JobsAdvocate Health

Lab Assistant

Advocate Health · Park Ridge, IL

Posted Sep 16, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Sep 20, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

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

Behavioral

Tell me about a time you caught a specimen or requisition problem before it caused an error. What did you do?

real experience catching identification errors and the judgment to escalate rather than guess

Tell me about a time you had to notify a provider of a critical or stat result. How did that conversation go?

comfort with time-sensitive communication and following notification protocol under pressure

Describe a time a piece of equipment wasn't working right. What did you do before calling for help?

practical troubleshooting ability and knowing the line between minor repair and needing a technologist or engineer

Tell me about a time you trained or helped a new coworker learn a task. What worked?

since this role acts as a resource for new employees, whether they can explain process clearly and patiently

Tell me about a moment things got genuinely stressful at work, maybe a backlog or an upset patient. How did you keep yourself steady?

self-regulation under sustained pressure, since the job explicitly requires staying calm in stressful situations

Technical

Walk me through what you check before you accept a specimen for testing.

whether the candidate actually knows specimen labeling and acceptability criteria, not just that it matters

What does CLIA mean to you in terms of what you're actually allowed to do at the bench?

basic regulatory literacy about scope of testing they can legally perform without a higher license

How do you run and document a quality control check, and what would make you stop and not release results?

understanding of QC process and the willingness to hold results rather than pass along questionable data

What steps do you take when aliquoting and loading a specimen onto an instrument to make sure identification stays intact the whole way through?

attention to chain of custody during specimen processing, a common source of lab error

What's your experience with lab computer systems, entering results, or verifying test requests?

concrete comfort level with the specific data entry and verification tasks, not general computer literacy

Situational

A specimen comes in mislabeled but the patient has already left the floor. What do you do?

whether they follow proper correction procedure instead of taking shortcuts that create patient safety risk

You've got a stat sample, a phone ringing, and a line of patients waiting. How do you decide what gets your attention first?

prioritization skill in a fast-paced, multitasking environment

How do you handle a patient or family member who's frustrated or anxious while you're trying to get information from them for billing or testing?

customer service composure with people who are stressed, not just polite in easy situations

This schedule includes weekends, holidays, and off shifts with flexible hours. How does that actually fit with your life right now?

honest fit with the unpredictable part-time schedule before it becomes a retention problem

Practice this interview out loud.

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The full job description

As published by Advocate Health.

Department: 60475 IL ACL Laboratories - Lutheran: Phlebotomy Status: Part time Benefits Eligible: No Hou rs Per Week: 0 Schedule Details/Additional Information: Schedule is flexible and may span over weekends, holidays, and off shifts. Pay Range: $20.80 - $31.20 Major Responsibilities: • Ensures that specimens are properly labeled and suitable for testing. Resolves specimen identification and/or requisition problems and clarifies requests. • Performs limited testing under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) 1988 guidelines, according to established policies and procedures. • Performs preventative maintenance on equipment and makes minor repairs when needed. Runs quality control checks. • Performs laboratory result entry in the computer system. Enters and verifies test requests into the laboratories' computer system. • Notifies providers of stat, critical, and other abnormal results and exceptions as defined by policy and procedure. • Obtains billing/insurance information and/or verifies diagnosis code information. • Answers and screens telephone calls. Assists with inventory and ordering of supplies. • Receives and sorts specimens and assists with detailed specimen handling; packages and tracks specimens for transport and performs specimen storage and retrieval. Processes specimens for testing, including aliquoting, pre-analytical steps, and loading instruments, while maintaining proper specimen identification. • Reviews various pending and management reports. Generates and distributes reports. Maintains and files copies of orders, reports and/or correspondence. • Acts as a resource and trains new employees. Education Required: • High school diploma or equivalent Experience Required: • Typically requires 1 year of experience in the allied health field or in providing laboratory assistance. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required: • Excellent communication skills. • Basic computer skills including experience using computer software applications. • Keyboarding and typing skills. • Ability to work in a fast paced environment and to handle multiple tasks simultaneously under general supervision. • Demonstrated customer service skills to interface effectively with physicians, patients, visitors, and other healthcare employees. Physical Requirements and Working Conditions: • Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job. • Frequently lifts up to 10 lbs. Occasionally lifts up to 50 lbs. • Must be able to sit, stand, walk, and bend the majority of the workday. • May be exposed to mechanical, electrical, chemical, explosive, radioactive and/or infectious agents. • Will be exposed to human blood and body fluids. • Must wear appropriate lab coat, gloves, gowns and eye and face protection as needed. • Must be able to handle stressful situations in a calm and professional manner.   This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties. Our Commitment to You: Advocate Health offers a comprehensive suite of Total Rewards: benefits and well-being programs, competitive compensation, generous retirement offerings, programs that invest in your career development and so much more – so you can live fully at and away from work, including: Compensation • Base compensation listed within the listed pay range based on factors such as qualifications, skills, relevant experience, and/or training • Premium pay such as shift, on call, and more based on a teammate's job • Incentive pay for select positions • Opportunity for annual increases based on performance Benefits and more • Paid Time Off programs • Health and welfare benefits such as medical, dental, vision, life, and Short- and Long-Term Disability • Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses • Family benefits such as adoption assistance and paid parental leave • Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs • Educational Assistance Program Note: Eligibility for programs listed above may depend on your FTE or status (e.g., full-time, part-time, per diem, temporary, etc.); please ask a Recruiter for more information during an interview. About Advocate Health  Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. It is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiology, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs 155,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to providing equitable care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.

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