Hybrid Autopsy Technician - Medical Examiner's - J16140 - 38900 at Nueces County

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SUMMARY: Under the general supervision of the Senior Autopsy Technician, assists with body intake and release; body processing; evidence, clothing, and personal property collection/storage/release; collection/processing/submission/storage/disposal of toxicology specimens; collection/processing/storage/submission/release of anthropology specimens; assists with scientific identification; performs autopsies and external examinations; and maintains cleanliness and upkeep of the morgue.

The employee is required to be on duty before, during, and after natural disasters and emergencies, as directed by the supervisor.

ORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS: Reports to the Director of Operations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Assists in autopsies under immediate supervision and direction of the responsible forensic pathologist performing the examination. Assists the forensic pathologist by bringing bodies into the autopsy room; rolling, positioning, and lifting the bodies as may be required to permit a thorough examination. Prepares the work area, opens the body, eviscerates, sutures, and cleans the body upon completion of the autopsy by using established protocols. Assists in preparing tissue for microscopic slide preparation and the collection, packaging, and labeling of specimens and evidentiary materials. Assists with collection and packaging of toxicology specimens/cultures and any associated paperwork, ensuring specimen/case integrity.

Processes decedents for examination, including unclothing the decedents, cleaning the decedents, and photographing, fingerprinting, and x-raying the decedents.

Removes, inventories, and safeguards decedent’s clothing, property, and evidence.

Receives, tags, and documents incoming bodies in the medical examiner system.

Reviews autopsy orders and body release forms for accuracy and completeness.

Maintains cleanliness and decontamination of the morgue and its associated equipment.

Collects and safeguards physical evidence at the discretion of the pathologist.

Performs various autopsy room administrative functions, such as processing and shipping toxicology specimens to the lab, maintaining records of stored tissue specimens, retrieving specimens as needed, and ensuring proper disposition of specimens.

May perform any of the following: some morgue and lab administrative duties including filing; perform laundry functions; receive and release decedents, clothing, personal property, and evidence to the appropriate agencies or persons, and prepares reports for same.

Assists in maintaining the morgue’s body census with regular accountability checks.

Assists in the timely release of bodies from the morgue.

Maintains confidentiality of information on all cases.

Understands and uses proper chain-of-custody practices.

Has the ability to use digital dental x-ray and digital body x-ray equipment and its associated software.

Accurately enters data into the medical examiner office’s computer system.

Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Performs inventory of controlled substances, secures substances, and coordinates with law enforcement for the secure destruction of this material.

Cleans and maintains equipment and instruments in the autopsy room.

Ensures that instruments and other supplies are available as needed prior to each examination.

Monitors inventory of supplies in autopsy room and assists in ordering new supplies as needed.

Un-box supplies; does not allow them to accumulate.

Contacts funeral homes to arrange for disposition of bodies upon completion of examination.

Follows up with funeral homes and transport companies for unretrieved bodies.

Collects/processes, submits, stores, and releases anthropology samples.

May on occasion release body to funeral home after hours.

Assists with organization and maintenance of the medico-legal library located in the Medical Examiner’s Office.

Performs housekeeping duties for the autopsy room and evidence storage room.

Performs regular inventory of material in the evidence storage room. Follows up with law enforcement agencies for unclaimed evidence.

At the end of each shift assures empty autopsy trays are clean.

Performs such other duties as may be assigned consistent with the training and experience of the individual holding this position.

QUALIFICATIONS: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Any employee who drives a vehicle on official business must have a driving record which meets standards set by the County and the County’s insurance carrier.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE: Minimum qualifications include 1) Bachelor’s Degree; or 2) Associates Degree with emphasis on the medical sciences such as chemistry or biology with two years of experience in a field related to the position. Examples of such experience include work as a laboratory technician, medical assistant, nurse, paramedic or EMT, mortician, etc. In addition, it is preferable that six months of the required experience include work in a medical examiner’s office or mortuary facility.

OR,

Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities, may be considered for current Nueces County employees only.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Valid Driver’s license.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.
REASONING ABILITY: Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out
instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of:

• Medical terminology and human anatomy as related to morgue activities.

• Autopsy procedures and practices.

• Safety procedures and practices in a morgue setting.

• Modern office/clerical practices, procedures, and methods.

• Principles and procedures of record keeping.

• Computer equipment to include word processing, databases, and a variety of software packages.

• English, spelling, and arithmetic.

• Unit’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).

• Department’s casework software.

• Evidence collection and proper chain-of-custody techniques.

• Departmental policies and procedures.

Skill in:

• Autopsy procedures and practices, including evisceration.

• Using and caring for autopsy room equipment.

• Maintaining morgue cleanliness, inventory, and equipment preventive maintenance with little or no supervision.

• Recording and compiling material for reports.

• Effective verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Work in morgue environment with daily contact with decedents, including those in a decomposed state.

• Handle the psychological effects of death.

• Work effectively with pathologists in the conduction of autopsies.

• Follow written directions and instructions and carry out departmental instructions.

• Read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals

• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.

• Write routine reports and correspondence.

• Apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.

• Operate x-ray, dental x-ray, photographic, and fingerprinting equipment.

• Perform in a stressful environment, while maintaining a professional manner.

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with physicians, hospital personnel, law enforcement, funeral home personnel, departmental clientele, representatives of outside agencies, other County employees and officials, and the general public.

• Interest in and willingness to participate in autopsy examinations, often under adverse conditions involving potential health hazards as well as unpleasant sights and odors.

• Ability to deal courteously and compassionately with decedent's families who may be extremely emotionally upset when communicating with personnel of the Medical Examiner's office.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 75-100 pounds and maneuvering cadavers unassisted in excess of 200 pounds. Requires visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination, and manual dexterity necessary to operate laboratory equipment and basic office equipment and computer. Subject to standing, walking, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, squatting to perform the essential functions. Subject to various biological/infectious, chemical, mechanical, electrical, explosive and radiation hazards in indoors/outdoors work, and exposure to fumes, noxious odors and toxic wastes. Daily contact with biohazardous materials. Some exposure to high job stress. Must possess sufficient physical strength and emotional stability to work under adverse conditions.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Employee must be able to identify and distinguish colors in order to inventory clothing.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to fumes or airborne particles and toxic or caustic chemicals. The employee must use personal protection equipment as a standard practice to minimize exposure to infectious pathogens. The employee must use radiation safety equipment including monitoring equipment and protective garments. The employee occasionally works near moving mechanical parts and in outside weather conditions and is occasionally exposed to extreme cold, risk of electrical shock, risk of radiation, and vibration. The employee is exposed to moving mechanical parts, risk of electrical shock and vibration while using an electric saw. The employee is exposed to fumes and airborne particles while assisting with autopsies. Because of the nature of the job, the employee is highly exposed to infectious diseases. The employee is regularly exposed to the toxic chemical formaldehyde. The employee is often exposed to non-weather-related cold conditions while in the cooler. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Often, the noise level is loud when water is running in the stainless-steel sinks, or when the autopsy saw is in use. Some exposure to high on-the-job stress. Must possess sufficient physical strength and emotional stability to work under adverse conditions.

The employee has a high risk of cuts due to exposure to scalpels, needles, sharp objects, bone fragments, and glass on decedent’s clothing.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions, and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

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