A common task we are expected to perform is checking expiration dates on reagents, controls, and other dated materials. Boxes are crowded with different languages, vials are smaller, and eyesight fades with age. I remember vividly the moment when I couldn’t immediately adjust between a crossword puzzle and the wall clock. What if we miss a ...

I exercise, eat right, and rarely lose sleep. There are only so many energy dollars at the start of each day, and I try not to spend them all in one place. There is rarely a reserve and no more all-nighters. While my body hasn’t betrayed me yet, there are trust issues. I simply can’t make it run forever. Life was different in my twenties. ...

As clinical laboratorians we are taught the importance of the information we provide for clinical decision making.  Technology has made it possible to use small sample sizes to generate ''numbers'' in a very short period of time. Sometimes physicians (and laboratorians) get so seduced by the speed that we forget that numbers are only ...

The lessons of hurricane Sandy and other disasters are clear:  we can never be too prepared.  The unexpected scope of these events strains any surge capacity, and these events can happen for many reasons.  In your laboratory, disasters can happen on a local scale or larger.  A few examples:  fire, water failure, water ...

There’s an old joke I like in which two hikers discover a bear in the woods. The bear spots them and starts running at them full tilt. One of the hikers immediately drops his backpack, pulls out a pair of sneakers, and starts removing his boots. “What are you doing?” asks the second hiker. “You’ll never outrun a bear!” The first hiker says, ...

I remember vividly when a former boss decided to paint our laboratory, because the colors she chose were vivid. The lab was a series of connected rooms for each department, and one wall in each department was painted a different color. I can still see that hot red! To this day I can’t imagine what she was thinking. Recently, I swapped out all ...

As our hospital Safety Officer, I’m involved with disaster planning. This includes writing plans and planning for drills. Code Red, for example, is a fire emergency. While drills are regularly held by the maintenance crew, these involve checking the plant to make sure bells sound, doors close, the call system works, etc. and not primarily staff ...

Communication continues to be at the forefront. A few days after writing my last blog, I had occasion to speak to a Quality Assurance Manager of a large metropolitan Atlanta hospital. She shared that her organization had launched a new initiative on improving patient safety. As part of that push they are actively encouraging reporting ...

When nurses switch to 12-hour shifts, I wonder if back injury claims increase. Nurses and nurse assistants literally do the heavy lifting in hospitals, and patients aren’t getting smaller. Forcing fifty- and sixty-something people with a lifetime of cumulative spinal stress to lift an extra four hours a day seems foolhardy. The question was ...

I just saw the blockbuster movie Contagion and must say I was pretty impressed. When I watch a medical-themed movie, I always look at it with a critical eye. How factual is it? Is it authentic in terms of scenarios, equipment, procedures and vocabulary?I look for how realistically roles are portrayed. For example I tend to roll my eyes and become ...