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Blood Banking, Specialist in
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| Job Category |  | Healthcare Practitioners & Technical |
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| Job Description | | According to the American Medical Association's Health (AMA) Professions Career and Education Directory (2008-2009); specialists in blood bank technology demonstrate a superior level of technical proficiency and problem-solving ability in such areas as:
(1) testing for blood group antigens, compatibility, and antibody identification;
(2) investigating abnormalities such as hemolytic diseases of the newborn, hemolytic anemias, and adverse reactions to transfusion;
(3) supporting physicians in transfusion therapy for patients with
coagulopathies (diseases affecting blood clotting), for example, or
candidates for organ and cellular transplantation/therapy; and
(4) performing blood collection and processing, including selecting
donors,collecting blood, typing blood, and performing viral marker
testing to ensure the safety of the patient.
Accordingly, supervision, management, and/or teaching make up a considerable part of the responsibilities of the specialist in blood banking educational program. |
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| Working Conditions | | According to the American Medical Association's Health Professions Career and Education Directory (2008-2009); Specialists in blood bank technology work in many types of facilities, including community blood centers, private hospital blood banks, university-affiliated blood banks, transfusion services, and independent laboratories. They also may be part of a university faculty. They may have some weekend and night duty, including emergency calls. Qualified specialists may advance to supervisory or administrative positions or move into teaching or research activities. The criteria for advancement in this field are experience, technical expertise, and completion of advanced education courses. |
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| Salary Range | | According to the AMA's Health Professions Career and Education Directory (2008-2009); Entry-level salaries for specialists in blood banking average between $50,000 and $60,000, depending on previous experience. |
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