Jobs › Northwestern Medicine

Clinical Lab Assistant-Full-time Days

Northwestern Medicine · Geneva, IL · Full time · Health Care Provider

Posted Oct 1, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

Apply at Northwestern Medicine

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you had to tell a nurse or provider a specimen was rejected. How did they react, and how did you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can deliver unwelcome news clearly and stay professional when someone is frustrated.

This schedule is 7 to 3:30 with every other weekend at Delnor. How does that work for you?

What they are checking: Whether they can reliably cover the weekend rotation a hospital lab depends on.

Tell me about a time you noticed a problem in a workflow and suggested a fix.

What they are checking: Whether they look for ways to improve lab processes rather than just working around problems.

What would you do

A specimen arrives with a label that does not match the requisition. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they will reject or hold a mismatched specimen, since running it could harm the wrong patient.

Home health specimens come in all at once at the end of the day. How do you register them accurately when you are rushed?

What they are checking: Whether they protect accuracy under volume pressure, which the posting stresses for dropoffs.

You are unsure how to handle an unusual specimen. Who do you ask, and what do you do in the meantime?

What they are checking: Whether they know when to seek help from a supervisor, pathologist or coworker instead of guessing.

About the work

Walk me through receiving a specimen into the laboratory information system.

What they are checking: Whether they understand LIS steps and why accurate entry matters for every later step.

How do you check that the right tube, container and volume came in for the test ordered?

What they are checking: Whether they know specimen requirements well enough to catch problems before testing starts.

You get a critical result and need to call it to a nurse. How do you make that call and document it?

What they are checking: Whether they know critical value notification, read-back and documentation requirements.

What waived tests have you performed, and how do you make sure your results are reliable?

What they are checking: Whether they understand quality control for waived testing under CLS direction.

How do you keep track of specimens so none get lost between receiving and the testing area?

What they are checking: Whether they have a system for distribution and tracking that prevents lost specimens.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

This is a full-time, 40 hours per week, position located at Delnor Hospital in Geneva. Must be able to work 7am - 3:30pm and every other weekend. The Clinical Lab Assistant I reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. Responsibilities: • Collaborate with the main lab staff, other ancillary departments, departments, nurses and providers to ensure excellent patient care. • Receives specimens into the laboratory information system. • Inputs and retrieves lab results in laboratory or hospital computer system. • Register specimen dropoffs (e.g. Home health) in LIS assuring accurate data entry. • Distributes specimens to the appropriate testing area. • Identifies and solves problems utilizing appropriate resources with the assistance of a supervisor, manager, pathologist and/or coworkers when appropriate. • Accurately performs waived testing under the direction of CLS as applicable • Ensures appropriate sample type received for testing ordered, including appropriate container, volume. • Communicates specimen rejections, critical/notifiable results to appropriate clinical personnel and completes required documentation. • May review/record refrigerator temperature(s) and QC/QA records. Areas of concern are recorded through the Corrective Action Log and reported to maintenance for repair. • Adheres to lab procedures with following up on outstanding orders including time-sensitive draws/charges • Pull AP slides for second opinion requests and log material back into Epic when material is returned • Answers phone calls to the laboratory and triages appropriately • Coordinates courier pickups as needed. Department Specific: • May perform phlebotomy and other lab specimen collections per age related standards as required Required: • High School Diploma Preferred: • 1 year of experience in a general lab, specimen processing or phlebotomy department Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

Apply at Northwestern Medicine