Description
Prepare, process, section, and stain tissue specimens for microscopic examination to aid diagnosis and treatment. Work under the direction of a pathologist or histology supervisor.
- • Accession and label tissue specimens; verify patient identifiers in the LIS.
- • Fix and process tissues using approved protocols and tissue processors.
- • Embed tissues in paraffin, properly orienting specimens.
- • Section paraffin blocks on a microtome at required thickness.
- • Perform routine H&E staining and coverslipping; assess stain quality.
- • Perform special stains and immunohistochemistry per validated procedures.
- • Prepare and assist with frozen sections using a cryostat for intraoperative cases.
- • Prepare, monitor, and replace reagents, buffers, and fixatives; document QC.
- • Inspect slides for artifacts and adequacy; troubleshoot processing or staining issues.
- • Clean, calibrate, and maintain microtomes, cryostats, processors, and embedding centers; record maintenance.
- • Assemble cases and deliver slides to pathologists; prioritize STAT work.
- • Provide grossing support and cassette preparation within scope of practice.
- • Follow biosafety, chemical safety, and infection control procedures; manage hazardous waste.
- • Record stain logs, QC, and workload data in the LIS; maintain chain of custody.
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Healthcare & Human Services
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Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
