Part-time Tissue Recovery Technician

Our organization is dedicated to transforming lives and inspiring all to donate life. We are a family of professionals working together to increase awareness around the need for organ and tissue donors alongside nurturing and guiding our families throughout the gift of life. We facilitate the recovery of organs, tissues, and corneas in Iowa. We honor donors and support donor families at the time of donation and on a continuing basis. 

We believe in going above and beyond to support donor families during and after the donation process. Our core values are what guide us, allow us to excel at serving our community, and keep our culture at Iowa Donor Network alive:

Serve with Heart: We meet our donor families where they are. We are dedicated to providing compassionate service to all.

Drive and Embrace the Future: WE are proactive in our pursuit of excellence and work together to continuously evolve with adaptability

Be Clear, Bold, and Respectful: We are genuine and courageous in our communication. If we see an opportunity for improvement, we shy something to make it better.

Always Own It: we are resilient and passionately pursue our mission. We are personally accountable for taking initiative and delivering on commitments.

Have you been searching for an opportunity to be part of something bigger than yourself, make a tremendous contribution to your community, and pursue a mission to save lives daily? If so, Iowa Donor Network could be just the organization you have been looking for. 

Job Title: Part- Time Tissue Recovery Technician

Location: Altoona Iowa

Exemption Status: Non-exempt

Position Summary: Responsible for assisting with the tissue recovery process for transplantation and research according to industry standards. 

Job Qualifications:

• Degree in healthcare related field preferred. 
• CST, LPN, EMT, paramedic, fire, tissue recovery or operating room experience desirable.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Expectations:

• Efficiently perform tissue recovery and donor reconstruction while adhering to established policies and procedures and standard work documents.
  • Maintain effective communication between IDN staff, hospital and all other agencies/professionals involved.
  • Report any case concerns to Administrator on Call (AOC)/Leadership.
  • Perform and document physical assessment of a potential donor allowing recovery to occur if assessment is satisfactory.
  • Review authorization form(s) with other team members, Communication Center staff, and AOC according to policy and procedure.
  • Recover qualified specimens for serological testing.
  • Assist with the recovery of tissues to achieve minimum benchmark standards.
  • Correctly label, package, and wrap recovered tissues.
  • Collect and correctly label and prepare tissue, blood, and culture samples for shipment.
  • Notify recovery staff, TRS, or Leader on Call when supplies or instruments are low.
  • Ensure compliance with local medical examiner needs during the recovery process.
• Perform training with new recovery staff or staff learning additional job functions.
  • Assist in training of new staff.
• Assist with quality assurance process, complete QA requests in a timely manner
  • Document accurately, concurrently and legibly in IDN donor chart.
  • Complete QA requests within 4 days or sooner as requested
• Participate in scheduled monthly meetings and training sessions to maintain proficiency in tissue recovery process
  • Meeting attendance is encouraged, meeting make-up is required.
  • Review policy and procedure and form updates as required
• Successfully complete annual clinical competencies.
  • Demonstrate competency in essential job functions.

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions:

• Respond to call within 10 minutes and depart for hospital or office within one hour of call or as assigned.
• At peak times, may be called in to assist when not scheduled.
• Work on-call schedule with extended hours.
• Lift equipment and supplies weighing up to 50 lbs.
• Assist with physical lifting of donors.
• Follow sterile technique guidelines.
• Stand for long periods of time in an operating room and mortuary environment.
• Mental and visual fatigue associated with detailed work.
• Use of sharp surgical instruments which may cause damage or injury if used incorrectly.
• Work in conditions inherent in a recovery suite or operating room environment. Exposure to biohazardous materials such as blood, other body fluids, communicable diseases and pharmacological agents. Standard/universal precautions and use of personal protective equipment is required.
• Travel to the office and donor hospitals throughout the State of Iowa at any given hour of the day or night.
• Drive a vehicle under various conditions that may lead to visual and mental fatigue.
• Work requires stooping, kneeling, reaching and handling (seizing, holding, grasping, turning or otherwise working with hands).
• Express ideas verbally and convey detailed or important spoken information.
• Receive detailed information through oral and auditory communication. 
  
  

Skills and Abilities:

• Maintain a current valid driver’s license and be insurable through IDN’s insurance.
• Skill and ability to effectively use computers and computer software including word processing, databases, spreadsheets, Internet tools, and electronic mail.
• Effectively communicate both verbally and in writing when representing IDN; work well with others; take and give direction; demonstrate effective problem-solving skills; ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Participate in or conduct crucial conversations.
• Ability to use critical thinking skills and work efficiently in high stress situations.

Organizational Responsibilities: It is required that IDN employees demonstrate commitment to the mission and vision, maintain effective communication, exhibit teamwork, respect diversity, follow policies and procedures, maintain confidentiality of all donor, recipient and organizational information, demonstrate accuracy and thoroughness while meeting productivity standards, observe safety and security procedures, be consistently punctual and dependable, actively participate in performance improvement activities and continually demonstrate behavioral expectations and core values.

Employee’s obligation to maintain the confidentiality of information shall survive the termination of employee’s employment with IDN.

All requirements are subject to possible modifications to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed in this position. I will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by my supervisor. Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, I know that I must possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. I realize neither the job description nor this document creates an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” employment relationship.