Press Start: Lead an Empowered Life as a Clinical Laboratorian

How am I Doing?

2009-11-15T22:16:00Z

A few years ago I was consulted by a new manager who was frustrated because several of his employees refused to sign their annual performance evaluation. Some accused him of playing favorites and being unusually harsh and punitive. After speaking with him, I learned that he had made several common but crucial mistakes. First, using the score of 1 through 5, where 3 was acceptable performance, he decided that to score above a 3 the employee had to, in his words, "walk on water." Previous managers...(read more)

Will You Take the H1N1 Vaccine?

2009-10-21T23:37:00Z

Each year, my friends and family ask me if I will be taking the flu shot. Of course they are usually referring to the seasonal flu vaccine. This year, the situation is complicated by the appearance of the H1N1 or so called "swine flu." I always advise questioners that one cannot get the flu from the flu shot, members of all high risk groups should take the shot, and taking the shot is the responsible thing to do since it protects the most vulnerable among us-as well as ourselves. Three years ago...(read more)

You Still Have a Choice

2009-10-10T23:07:00Z

Just over 2 months ago I wrote a blog discussing the NCA-ASCP merger. The blog elicited a lot of responses both directly on this site and through personal email. One nagging question has been the role of AMT in all of this. Some AMT certificants worried that they would become the forgotten step children. Would employers even start specifying "certification by ASCP only" ? However, the leadership of AMT decided that they would not take the threat lying down. In fact they have turned the challenge...(read more)

"Historically, Nothing!"

2009-10-04T20:50:00Z

Just about everyone knows someone in the workplace whose mantra is "that's the way we have always done it here." People like that are usually afraid of change and so cling desperately to the status quo long after it has outlived its usefulness. There is also an inherent element of power. A new hot shot technologist/scientist/director joins the work force and the "old timer" immediately feels threatened. In their mind the only sort of power they can exert is having historical knowledge. These are...(read more)

Stop the Flu Madness

2009-09-24T15:43:00Z

As we approach the flu season there are lots of questions about influenza testing and horror stories about a looming epidemic or pandemic. Patients are flooding doctors' offices and emergency departments, and clinicians are demanding widescale testing; often unwarranted, but driven by patient demand or even hysteria. Some emergency rooms have set up customized triage to route patients with influenza like symptoms to a special area so that they can be quickly seen and released. Most will be given...(read more)

APHL Asks For Help With HIV Algorithms

2009-09-16T21:24:00Z

Back in 1989, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) issued a firm algorithm for diagnosing HIV; an algorithm that is still in use today as the gold standard. The patient is tested with a preliminary enzyme immunoassay (EIA) screening test. If the result is repeatedly reactive, the patient result is listed as "preliminary positive" and a blood specimen is further tested by a more specific test such as the Western Blot or an indirect...(read more)

How to Survive a Layoff

2009-09-05T21:58:00Z

We are told that the recession is easing , but there are many people who are still feeling the squeeze. Some economists describe this phase as a "job - less recovery" and even in healthcare, lay offs and downsizing are still occurring. Some employers have reduced work hours (for example, employees working 32 hours per week, instead of 40). I am constantly asked, "What can I do to avoid or minimize a layoff?" While there is no magic formula to avoid the axe, there are definite strategies to increase...(read more)

You Are Paid What You Are Worth

2009-08-29T00:24:00Z

I was speaking to a client the other day and he kept complaining about how underpaid he is. He resisted every exercise I suggested to list his strengths, competencies and value to his company. "I am very well qualified, I do a good job, I work very hard; so why can't they recognize that?" he asked. His problem is really not that unique. Most people think they are not paid wages commensurate with their qualification, and the effort they expend. Entire groups of professionals like clinical laboratory...(read more)

What's Your Biggest Weakness?

2009-08-22T00:07:00Z

What do you do when asked by an interviewer, or your boss during a performance evaluation, "What do you think is your greatest weakness?" That question stops most people in their tracks. President Bush asked by a reporter if he had made mistakes was so flummoxed he said he could not think of one and added "I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it." Such a response will make you seem arrogant at best, and either disingenuous or woefully self unaware at...(read more)

We Teach What We Need to Learn

2009-07-31T00:21:00Z

A good friend of mine who is a life coach is fond of saying "We teach what we most need to learn." I have found that to be true not just in a metaphysical sense but also in leadership as well. I once had a boss who always brought every topic back to patient safety or ethics. We were all shocked when we found that as a nurse she diverted pain medications from patients(for her own use/abuse). Not only was she putting patients at risk; but little is more unethical, in my opinion. Ever notice how micromanagers...(read more)

ASCP and NCA Unify at Last

2009-07-25T01:34:00Z

Just in: The two largest national certification agency for clinical laboratorians announced in Chicago that they have merged (finally!) Laboratorians have long recognized that one of the factors contributing to low recognition and confusion in the profession is the myriad of certification agencies. Our credentials are a veritable alphabet soup that not only mystifies employers and human resource departments but even some of us in the profession itself. The new Board of Certification (BOC) as well...(read more)

I Love Nurses!

2009-07-15T18:24:00Z

A few minutes ago, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed a bill to revamp the health care system Celebrating the passage of the bill, President Barack Obama, surrounded by nursing leaders at the White House , proclaimed "I love nurses!" This is the third time I have heard Obama repeat that sentiment. He talked about the time when one of his daughters had meningitis and , despite the fine work of the doctors, it was nurses who were there to take care of the child as well...(read more)

Social Networking and Work

2009-07-05T20:09:00Z

Millions of people now practice social networking . In fact just about everyone I know has a profile on one or more sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Twitter. Some networkers are more aggressive and dedicated than others and spend hours each week updating profiles and announcing to the world everything from their last meal to their emotional state. They also comment on the activities of others, offering advice or social commentary. Networks of "friends" constantly grow to include family, friends...(read more)

Clothes Make the Man -or Woman!

2009-06-28T18:54:00Z

Yesterday, I accompanied a friend to the doctor to provide moral support and also to "translate". My friend historically has had a very negative experience with the medical establishment and hasn't always had an advocate for her as she navigated the complex system. So I knew it was important to her that I tagged along as her "insider." The visit itself went very well until my friend went to have blood drawn. The phlebotomist was overly made. sported fake nails, a low cut blouse and a lab coat with...(read more)

Because I Said So

2009-06-20T19:55:00Z

Remember as kids, how your parents would explain a directive with a terse "Because I said so." Or simply "Because!." That response demonstrated a significant imbalance of power between the parent and child. Healthcare providers are familiar with superiors or physicians sometimes demanding that providers act in a manner against the provider's better judgment, scope of practice or established policy and procedure "because!" Recently, I was privy to 3 separate instances in which laboratorians were "ordered"...(read more)