Nurses in laboratories? Are there laboratory work for nurses?

subee, MSN, CRNA · Jul 8, 2023

Jeanne C said:

@ NRSKarenRN I was disinclined to dignify Subee's attack with an answer, so thank you for explaining this for her - you are precisely correct.

Additionally, for edification to those who show interest in working in a laboratory, anyone who works on the bench performing testing in a CLIA/CAP/ISO/CDC certified laboratory facility, must pass competencies at regular intervals throughout the year. Some laboratories will provide additional training as deemed necessary.

Wow. Such vitriol for asking a question. When I Googled the requirements for for state of Michigan, I came up with:

High Complexity Laboratories

1. Licensed MD/DO/DPM

2. Doctoral, Master's, Bachelor's or Associate's degree in laboratory science

3. Have education or experience equivalent to an Associate's degree AND graduated from a clinical laboratory training program OR have 3 months experience in each specialty of high complexity testing performed

4. Prior to 04/24/1995, High School graduate or equivalent AND graduated from an HHS-approved lab training program OR completed military Medical Lab Specialist (50 week) course

5. Prior to 04/24/1995, High School graduate or equivalent AND documentation of training for high complexity testing AND if training before 01/19/93, on-site supervision is required when high complexity testing is performed

and , if one looks online searching for requirements for a med tech career this is what they will find:

In some states, all experts who work in a lab, including medical technologists, earn a license. The guidelines for licensure vary by state, but most require proof of a bachelor's degree or higher in medical laboratory technology or a similar field and for candidates to pass an exam. Many employers prefer to hire a medical technologist who has been professionally certified. These two institutions offer medical technologist certifications:

EXCUSE me !:)

klone said:

I worked in research. In addition to consenting patients, we also collected blood and spun/aliquotted it.

Well yes. I did that when I worked in a hematologist's office but that is different from looking at slides and coming to conclusions. Collecting specimens isn't the same as making a judgement about them. I'm confused. I thought that what the med technologists do.

Mary Eunice, BSN, MSN, PhD · Jul 9, 2023

Zyrv said:

Is anyone here a laboratory nurse, or whatever type of nursing roles in laboratories? I'm aware medical laboratory scientists obviously work in labs, but are there jobs that nurses can work in?

I have worked in a laboratory setting as a "nurse research assistant" during my nursing career. It was for research projects being run at a university and involved consenting patients, taking their vitals while they were performing exercise, collecting data for the research project, and things like that.

At the time I was doing this I was an RN with a Masters degree (which wasn't necessary for this role), and then I went on to get my PhD and now work as a "nurse scientist" doing research in a hospital, though now I don't really work in a lab setting (more of an office job where my time is spent designing a study, securing funding for it, and then hiring people to do it).