What is a Medical Lab Technologist (MLT)?
Medical Laboratory Technologist Definition
Medical Laboratory Technologists (MLT) are vital healthcare professionals, providing laboratory information from laboratory analyses that assist physicians and other healthcare professionals in patient diagnosis and treatment, as well as in disease monitoring or prevention.
Medical laboratory technologists practice includes the ability to produce accurate laboratory data on a variety of tissue specimens, blood samples and other body fluids using sophisticated biomedical instruments and techniques with the application of theoretical knowledge that aid in detecting cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, infectious mononucleosis, and identification of bacteria or viruses that cause infections, as well as in detecting drugs of abuse. It also includes the quality management of equipment and samples which is an important aspect of the profession to ensure accurate reliable results for patient safety. Laboratory testing encompasses such disciplines as clinical chemistry, clinical genetics, cytology, haematology, immunology, immuno-haematology, microbiology, molecular biology and transfusion medicine.
Each certifed discipline has specified national competency requirements. The competency profile outlines the theoretical and practical education, knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviours and judgement required of a medical laboratory technologist in Nova Scotia to provide safe, competent, and ethical medical laboratory testing.
Definition of registered (licensed) MLT
The College may register a MLT as a Active practisng MLT who produces evidence approved by the Board that the person:
Successfully completed an accredited Canadian MLT program and the national approved MLT exam or
Deemed equivalent through a prior learning assessment evaluation by the Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Sciences (CSMLS) and successful on the national exam or
Is registered as the equivalent of a registered MLT in good standing in another jurisdiction in Canada and
Is of good character and
Complies with the NSCMLT legislation with respect to registration.
Only registered MLT's in Nova Scotia may use the title medical laboratory technologist, MLT or any word, title or designation abbreviated or otherwise imply the person is a member.
