Dar

Thanks Kate! We did come up with timely SOP, etc review. Maybe now we will not have to beg! We had manditory flu shots this year with a deadline that ended in job termination, and yes, there were those who waited to the last minute, knowing that if they got sick at the last minute and could not get the shot, they would be terminated.....so, yes we are looking a flu shot, etc...Thanks for your feedback!

Thanks Terri, these will be useful. I was even thinking of adding things like responding for the flu vaccine. John, unfortunately, I think we are heading the same direction. If they make us do the bell curve thing, it will be very difficult, especially since we have been working on our HML performers for a couple of years now, and I also feel as if I have no low performers. Thanks everyone! Good Pouints!

DOGLOVER, I am afraid that some of ours will be like yours. I've heard that the HCAP scores will play into everyone's score. Would you mind sharing what you do have. Scott, I have thought about the whole error thing, and I am afraid my staff will pick each other to death rather than work together as a team. Let's face it, if it ends up a bell curve, wouldn't you "rat out" a co-worker to ensure your raise? Terri, the staff has always recieved the same raise here, so this is uncharted territory for me. I do not want to be accused of "favoritism", so I am trying to think of ways to quantitate. Thanks for all responses.

We are about to embark on raises based on high / middle / low performer performance reviews. I was wondering if anyone currently doing this would have a system of measurement for the Transfusion Service that would be impartial?

Approimately 3 yrs ago, risk mgt asked the Transfusion Service to review physician transfusion orders prior to issuing the blood. Now, Transfusion Orders may or may not be placed into SCM directly by physicians. We in the Bank, are using SoftBank, so we do not see the transfusion orders. We have been reviewing a copy of the order if it was written & presented to us, but if they do not give us an order, we have not been questioning them. Now, risk mgt is back & wants us to monitor every order. I have refused to make the staff look into the other computer system for the transfuse order because our issue person is very busy. I am more concerned about matching labels, tickets, etc. Is anyone else monitoring the transfuse order? If so, how? I thought of building a "dummy" transfusion test where the transfusion order could come into SoftBank, but the logistics of keeping in all straight in big users is almost impossible. Has anyone else dealt with this?

We face the same issues. We have been live for about 6 mos, and we are plagued with duplicate orders, red cell orders with no T&S, and orders to only transfuse, which we do not see:) Is anyone having "transfusion orders" flying into the Bank? We have SoftBank & SCM Order Entry

We have ours pre-labeled with as much info as possible. The name actually gets placed on an internal log of what is included in our 8 pk. The blood goes out the door without a name sometimes; however, it is always pre-labeled as uncrossmatched.

If I recall correctly, it used to be a part of either the AABB or the CAP checklist that a weak D test cannot be substituted for performing a fetal screen. I guess I'm showing my age:)

I have seen this with MM patients. If you are seeing a lot, it could be attributed to being exposed to the severe cold in shipping??? Just a thought...

I have to share our experience for those of you who need a laugh:) We are a 500+ bed hospital. On this particular day-shift, there were 3 Techs and the Supervisor (me). A specimen was sent to us via the tube system. Poof, a white powder was discharged when the tube carrier was opened. One call yielded a visit by the completely suited Hazmat Team. They placed each of us in tele-tubbie outfits and led us to the outside showers for decontamination. Thankfully, we are in Florida! The Blood Bank was totally in lock-down for 2.5 hrs, while we (squeaky clean in hospital gowns and no make-up)were placed in isolation with no phone or TV. Security stood outside our room, and we could not even communicate with our upper Management. Identification: Foot Powder. We were released with a bag of sopping wet clothes and shoes in our hospital gowns. That day, the hospital recognized the role that the Blood bank plays, and the Blood Bank staff bonded as never before!

Get more specimen! Try enzyme, another enhancement media, or a reference lab. Too many positives to ignore, and not enough positives to be "crap":)

I have the answer to my own question. ATW is now Polyfabmedical.com office:770-787-8819 cell:770-842-3271

We have an ATW "cooler" which we use to transport our blood products on our helicopter. This company appears to have dropped off the face of the earth. Have they been sold? What are other prople using? HELP:(

I agree. Look at pre & post chems. Also, look at RBC morphology on the pre & post diffs. This patient might have something else going on.... Negative DAT may be because Duffy's are fickle. They don't always react beautifully. Then again, I've always heard that any antibody can cause a hemolytic reaction, given the right conditions. We are basically a group of gamblers, going for the odds.

Thanks for your posting. We have been struggling with the same issue. It is much easier to release uncrossmatched massive transfusion packs. Once the specimen is type & screened, the process boggs down. We would like to be able to pre-tag, but we are afraid we might forget to issue. It would be so much easier if we could just hand out a cooler, which is the expectation.