Medical Laboratory Scientist / Technician Float
Posted Sep 18, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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 used independent judgment to solve a problem at the bench.
What they are checking: Whether they can think through problems alone, which matters when floating to smaller sites.
This role works rotating shifts. How do you handle working nights one week and days the next?
What they are checking: Whether they have a realistic plan to stay sharp across changing shifts.
Tell me about a time you spotted a result that didn't make sense with the patient's history. What did you do?
What they are checking: Whether they check delta values and question results rather than releasing anything the analyzer produces.
What would you do
As a float, you'll move between labs with different analyzers and procedures. How do you make sure you're competent on each bench before you run patient samples?
What they are checking: Whether they respect competency checks and won't run tests on equipment they haven't been trained on.
A specimen arrives with a label that doesn't match the requisition. The nurse says it's fine and to run it. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they hold firm on specimen identification rules even under pressure from clinical staff.
About the work
Walk me through the pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical phases of a test, and where errors most often happen.
What they are checking: Whether they know most lab errors happen before the test is run, in collection and labeling.
Your quality control fails on a chemistry analyzer in the middle of a busy shift. What do you do?
What they are checking: Whether they stop reporting results, troubleshoot, and look back at prior patient results instead of rerunning QC until it passes.
You get a critical potassium result. Walk me through what happens next.
What they are checking: Whether they know critical value procedures and check for possible hemolysis before calling it.
How do you handle a sample that looks hemolyzed, lipemic or icteric?
What they are checking: Whether they know how interference affects results and when to reject or comment on a sample.
What safety hazards do you watch for in the lab, and how do you protect yourself and others?
What they are checking: Whether they take biohazard, chemical and sharps safety seriously as daily habits.
How do you stay current with regulatory requirements like CAP or CLIA in your daily work?
What they are checking: Whether they understand that documentation and procedure-following are what keep the lab accredited.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Sanford Health.