Clinical Laboratory Assistant Program

Clinical Lab Assistant The Clinical Laboratory Assistant Program at Newbridge College provides students with the knowledge and technical skills required to obtain entry-level employment in clinical and hospital medical laboratories, blood banks, research centers, and other health care facilities.

Program Length

Day Classes: 36 weeks
Evening Classes: 43 weeks

Program Admission Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent (GED)
Command of English language

Campuses Offering this Program

Program Course Description

This course provides students with the education and training required to begin working as a successful Clinical Laboratory Assistant. Students are taught a balanced blend of both didactic and practical instruction. Upon successful graduation students will have the necessary knowledge and technical skills to perform routine laboratory tests under the supervision of medical technologists or laboratory managers. The program is divided into six modules and an externship program. Student must complete all modules, starting with any module and continuing in sequence until all six modules are completed. Students participate in an externship only upon successful completion of all other academic requirements.

On successful completion of the program, graduates receive a Clinical Laboratory Assistant Diploma and Phlebotomy Certificate of Completion and will meet eligibility requirements for Phlebotomy Tech Certification examination.

Courses Included in this Program

Basic Concepts for the Laboratory Professional
Phlebotomy and Specimen Collection
Hematology and Coagulation
Serology and Immuno-hematology
Urinalysis and Microbiology
Clinical Chemistry

Newbridge College is approved by the Department of Health Services, Laboratory Field Services Division, to provide phlebotomy instruction.

Externship Program

Upon completion of their academic requirements, students participate in an externship program in a clinical laboratory, hospital laboratory or related clinical setting, providing real-world hands-on work experience.

Occupation and Job Outlook

Job growth in the health care industry continues to expand to meet the needs of a growing and aging population in the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, excellent job opportunities are expected and employment of clinical laboratory workers is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations, and new job openings are expected to increase by 14% through 2018.*

Work Environment: Clinical laboratory personnel are trained to work with infectious specimens. When proper methods of infection control and sterilization are followed, few hazards exist. Protective masks, gloves, and goggles often are necessary to ensure the safety of laboratory personnel.

Working conditions vary with the size and type of employment setting. Laboratories usually are well lighted and clean; however, specimens, solutions, and reagents used in the laboratory sometimes produce fumes. Laboratory workers may spend a great deal of time on their feet.

Hours of clinical laboratory technologists and technicians vary with the size and type of employment setting. In large hospitals or in independent laboratories that operate continuously, personnel usually work the day, evening, or night shift and may work weekends and holidays. Laboratory personnel in small facilities may work on rotating shifts, rather than on a regular shift. In some facilities, laboratory personnel are on call several nights a week or on weekends, in case of an emergency.

Many graduates gain entry level jobs laboratories and are not eligible to become Medical Laboratory Technicians (which is a degree program and not provided at Newbridge College).

Accreditation

Newbridge College Santa Ana and Newbridge College Long Beach are accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a private, non-profit, independent accrediting agency dedicated to ensuring a quality education for more than 250,000 students who annually pursue career education at 800 accredited institutions.

Gainful Employment Program Disclosure

Final regulations published in the Federal Register on October 29, 2010, [75 FR 66665 and FR 66832], by the U.S. Department of Education, require institutions that participate in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (the HEA), to report certain information about students who enrolled in the Title IV-eligible educational programs that lead to gainful employment in a recognized occupation (GE Programs). Those regulations also provide that institutions must disclose to prospective students certain information about their GE programs.

Recognized Occupations

The U.S. Department of Labor lists the following occupations as potential careers for students who complete these programs. For more information regarding Recognized Occupations and Standard Occupational Codes, please visit http://www.onetonline.org.

Program	Standard Occupational Code (SOC)
Clinical Laboratory Assistant	29-2012.00 - Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 29-2011.00 - Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists 31-9097.00 - Phlebotomist 31-9092.00 - Medical Assistants 31-9099.00 - Healthcare Support Workers, All Other

Students Completing Within Published Program Length - On Time Completion Rate

Program	Campus (Year)	Number of Students Who Began Program¹	Students Available for Graduation²	Graduates³	On Time Completion Rate⁴	Total Completion Rate⁵
Clinical Laboratory Assistant
	Santa Ana (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†
	Santa Ana (2010)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†
	Long Beach (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†
	Long Beach(2010)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†

¹Students beginning program who are scheduled to complete the program within the reporting calendar year.
²Students beginning program minus students unavailable for graduation (deceased, incarcerated, or called to active military duty).
³Students completing the program within 100% of the published program length.
⁴Graduates divided by the number of students available for graduation.
⁵Students completing the program on time, plus those completing within 150% of the published program length.
^†New program as of 9/17/2010. No data to report.

Placement Rates

Program	Campus (Year)	Number of Graduates¹	Graduates Available for Employment²	Graduates Employed in the Field³	Placement Rate Employed in the Field⁴	Graduates Employed in the Field an average of less than 32 hours⁵	Graduates Employed in the Field at least 32 hours per week5⁵
Clinical Laboratory Assistant
	Santa Ana (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A	N/A
	Santa Ana (2010)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A	N/A
	Long Beach (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A	N/A
	Long Beach (2010)	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A†	N/A	N/A

¹Students completing the program within 100% of the published program length.
²Graduates minus the number of graduates unavailable for employment (graduates who, after graduation, are deceased, incarcerated, called to active military duty, international students who leave the U.S. or do not have a visa allowing employment in the U.S., or are continuing education in an accredited or BPPE-approved postsecondary institution.
³Graduates reporting that they are gainfully employed within six months of graduation in a position for which the skills obtained through the education and training provided by the institution are required or provided a significant advantage to the graduate in obtaining the position.
⁴Placement rate is calculated by dividing the number of graduates gainfully employed in the field by the number of graduates available for employment.
⁵This specific statistical information is not maintained by the institution.
^†New program as of 9/17/2010. No data to report.

Salary and Wage Information

Annual Salary and Wage Reported for Graduates Employed in the Field

Program	Campus (Year)	Graduates Available for Employment¹	Graduates Employed in the Field²	$15,000-$20,000	$20,001-$25,000	$25,001-$30,000	$30,001-$35,000	$35,001-$40,000	$40,001+	Students Not Reporting Salary³
Clinical Laboratory Assistant
	Santa Ana (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	-	-	-	-	-	-	N/A†
	Santa Ana (2010)	N/A†	N/A†	-	-	-	-	-	-	N/A†
	Long Beach (2009)	N/A†	N/A†	-	-	-	-	-	-	N/A†
	Long Beach (2010)	N/A†	N/A†	-	-	-	-	-	-	N/A†

¹Graduates minus the number of graduates unavailable for employment (graduates who, after graduation, are deceased, incarcerated, called to active military duty, international students who leave the U.S. or do not have a visa allowing employment in the U.S., or are continuing education in an accredited or BPPE-approved postsecondary institution.
²Graduates reporting that they are gainfully employed within six months of graduation in a position for which the skills obtained through the education and training provided by the institution are required or provided a significant advantage to the graduate in obtaining the position.
³Salary information is reported by the graduate; not all graduates reported salary information.
^†New program as of 9/17/2010. No data to report.

2011 Program Tuition Costs and Length

Program	Campus	Program Cost*	Clock Hours	Credit Hours	Length (Weeks)
Program	Campus	Program Cost*	Clock Hours	Credit Hours	Day Class	Eve. Class
Clinical Laboratory Assistant	Santa Ana	$17,092.50	720	44	36	43
Clinical Laboratory Assistant	Long Beach	$17,092.50	720	44	36	43

* Program Cost includes tuition fee, registration fee, student recovery fund, books and supplies for each program.

Median Loan Debt Incurred by Students

Program	Campus	Median Loan Debt
Clinical Laboratory Assistant	Santa Ana	$9,390
Clinical Laboratory Assistant	Long Beach	$9,390

*Growth figures represent a ten-year period ending 2018. Source: "National Industry-Occupation Employment Matrix," a publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For more information, please visit the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.