You know those people who have a fear of commitment?  Well, I think I am on the opposite pole from those people.  I would say that I am addicted to commitment.  Have a project to take on?  Sign me up.  Need help with a school event?  Sign me up.  Four year degree with an intense clinical internship?  Sign me up.  My latest commitment involves a new pet.

I've already mentioned this, but just a quick recap to get the full picture...  My husband and I have two daughters ages 9 and 7.  We adopted our first dog when our older daughter was just a baby.  About two years later we received a phone call from some friends wondering if we knew anyone who would want this sweet little stray puppy they found, sign us up.  Then another two years goes by and we fell in love with yet another puppy.  For the last two years we have had three dogs and we really do love them all.

Well, the kids have wanted a cat for some time now, and we finally found a kitten my husband and I both fell in love with.  We adopted her from a local Animal Rescue and brought her home yesterday.

You may be thinking to yourself, "what in the world does this have to do with working in a lab?".  Well, neither my husband or I have ever owned a cat and our dogs have never been around a cat.  So we are embarking on a slow mission of introducing the new pet into the home and hoping for a friendly outcome.  It just made me think of starting my internship last year and watching this year's batch of interns coming through.

You see, the dogs know what's going on around here, they have their routines, they have their space and they've been here for awhile.  The cat has her own ideas of how things should be, she likely has her own plans about her routines and claiming a space all her own.  Is this all going to happen without a few hairs being raised?  Can we give equal attention to both the dogs and cat without any of them feeling resentful?  Probably not.

The students have the campus world as their frame of reference and the lab is a whole new world.  The techs in the lab have the "real world" as their frame of reference.  Can we expect the students to automatically know how things work in the lab?  Can we expect the techs to be completely open and accepting of these new students who are interrupting and questioning everything that they do?  Probably not.  Some days things will run smooth as can be, others may be a bit stressful and feelings could get hurt.  In the end I guess it just takes time and a lot of patience for everyone to adjust.

So far, we have the cat in her own room and her and the dogs are currently sniffing under the door.  We plan on taking things very slowly and we are hoping for a happy coexistence for all!

This week I was able to attend Wisconsin's Annual Mycobacteriology Conference with my manager and another coworker.  It was a one day event held in Madison, I believe there were about 60 attendees with labs from around the state represented.  As a BSL-2 laboratory our role is staining, processing and growing acid fast cultures,  If we have a positive bottle or slant we confirm by stain and send it to our State Lab of Hygeine to be identified.  After that, if sensitivities are requested, the isolates get sent to Marshfield (a quite large reference lab in WI) or other specialty labs as required.

By attending this conference, I was able to put some names to the faces for our lab contacts and learn a lot more about the processes they go through to identify the mycobacterium.  It's all a very interesting process and it's nice to be able to put the whole picture together.

Above all the hands on knowledge, I was very enlightened to how tuberculosis is currently impacting the world and the problems arising with Multi-, Extreme- and Total- Drug Resistant strains of M. tuberculosis.  I guess it's one of those things that you just put in the back of your mind and don't really think about unless it is affecting you personally.  I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since and I think I have finally found something that I want to be a very active advocate for.

I've emailed my managers to see if our hospital system currently has any affiliations with or sponsors any Stop TB organizations and I'm beginning my own research of what organizations are out there so I can get involved. 

I look forward to sharing my experiences down the road.  I also hope that all of us lab professionals (or anyone at all for that matter) can find something to be passionate about and find a way to make a difference for the better on this planet!!

It never ceases to amaze me how different each day in the lab can be...  I was able to perform another "first" today.  Our Microbiology department is responsible for obtaining nasopharyngeal swabs in the outpatient testing area, on occasions when the usual staff is unavailable to do them.  I had seen them done, read the procedure, just hadn't ever collected one yet.  So I offered to go and collect it, no time like the present to learn!  In my experience, it never fails that when I offer to go and take care of something, it always turns out that the patient is a child.

He was a very mature 10 year old boy and he wasn't scared at all, which made it easy for me to show a confident smile when I explained to him what was going to be done.  I collected the sample, the boy thanked me for "loosening things up" (I think he sneezed about three times after) and he and his mother would never have guessed that it was the first time I had done that.

There are a few people in our lab who seem unwilling to take on new tasks or learn new things.  I'm not sure how they got to be that way, or why they choose to approach their job, or life, with that attitude.  I just know that I'm new in this field and I'm new at my hospital.  I try to learn something new everyday.  In fact, I find that most days a person would almost have to work at it to not learn something everyday. 

Sure, there are a few mornings when the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. and I'd like to turn it off completely and go back to sleep.  But I haven't had a day when I felt that I didn't want to go to work because of the job that I do.  Everyday provides an opportunity to remember why we do what we do.  Everyday provides an opportunity to question, to challenge, to solve, to improve, to make a difference.

I sometimes think about my life a few years back.  I really didn't think I had the time or resources to get a four year degree.  I really felt like that window of opportunity had passed for me.  I'm so glad that I gave it a shot, that I took a few classes part time just to see if I could manage.  Of course there are those who find success without a degree, I was not headed down that path.  I realized that I wasn't going to find a career that satisfied me without getting an education.  It turned out to be the perfect decision for me.  Now I'm beginning a career I enjoy and I can't wait to see what the future brings.

I had the pleasure of attending the ASCLS Region V Annual Meeting this past week in Watertown, South Dakota.  What a wonderful experience!  I was able to listen to some great talks ranging from healthcare reform, to "providing the face" for the medical laboratory scientist, tuberculosis detection and a few others.  The conference provided a lot of new information, although I think my managers and coworkers will be the ones that feel the effects the most... after all I have to ask someone the dozens of questions that I now have!

It really was an eye opening experience, not only in the sense of how the field will be changing in the future, but of how much there is to learn right now!  I don't think you can ever stop learning!  I have my laundry list of things I need to ask, things I need to look up, things I want to find out more about... 

The meeting was about a nine hour drive from my home and I didn't want to go alone, so my family took the opportunity to extend our time out their and check out western South Dakota.  We went to Mount Rushmore, the Black Hills, the Badlands and a few other fun things.  My girls are 7 and 9 and I have to say they were amazing during the entire trip.  We thoroughly enjoyed our family vacation and at the end of it, I'm actually ecxited to go back to work!  It's still sinking in for me that I have a career that I enjoy!  I've never "missed" my job before, I'm honestly looking forward to Monday morning! 

If anyone out there is on the fence about attending their local, regional, or even national meetings...  I say DO IT!  Besided the continuing education credits and networking, it's also a great opportunity to remember what a wonderful field we are part of and how much impact what we do has on health care in general.  If it just so happens that you can turn it into a vacation, more power to you!

As a new professional, I've been putting myself out there for every opportunity available to train in new areas, or pick up additional tasks.  After all, I am still a student at heart!  So I offered to help cover shifts at another hospital in our area, within the Affinity Health System.  I had a few days of training down there, mostly to familiarize myself with the day to days, since the actual job is pretty much the same as what I already do.

However, there was one little thing that I was not aware of...  I have a new responsibility when I'm working there.  I have to go to Fine Needle Aspirate procedures of the thyroid.  Until a few days ago, I had never heard of this procedure.  Basically, my responsibility is to stand there quietly, not touching anything and hold out my little tray to get the needles from the doctor and quickly make slides for histology and cytology.  I observed during one procedure, and will definitely observe again before I attempt one on my own.  It doesn't seem too difficult, it's just the comfort level of interacting with different doctors that I'd like a little more experience with.

I don't know if it's the same in all labs, but we have very little contact with doctors in my lab.  An occasional phone call for sensitivities is about it.  Mostly we get to talk to the nurses who relay our messages.  It seems like there are at least a few incidents a week when I hear a tech ask "Why is the doctor ordering that??" or "they don't need that if they just order this" and other such things.  It is during those moments that I think about the developing DCLS!  I've seen examples of when it would be helpful!  I can only imagine how much more effective our health care system will be once we can incorporate these people into the mainstream!

When I think about it at face value, it just seems like common sense.  Doctors and the lab working TOGETHER!!  It's time to bust out of the "black box" and use all of our training and expertise for the good of the patient, and the patient's medical bills!

It's only been 5 months since I've been out of school and I'm already looking forward to going back.  Don't get me wrong, I'm taking full advantage of my time off!  It's nice to have hobbies and free time again, I just know that I'm meant to do bigger and better things in this field.  I plan on being a life-long learner and I can't wait to give back to healthcare in the future.

One last thing, I'd like to mention quickly...  check out the "Meet the Bloggers" webcast.  Each of us has answered a few questions about why we chose to write our blogs and what we would like to accomplish with them.  You can actually put a voice to the words now!

Of course we've all heard about the impending outbreaks of H1N1...  Is your lab prepared?  Is your community prepared?  The information out there seems to be changing and updating constantly, so who's to say if anyone is truly prepared.  Honestly, I'm a little worried that lack of communication combined with people's need to go to work or school is going to play a huge factor in the unnecessary spread of this virus.

We've received the emails, stay home is you are experiencing flu-like symptoms.  For some that is of course easier said than done.  In a perfect world, yes, we could all afford to remain in our homes until all chances of passing on the flu have come and gone.  In a perfect world, those symptoms would show up only when we are home, with a full stock of supplies to get us through the next seven days, so nobody would have to leave the house further exposing people to the nasty flu.  Well, if you are counting on that to happen, GOOD LUCK!

I don't have any solutions, I am just hoping to get through this with myself and my family's health intact.  We've seen a few cases showing up in our area, which means I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the schools and workplaces start getting hit.

I can only hope that laboratories and doctors can remain on the same page and keep each other updated with new information.  Best of luck to you all!  Stay healthy!!

Ask around any business, lab or otherwise, I imagine you’ll find that most places are divided when it comes to Lean practices. There are those that go into protective mode and are worried about losing their jobs. There are also those who welcome the chance to improve how things are done and are hoping to make their days run smoother.

My department is right in the middle of Lean. We started by rearranging job assignments in order to get all cultures read by 9:30 am, in order to get result to the physician’s offices for their morning printing. While there was a little bit of resistance and some slight grumbling, I think everyone came around. We improved our percentage of cultures reported from 75% to over 90% read by the cut off. This is a great benefit to the patients! I think it’s also sparking an improved team atmosphere in our department.

The next phase is one that I’m VERY much looking forward too. The 5S Phase… sort, sweep, and some other “s” words. Basically, CLEAN UP!! I love my job, but if there is one thing I cannot stand it’s clutter! I can’t imagine the impression our lab leaves on non-lab people coming through. Memos taped all over cabinets, piles of paper all over the place, it drives me crazy. I completely understand how it happens, someone tapes up a helpful note and then another, and another. Before you know it there are memos from 2005 all over the place!

The part that really makes me laugh is that we are LAB people, our jobs require attention to detail, yet it seems that our whole lab is content to live in chaos! I know this is not unique to my lab and I’d love to hear anyone else’s cluttered chaotic lab stories.

If there’s any advice I can offer to other newbies like myself, it would be to be patient… change will come, it just needs to be approached professionally and systematically. I dream of the day when my department is logically organized, standardized, and as efficient as possible!

Our lab is starting to do HPVs in the next few weeks, and we just started Fetal Fibronectins this month. Also, the micro department is just beginning to go through the Lean process. All of this together leads to LOTS of learning for me! Thankfully, my department has helpful coworkers--most of them have been here for over 20 years and seem to know everything. 

One of the things I like most though, is that no matter how much they each may know, nobody is above asking someone else's opinion about a culture. It's comforting to a newbie like me to know I'm not bothering someone by asking them yet another question. There certainly is a lot to learn in micro, but I'm looking forward to building my knowledge base. 

I worked this past weekend and was on stools/vaginal cultures for 4 days in a row. Over the course of the weekend, I identified three Salmonella spp. and a Shigella dysenteriae.  Along with those cultures came a wealth of comments to be put in the patient reports, send-outs to the State Lab of Hygeine, crossing my t's and dotting my i's. Needless to say, I think I've got that procedure down pat now.

When I talk with my coworkers about cultures, or sensitivities ... I look forward to the day when that's me. When I'll be able to answer the endless questions of a new tech, or recall when certain organisms never had resistance to such and such antibiotic. I can't even imagine how much my department will change over the years to come, but I think it's going to be an amazing ride!

Today was a memorable day. I received my certification from ASCP in the mail. I am officially Rhonda M. Daily, MT(ASCP).

Now that I've been working for almost 2 months, it's all starting to sink in...I did it. I went back to school after almost 10 years, juggled homework, summer research jobs, kids, husband, dogs, internship, studying for the boards, trying to retain some form of sanity, a smidge of a social life and everything else that was thrown on my plate. Sometimes I feel as though I'm so far behind having gotten my degree at the ripe old age of 33. But when I look ahead and my husband and I start planning where we want to be in the next 5, 10, 15 years...it's comforting to know that we can get there.

Prior to going back to school, I worked for a home medical equipment company. I did all forms of patient services, custom fit orthotics, wheelchair fittings, Medicare approvals for durable medical equipment, and on and on. I enjoyed the job, but after 18 months I had essentially maxed out what there was to learn about the job. The salary was OK, but that too would have maxed out far below where I am now.

It's hard to describe the satisfaction I feel every day at my job, knowing I'm actually using the knowledge and skills I've acquired over the last few years. Working in the microbiology department, I'm making decisions every day on every culture based on what I know. Of course, there are procedural guidelines, and the wealth of experience of my coworkers to back me up, but I get to THINK every day. That was definitely something missing from other jobs I've held in the past.

Of course, there is much discussion about MT wages, in comparison to nursing and other careers in the medical field. Yes, we do have an extensive education and yes, I'd love to be paid more. But all in all, I'm happy to have a job I enjoy and I can live a comfortable life with what I'm being paid. Now, when my girls hit the teenage years, that may be a different story! They are only 9 and 7 now, so I'm hoping I've got a few years until they turn into fashionistas.

So, I'm settling into my new career. The summer is flying by--we've managed to fill our days off with lots of fun family activities, and most importantly I've been able to finally RELAX!

After the whole Student Bowl experience, I was feeling pretty well prepared to take the Board of Registry Exam.  Of course, I continued to study till the very end. Our class of six decided to take the exam the morning of our graduation from the hospital. I guess we all just figured we may as well know right away if we would be celebrating our accomplishment. I know I wanted to really enjoy graduation and knowing that I was DONE! 

Let me tell you a little bit about the exam adventure. The six of us signed up to take the exam at 8 a.m. in Madison, about a 2-hour drive from where we interned. We headed out in two cars the afternoon before. My husband came along for my moral support, not to mention that any chance to get out of town kid free is worth jumping on, even if it was to take a test!

There was definitely a great deal of nervous excitement in the air all evening. I was pretty confident I would be OK and that all of my classmates would be as well. But I just couldn't sleep!  I think my husband may have been even more nervous than I was. After all, he couldn't do anything about the situation--he just had to trust that I was well prepared. After hours of tossing and turning, my husband and I ventured out at about 5 a.m. to find some breakfast. It was surreal to think it would all be over in a matter of hours. 

The testing center was about a half mile walk from the hotel. We chose to walk to get a little fresh air and maybe achieve some sort of calmness before the test. It was a lovely walk. The testing center itself was a little stressful--getting photo ID'd, fingerprinted, etc.

The very first question of the test totally caught me off guard. I wasn't sure at all about what the answer was.  Then there were some easy ones, and some not so easy ones. The hardest part was trying not to second guess myself.

It seemed to take forever. At the end, right before I clicked SUBMIT, I think my heart may have stopped just for a second. My mind went crazy. This was it--4 years all came down to this moment. Had I really done enough?

I clicked submit, and after assuring the computer that yes, I was sure I wanted to submit, a tiny four letter word popped up on the screen--PASS. A sigh of relief...and then just calm. One by one, we all filed out of that testing center with goofy grins from ear to ear. All six of us passed!

I'm still awaiting my official score, but I passed and that's all that matters to me! 

What a whirlwind week!  First off, let me fill you in on the Student Bowl Competition. I was so nervous all day leading up to the competition and so were my teammates. We had our strategy down--go for 10 points, only go for 20 if the other team got one. We didn’t play in the first time slot, so we huddled in the corner cramming as much last minute stuff into our heads as possible. Let me tell you, that was a fast 30 minutes!

Our first match was a team from UW Madison. Some questions were OK, others were CRAZY! It really is a slap to the face to see how hard it is to put everything together. In 30 seconds, you have to confer with your teammates, decide on an answer and figure out how to verbalize that answer so it makes sense to the judges. Thirty seconds is not a lot of time. We ended up winning the first match by a pretty big margin, and we were on to the next round.

Our second match was another team from UW Madison. This team definitely had their game faces on. But we did our best to just worry about us and stay focused. I was the team captain, so it was my responsibility to do all the speaking on behalf of our team. I tried my best to be polite and say "please" and "thank you" when choosing categories and answering questions. It was a stressful match! We did win again, although this one really came down to the wire. Those ladies put up an awesome fight.

On to the third round. This team was from Marshfield and it was their debut in the Student Bowl. The captain of that team was one of my UW Oshkosh classmates. If I could pick any person from my campus who I was afraid to go up against, it was him! Let’s just say it was an interesting match…there were moments of brilliance, and moments of…well, not so brilliant. Phil, the opposing team captain, definitely caught us off guard by throwing out the PASS option. In the end, Marshfield took us out, by 5 points, I believe.

Marshfield went on to lose the championship (by 5 points) to another classmate of mine, Robert, representing Zablocki Veteran’s Hospital. Robert’s team was responsible for taking out my fellow Affinity team. 

In summary: the Treacherous Kidds (me, Tamesha, Desirae) and the Schistocytes (Anna, Sarah, David) both from Affinity each lost to the team that went on to the final round. All I can say is, semi-finals ain’t bad!

In addition to the Student Bowl, there was also a poster competition. There were close to 80 entries in three different areas: Literature Review, Case Study and Research. I’m proud to say my classmate Desirae took third place in Case Study and I ended up taking first place in Case Study.

The remainder of the convention was spent in different seminars, keynote speakers, loading up our bags with vendor goodies…the usual convention stuff.

I had a blast and I’m looking forward to the ASCLS National Convention this summer in Chicago.

It’s officially Lab Week.  An entire week dedicated to raising awareness about our field. It also just so happens that I’ve officially completed my clinical rotations! I’m in the home stretch--22 days until I take the Board of Registry exam.

The way our program is set up allows us 3 weeks of review lectures and study time. I cannot put into words exactly how thankful I am for that! I’ve made my study schedule and I’m going to try my best to stick to it.

There’s a lot of excitement in the air about our State Convention starting on Sunday. The convention kicks off Sunday evening with the Student Bowl Competition. Our team is excited and ready to go!  We’ve done “practice” bowls every week for the last 2 months and we can’t wait to see if we’ve got what it takes to win it all!

Of course, the other teams from my school feel the same way. It’s all in good spirits, of course. Above all, the Student Bowl has turned out to be a motivating study tactic.

The next two days of the convention consist of the Poster Competition, which I am also excited about, and various seminars. It looks like it will be a great learning and networking experience. 

Happy Lab Week to all of the people who make the lab function as smoothly as possible! Thank you to all of the MTs, MLTs, phlebotomists, lab assistants, lab secretaries, lab managers, lab directors, lab IT administrators, pathologists, histotechnologists, cytotechnologists, CLS program advisors and educators, and anyone else I may have forgot to mention!

Thank you for all that you do!

I was fortunate enough to have an unbelievably brilliant professor for a few of my med tech classes. Dr. McDermott teaches Immunology, Medical Mycology and Medical Bacteriology for the major. Her biggest teaching strategy is teaching and testing by means of case studies. 

At first this was hard to adjust to and it seemed as if it was more work than it was worth. Her tests were extremely difficult--you had to know everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!  Multiple choice questions were few and far between. Everything was case studies, critical thinking, being able to piece the puzzle together.

Throughout this internship experience, I’ve discovered the things I learned in her classes have “stuck” better and I can recall them much clearer. It is one thing to simply memorize and regurgitate a bunch of information--when you understand why something is the way it is, that’s when you have “learned” the information.

My understanding is that the DCLS program will employ the case study method of teaching. I really hope it does!  Even though it seems more difficult upfront, I think it is the best and most complete way to learn.  It works for doctors and lawyers; it can work for us too!

We’ve been able to present a case study as part of our internship and create a poster about it for the ASCLS State Convention in April.  Even though my case was a “nightmare” in terms of sifting through a giant stack of records and an unfortunate abundance of health issues, I’ve learned a great deal from it. My patient reached every department of the lab, and being able to put it all together really helps me understand and appreciate what it is that we do in the lab.

It definitely takes a team of people to solve a medical mystery. If you have an opportunity to work on any case studies I would highly recommend it. There’s a reason all the “end of chapter” reviews have case studies!  It is an extremely valuable way to learn.

Even the most seasoned phlebotomist or tech will tell you everyone has a bad day when it comes to drawing blood. I would have to agree with that. However, the feeling of satisfaction that comes from having a great day lasts a lot longer.

As part of our internship experience, we go up on the floors for morning draws a few times a week. There are mornings when I wake up not all that excited about having to draw. But I try to keep a positive attitude and hope for some decent veins.

The other morning I woke up and I was just happy--no special reason--just woke up with a smile. I got to the hospital at 6 a.m. to go up with the phlebotomy team and decided it was going to be a good day. The first three patients were relatively easy, one arm, two hand veins. 

The fourth patient was on the larger side and was lying in his chair, which was essentially jammed against the wall. One arm was off limits because of a fistula, so I proceeded to look in the arm that was against the wall at a very awkward angle.

I'm always diligent about taking my time to locate a vein, but I couldn't feel ANYTHING! So I moved on to looking at his hand ... still nothing. I asked him to hang his hand down to the side for a moment, and went back to looking.

Eventually, I could sort of feel a vein, but it was hard to get a good sense of the direction and size. I was probably about 70 percent confident I would get it, but I went for it. I hit it right away, no problems, filled all the tubes.

When I was cleaning up and labeling my tubes, the patient asked me what my name was. Of course, I was thinking, "Oh no, that must have hurt," so I gave him my name.

He said, "I just wanted to know who to ask for next time. Nobody ever gets me on the first try." He also said that he was once poked 17 times before they got him. I have to tell you I may have given myself a little high five in my head!

Then on to the fifth patient--a sweet, small elderly lady, with very cold hands. She had ports/IVs in both arms, so I had to look in her hands. One hand was very bruised, so I was down to the other hand to find a vein.

I'm not exaggerating when I say her hands were freezing! I couldn't feel anything. Then I remembered I had an infant heel warmer on my tray, so I figured I would give it a try.

After a few minutes, it did the trick. All the while, I was chatting with the patient. She told me that the warmer felt good, so I put it on her other hand while I was drawing her just to try to even out the warmth. She thanked me for warming up her hands, I helped her fix up her blankets for a little more warmth and left her with a smile on her face and mine.

That smile carried over most of the day. I'm not saying I have superior skills at phlebotomy--believe me, I'm humble enough to know I have a lot to learn. But it feels good to know patience and persistence pay off. If you can make a patient happier or more comfortable in the meantime, I consider that a great day.

As hectic as the lab can get, if you can spare that extra moment or two to connect with a patient, do it. Not only is it helpful for the patient, it will help you as well.

Over the last 5 years, my family has pushed our financial situation to its limits (and sometimes beyond) to get me through school. With graduation a mere 10 weeks away, it's hard to put into words how excited I am to start working!

About a month ago I took a part-time micro position with the hospital where I am interning. The position isn't perfect--I would really like full-time (correction: really need full-time). I'll be able to pick up hours when people go on vacation and I can train as a generalist to pick up hours on second shift when there is a need. Also, there is potential down the road, as a few people in the department are knocking on the retirement door.

I live in a city of about 80,000 people with many surrounding smaller cities. We have three hospital systems in our area. As it turns out, all three of these organizations are now under a hiring freeze. I am so happy I decided to take the "not quite perfect" job. If I hadn't, I'd be just another college graduate unable to find a job!  My family situation is such that relocating is not currently an option.

This is such a strange field...  yes, there ARE jobs out there. Be aware you may need to move, or maybe take a job that isn't exactly what you were hoping for. I'm a little bit nervous to see how things will pan out over the next few years. People are still getting ready to retire and if labs aren't able to "bite the bullet" and bring in new people now, I'm afraid a great deal of experience is going to walk right out that door.

I plan to learn as much as I can from those close to retirement, before it's too late. At this point, I'm just thankful to have a job. I've seen a lot of family and friends lose their jobs over the last month or so, and I'm hoping my family can make it through these tough times.