Health Service Technician Job Description, Duties, and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the health service technician job description, including key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements you may be expected to fulfill to be hired for the health service technician role by most recruiters/employers.

What Does a Health Service Technician Do?

Health service technicians are an allied health professional who provide direct care to patients with or without the supervision of registered nurses, to assist medical staff complete tasks around their assigned unit or clinic and accommodate patient needs.

They work in hospitals, physicians’ offices, and specialty clinics; pharmacy and diagnostic settings, etc.

Their services are typically required in specialty clinics, intensive care, emergency departments, and laboratory facilities.

The health service technician job description entails performing basic cardiology reports such as EKGs, which requires the technician to have basic understanding of bodily function.

They play a key role in patient care and cleanliness of hospital units and ensure that blood spills are immediately cleaned using appropriate disinfectant in accordance to facility policy.

They provide basic nursing care and continuity of care, giving patients and family after-care instructions, and follow-up care instructions and demonstrations.

The technician’s duties also involves assisting the medical team in evaluating patients on a routine basis within primary care clinics, and performing patient care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressing, and adjusting simple supportive equipment.

It also involves providing appropriate documentation of patient care activities and interaction with patients, as well as performing observations relevant to the case.

The health service technician work description also entails identifying and addressing client concerns within their capacity and referring higher concerns to licensed personnel to assist with resolution.

It also entails applying nursing skills encompassing patient care and relative tasks under the direction of a Registered Professional Nurse or a Licensed Practical Nurse.

Technicians specializing in health services also work to ensure a safe, quiet, and comfortable environment for patient, visitors, and employees.

They provide direct quality care and service to patients of all ages under the directions of the Unit Manager/designee.

To work as a health service technician you require an Associate’s Degree from an accredited two-year patient care technician or medical assistant program, or a minimum of High School Diploma or GED, and a combination of training and experience is required.

You will also require background knowledge in the following courses: Anatomy/Physiology, Clinical Competencies, Medical Coding, Administrative Courses, Pharmacology, and Medical Terminology.

In addition to knowledge and skills, health service technician require some job-centered skills to be successful on the Job.

They need strong communication skills to provide patient support; customer service skills and interpersonal skills for rapport and relationship building.

Health service technicians who provide direct patient care must have excellent bedside manner and great communication skills, as well as medical knowledge, technical skill, and the physical stamina to support patients in and out of bed.

They require strong analytical skills and technical knowledge if they work in a diagnostic setting, while those who work in a pharmacy or doctors’ offices must have good customer service skills and computer skills for word processing, data entry, and database management.

Health Service Technician Job Description Example/Sample/Template

Health service technicians provide two levels of care: direct and indirect care. They perform various functions, including specialty tasks, which vary depending on the clinic’s needs.

The major obligations, tasks, duties, and responsibilities that commonly make up the job description of health service technicians are presented below:

• Obtains all laboratories testing prescription and prepares specimens for collection
• Prevents wastage by preparing, organizing, and efficiently utilizing supplies and equipment
• Accurately enters treatment data into designated clinical applications in a timely manner
• Ensures treatment sheets are complete and accurate, reviewing them for nurse’s signature and omitted entries
• Prepares initial patient chart and compiles paperwork for admission and appropriate placement in chart
• Collects, labels, prepares, and appropriately stores lab samples following required laboratory specifications
• Ensures the collection of lab specimens using appropriate lab courier
• Undertakes appointment scheduling and follows-up on appointment
• Responsible for weighing patients and obtaining pre and post treatment vital signs
• Reviews treatment records for completion and reports cases of incomplete/missing records to RN
• Performs clerical duties including faxing and mailing to physician offices etc.
• Maintains logs as applicable following directions
• Ensures unit cleanliness, cleaning and prepping treatment room
• Assists in stocking medical instruments
• Ensures timely procurement of supplies
• Assists in coordinating the transportation of patient belongings
• Welcomes assigned patients and conducts follow-up inquiries/interview on their last treatment
• Reports complaints and observations to the nurse supervisor
• Assesses vascular access for patency and reports unusual findings to nurse supervisor
• Performs vascular access evaluation before treatment is commenced
• Performs vascular access cannulation and reports experienced difficulties or unusual findings in conducting cannulation to nurse supervisor
• Administers Heparin as delegated or as permitted by state law
• Initiates dialysis treatment according to prescription, including blood flow (QB) and dialysate flow (QD)
• Assesses intradialytic problems and provides intervention as following the physician’s order/prescription
• Supervises patients’ responses to dialysis therapy and reports any deviations to nurse supervisor
• Performs all relevant documentation necessary for the discontinuation of treatment
• Follows established procedures to discontinue dialysis treatment.

Health Service Technician Requirements – Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

To become a health service technician and succeed in the career, there are certain qualities and qualification one must acquire to be able to effectively perform the obligations, purpose, and objectives of the role.

These qualities and qualifications, which include the skills, abilities, knowledge, experience, and training shown below, are also what most employers set as requirements for considering candidates for the position:

• Education: To become a health service technician requires an associate’s degree from an accredited two-year Patient Care Technician or Medical Assistant program or a minimum of High School Diploma or GED and a combination of training and experience
• Licensure: All appropriate state licensure, education and training
• Certification: Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) preferred. Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for health care provider and CPR certification
• Experience: Patient care experience in a hospital setting or related facility; experience as a nurse aide, phlebotomist, or EKG technician
• Communication skills: It is important that health service technicians possess excellent communication skills to relate with patients, nurses, and significant others; in order to provide customer/patient support services
• Infection control skills: They require strong knowledge of infection control techniques because they May be exposed to infectious and contagious diseases/materials in the course of their work
• Physical dexterity: The position requires technicians to provide direct patient care that regularly involves heavy lifting and moving of patients, and assisting with ambulation; hence they must be energetic to succeed on the job
• Computer skills: They require basic computer skills for word processing, data entry, and database management
• Documentation skills: The health technician’s job requires them to document a great deal; record keeping and reporting are also essential for all HST positions. It is important that they have clear and concise writing abilities and apply a detail orientation in documenting observations
• Bilingual skills: This skill may be required in settings with extensive patient contact and client base with diverse languages.

Conclusion

To hire for the position of health service technician in their organizations, it is important for recruiters or employers to publish the job description that will enable interested persons to assess their suitability, competence, and qualification for the job before sending in their applications.

The general information about the duties and responsibilities of a health service technician, as well as the sample job description provided in this post can help employers to easily and quickly make a detailed description for the health service technician position, which can help them to attract the best qualified and competent persons for the job.

Individuals interested in becoming a health service technician will also find this article useful in learning about what the role entails and the requirements needed to be hired and to succeed in the career.

Did this post help you learn about what health service technicians do? Please, make a comment in the box below. And if you work as a technician in a health services department, do also share your job description.