MLAB 2461 CLINICAL II
Chemistry Competencies
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLINICAL INSTRUCTORS – Please read carefully.
Clinical faculty need to place their INITIALS ONE time for each of the skills listed in the rows numbered
1-11 if they believe the student has achieved competency.
It is critically important that the student paperwork be reviewed daily. This should not take more that 10
or 15 minutes as you are just verifying that results were accurately recorded and interpreted and the
results match the results obtained at the site. The clinical instructor must sign the form at the end of each
day.
If a clinical faculty member observes, based on results recorded, that a student has NOT achieved
competency they must document on the “Daily Competency Evaluation by listing the number and letter of
the competency in the “FAIL” column. On the first day or two it is not uncommon for students to make
certain types of errors so it is important to document these errors so that if the student continues to make
the same types of errors after being counseled and allowed additional practice an action plan on the Daily
Competency Evaluation form must be put in place which provides for remediation. If after remediation
the student still does not demonstrate competence the “FAIL” column must be initialed by the clinical
instructor on the appropriate line of the competency form.
To determine 95% competency the student will bring forms to record their results. The student will be
provided with forms which do not permit patient information to be documented. The student will have a
separate master log sheet with sample number, patient name and patient identification number. THE
MASTER LOG SHEET CANNOT BE TAKEN FROM CLINICAL, since it has HIPAA protected
information on it. The Master Log Sheet will be utilized to look up patient information when a student
gets incorrect results.
The forms also insure that the clinical faculty provides the students with the proper number of samples for
each skill required. IMPORTANT: If the student finishes the samples provided please provide them
with additional samples to complete their clinical day. Students should also spend quality time
shadowing the techs as time permits. Students must not be allowed to leave early. The more practice and
observation they get the more competent they become. Periodically through out the day the clinical
faculty must review the student paperwork and use a colored pen to indicate errors such as the following:
name/number incorrect, failure to record reactions, failure to interpret reactions and/or inaccurate results
obtained. ACC faculty will assist in determining 95% accuracy.
Description
OBSERVE
PASS
FAIL
OPTIONAL: To be used when several clinical instructors are working with a student. Check
off the activities as you go along so the next instructor knows what the student has done and
what is left to do.
The student accurately performs the skill under the supervision of the clinical instructor
according to the criteria listed for each skill. Instructor INITIALS the box to indicate
success.
Despite remediation the student is unable to accurately perform the skill. Place your initials
in the box next to each skill that the student has failed to achieve competency.
If it appears, as the rotation progresses, that the student IS NOT progressing or has SERIOUS
issues please contact Keri Brophy-Martinez IMMEDIATELY: 512-223-5877, OR 512-536-0032.
Austin Community College
Medical Laboratory Technology
Clinical Chemistry Competencies
STUDENT NAME:_____________________________ ACC INSTRUCTOR:__________________________
CLINICAL AFFILIATE: ________________________ CLINICAL MENTOR:________________________
Dates of Attendance____________________
Instructions:
The clinical instructor(s) must document the student's orientation to the departments by placing the date
and initials of the individual responsible in the appropriate column.
ORIENTATION TO CLINICAL SITE
Date
Instructor
Shown location of the following:
a. Place to securely store belongings
b. Location of restroom
c. Location of break room
d. Location of cafeteria
2. Short tour of laboratory facility
3. Introduction to laboratory manager
4. Introduction to key staff in the department
5. Location of department Procedure Manual
ORIENTATION TO LABORATORY SAFETY AND INFECTION CONTROL
1. IDENTIFIES LOCATION OF SAFETY DEVICES
a. Fire Extinguishers
b. Fire Alarms
c. Fire Blankets
d. Eye Washes
e. Safety Showers
f. First Aid Kit
g . Emergency Exits
h. Incident Reports
2. REVIEWS DEPARTMENTS PROTOCOL FOR HANDLING BLOOD & BODY FLUIDS
a. Exposure Protocol
b. Incident Reports
Date
Instructor
STUDENT NAME:
*Please place your initials in the appropriate column
1. Quality Control– 95% accuracy required
a. Reviews QC and preventive maintenance procedure for centrifuges.
b. Reviews QC and preventive maintenance procedure for refrigerators.
c. States corrective action to take when refrigerators temperatures exceed
predetermined limits.
d. Reviews QC and preventive maintenance procedure for each chemistry analyzer
e. Evaluates reagents, calibrators, standards and controls for suitability: outdating, appearance
f. Select correct pipette for reagent and sample preparation.
g. Prepares reagents, calibrators, standards and controls in accordance with
manufacturer’s directions
h. Analyzes control reagent according to manufacturer’s instructions
i. Verifies that quality control results are within +2 standard deviations of predetermined limits.
j. Takes corrective action for controls that do not meet predetermined limits.
k. Performs correlation studies to bring new lot numbers of control and/or reagents
into service.(If applicable)
l. Performs linearity studies of equipment.
m. Uses Westguard rules to evaluate control values
n. Evaluates Levy-Jennings charts for shifts and trends.
2. Patient samples – 95% accuracy required
a. Prioritizes samples based on urgency of test requests.
b. Correctly identifies patient sample.
c. States the reason for rejection of samples according to department protocol
d. State the sample types acceptable, ie, EDTA, Clot, for each test performed in
the clinical chemistry department.
e. Evaluates samples for suitability for use: additive, QNS, etc.
f. Identifies preanalytical errors which will interfere with specific tests, ie,
hemolysis, lipemia, icterus, incorrect tube additive, etc.
g. Separates serum or plasma in an appropriate manner.
h. Properly prepares specimens for shipment to reference laboratories.
i. Labels transfer tubes completely and accurately.
j. Stores samples at appropriate conditions.
k. Labels and prepares container for 24 hour urine collection
Observe
Pass
Fail
STUDENT NAME:
*Please place your initials in the appropriate column
3. Laboratory Calculations– 95% accuracy required
a. Accurately performs dilutions using appropriate ratios and proper diluting
fluid.
b. Accurately performs creatinine clearance calculation.
4. Chemistry analyzers operation – 95% accuracy required for EACH analyzer listed in
5.
a. States principle of the instrument operation or test procedure reaction
b. Startup procedure
c. Daily maintenance required.
d. Other required scheduled maintenance.
e. Record keeping for operational and QC procedures
f. Routine instrument operation.
g. Troubleshooting techniques
5. Chemistry analyzers operation – Correctly operates automated chemistry analyzers
obtaining reportable results – 95% accuracy required
a. Make/model of analyzer used:
b. Make/model of analyzer used:
c. Make/model of analyzer used:
6. Testing– 95% accuracy required
a. Selects and prepares appropriate sample for testing.
b. Determines concentration of unknown samples.
c. Report results using appropriate units.
7. Evaluation of Results Obtained– 95% accuracy required
a. Identify results out of instrument sensitivity range.
b. Appropriately acts on out of range results by reporting to preceptor
c. Interpret results as to normal or abnormal based on normal values utilized by
clinical site.
d. Correlates clinical significance of abnormal results obtained to possible disease
conditions.
e. States additional tests to perform when abnormal results are obtained.
f. Recognizes panic values
g. Appropriately acts on panic values by reporting to preceptor.
8. Special Chemistry - * If testing is available, students should observe or perform the
procedure.
a. Nephelometry*
b. Turbidometry*
c. Chromatography*
d. Electrophoresis*
e. Immunodiffusion*
f. Osmometry*
g.
h.
i.
Chemluminescence
Other (Identify)
Other (Identify)
Observe
Pass
Fail