Blood Donor Center Registered Nurse (RN), Full-Time (Day/Evening Shifts)

Summary

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY:  

Processes and evaluates prospective donors; performs donor phlebotomies and aids in donor recruitment.  Prepares blood components from donated blood.  Patient care includes care to patients in the following age groups: neonatal (birth to 30 days), pediatric (30 days through 12 years), adolescent (13 through 18 years), adult (19 through 64 years), and geriatric (65 years and above).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Qualified individuals must have the ability (with or without reasonable accommodation) to perform the following duties:  

• Serves as Primary RN for donor and patient care at the Donor Center and at all community blood drive sites handling onsite donor populations of 30-60 people in number.  Triages multiple blood donor reactions and directs medical care as needed. 
• Assigns, delegates and oversees other employees and clinicians to provide patient care at all community and fixed-site locations utilizing care plans, adverse reaction protocols and provides medical oversight liaison activities on behalf of the Blood Bank Medical Director while onsite.
• Administers post-phlebotomy care and performs patient assessments during donor vasovagal and adverse reaction situations. Provides all primary supportive care until EMS or patient/donor transfer arrangements are made from the donor site.
• Collects patient and donor comprehensive data pertinent to the care of the donor or patient including medical history and pre-existing conditions.  Interprets patient data for other clinical staff.
• Provides leadership to other team members and is primary contact at community blood drives to maintain effective processes at the Donor Center and Community Blood Drive sites for a safe donation environment, maintenance of FDA requirements, staff assignments and effective workflow for pre-donation, donation and post-donation events.
• Adjusts staff schedule onsite and directs additional staff to site during periods of high volume and donor care acuity in conjunction with the Donor Center Supervisor.
• Assures that current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP’s) are maintained and implemented at all blood collection/manufacturing locations.  Responds to FDA or other regulatory agencies when onsite.
• Completes LIS computer registration of donors and patients, checking all pertinent data for accuracy and interpreting donor deferral criteria for donor acceptance or rejection.
• Performs physical examination of homologous, autologous and directed donors, and evaluates patient and donor medical history according to AABB, FDA, and CAP laboratory guidelines.
• Performs and maintains excellent donor phlebotomy skills including verification and manufacturing checks for all blood product containers, labels and specimen collection tubes.  Monitors donor for post-phlebotomy vasovagal and adverse reactions for immediate care.
• Performs therapeutic phlebotomy and donor apheresis procedures in the donor center or hospital in accordance with physician’s order and under the Blood Bank Medical Director’s approval.
• Performs donor plasma apheresis and platelet apheresis on apheresis machines following AABB, FDA and CAP regulatory guidelines.  Performs appropriate manufacturing of products from these procedures.
• Develops and writes donor qualification and suitability procedures in accordance with FDA and other regulatory agencies.  Verifies that donor qualification procedures are accurate and current for the department.

SECONDARY FUNCTIONS: The following duties are considered secondary to the primary duties listed above:

• Monitors and replenishes stock of materials.
• Performs routine maintenance, cleaning and decontamination of equipment and work surfaces and performs performance verification of donor scales and analytical instruments.
• Assists Donor Recruiter in donor recruitment and telephone/recruitment communications for the department.  Recruits apheresis plasma and platelet donors as needed.
• Provides transportation for self to community blood drives while assuring planned transportation of products from collection sites occur according to courier schedules and adjusts as needed.
• Acts as a consultant to staff for medical interpretations related to the donor deferral registry and prior exclusion records based on infectious disease testing, standard operating procedures and FDA guidelines.
• Performs, evaluates and records QC parameters according to established control limits.  Reports and provides action to all out-of-range situations.
• Evaluates special donor candidates and other assignments as needed.  Evaluates post donation information (PDIR) for FDA reportable events.
• Other duties as assigned.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Current licensure as a Registered Nurse, issued by the PA State Board of Nursing.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) preferred.  If this is a Magnet designated RN position, BSN or higher level nursing degree will be required by 12/31/19.
• CPR Certification - American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support, formerly Healthcare Provider (AHA Heart Saver courses for CPR are not accepted).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: 

• One year phlebotomy, blood center collections, dialysis or apheresis experience.

COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS

Attention/Concentration: The following level of ability is essential for the jobholder to focus on certain aspects of current experience and reject others.  

The position requires the ability to attend to more than one aspect of a situation simultaneously.  It is highly likely that multiple task demands are going to be required of the individual at the same time.

New Learning and Memory: The following level of ability is essential for the jobholder to learn and retain material.  

The position requires that an individual be able to learn new tasks quickly and effectively.  Job requirements change frequently.  The ability to understand and carry out detailed, involved instructions is mandatory.

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Creative Thinking: The following level of ability that is essential for the jobholder to think (in order to solve a problem) by combining two or more elements from past experience or imaginative thought.  

The position deals with issues or problems that often require thoughtful reasoning before arriving at approaches or solutions.  Some independent thought, planning or origination of options and solutions is necessary.  The individual must have the ability to apply principles of reasoning and problem solving to resolve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

APTITUDES:  The following are essential requirements of the position in relation to job-worker situations.  These items describe how a worker must adapt, adjust, conform or act.  

Performing under stressful conditions: Ability to perform under stress when confronted with emergency, critical, unusual, or dangerous situations, or in situations in which working speed and sustained attention are critical aspects of the job. Is subject to danger or risk, or to tension as a regular, consistent part of the job.

Variety and change: Ability to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure involving significant differences in technologies, techniques, procedures, environmental factors, physical demands, or work situations.

Communication:  Ability to exchange information with others clearly and concisely; to present ideas, facts and technical information.

Interpersonal relations: Ability to maintain relationships that facilitate task accomplishment; to cooperate and resolve conflicts; to recognize needs and be sensitive of others.

EQUIPMENT USAGE REQUIREMENTS

Equipment/Tools: Computer, Phone, Copier, Printer, Fax, Office Supplies, centrifuge, donormatic, stat-crit, BP cuff, autolet, telephone, thermometers, scissors, hemostat, tube stripper.

Software: Microsoft Office Products, clinical information system  

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Rarely 0-10%; Occasionally 11-35%; Frequently 36-70%; Continuously 71-100%

Body Position/Movement:  

• Sit: Occasionally
• Stand: Frequently
• Walk: Frequently
• Bend: Occasionally
• Push: Frequently
• Pull: Frequently
• Kneel/Squat: Occasionally
• Reach: Frequently
• Twist: Rarely
• Balance: Rarely
• Climb: Rarely

Lifting: Degree of physical exertion is: Moderate, exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.

Sensory Abilities specifically required: Delete following sensory abilities that do NOT apply, if any.

• Vision
• Hearing
• Touch/Feeling

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

WORKING CONDITIONS:  

Position involves exposure to the following harmful elements:  

• Blood borne Pathogens
• Chemicals
• Moving/Rotating Machinery

​Disclaimer: This job description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job.  It is intended to be a reflection of those principal job elements essential for recruitment and selection, for making fair job evaluations, and for establishing performance standards.  The percentages of time spent performing job duties are estimates, and should not be considered absolute.  The incumbent shall perform all other functions and/or be cross-trained as shall be determined at the sole discretion of management, who has the right to amend, modify, or terminate this job in part or in whole.  Incumbent must be able to perform all job functions safely.

Disclaimer