreditation standards relevant to the respective discipline.
    • Adhere to prescribed protocols for overall laboratory safety, biohazard containment, and waste disposal.
    • Implement quality assurance principles to ensure the validity and accuracy of laboratory-generated data.
  3. Education and Research
    • Acknowledge and respond to individual requirements for continuing education and development to foster growth and maintain professional competence.
    • Provide instruction to users of laboratory services regarding appropriate procedures, test utilization and interpretation.
    • Evaluation clinical research studies and data sets to assess applicability and validity.
  4. Laboratory Operations
    • Employ a logical and systematic problem-solving approach when identifying errors and/or technical issues with laboratory procedures and instrumentation.
    • Apply principles of data security to safeguard laboratory and hospital information systems.
    • Apply principles of quality assurance to ensure validity and accuracy of laboratory data.
    • Recognize principles and practices of laboratory management as applied to clinical laboratory science.
  5. Pre-Analytical Competencies
    • Evaluate specimen collection, processing, and storage procedures in accordance with operating procedures.
    • Ensure specimen integrity is maintained throughout the sample procurement process.
  6. Analytical Competencies
    • Adhere to written policies, processes, and procedures for analytical testing, analysis, and instrument maintenance.
    • Evaluate and provide rationale for troubleshooting protocols in analytical testing when appropriate.
    • Perform routine procedures in accordance with standard operating procedures.
    • Apply quality control principles to analytical testing procedures, including instrument calibration, statistical analysis of control results, Westgard rules, and verification of reference ranges.
    • Perform basic calculations, dilutions, and statistical analyses for procedures and analytical testing in the respective discipline.
    • Apply theoretical principles of instrumentation to current methods of analysis.
  7. Post-Analytical Competencies
    • Perform all post-analytical procedures in accordance with quality assurance protocols and regulatory standards.
    • Evaluate results for accuracy and relative to quality control, patient history, specimen integrity, and overall clinical correlation.
    • Report test results, including abnormal, STAT, and critical values, in accordance with the laboratory’s standard operating procedures.