lioness@50

Rebbeca, your father and I worked together for a few years. I am so very sorry to hear about his accident. Larry was a very interesting guy. He was so very smart about lab stuff (especially SOPs!), politics, soccer and other sports, and just about anything brought up in a conversation. He had this serious side, but also had this wonderfully humerous side along with a great laugh and smile. He was by far the best coworker I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I know he loved you and your brother so very much. Please accept my deepest condolescences on your lost.

Bob...Jeeze, now I guess I'll have to resort to reading the newspaoer funnies....which aren't very funny! Thanks for all the questions you fielded for me. This site won't be the same without you! Best of luck....

My question is basic and simple. Details of this particular incident are not. I will attempt to keep it short. I came on shift (3rd) with nothing documented concerning this patient who had come in with a 5.2 hgb and with multiple antibodies, and had gotten up to an 8.4 hgb at this point. More blood was ordered at 6:50am. Antigen neg units rec'd from the Ref Lab were incompatible. The patient was drawn again and sent to our Ref Lab. At this point, it is 10:30pm. Nothing had been documented by us as far as telling the floor, calls to ref lab, ETA of second set of units from Ref Lab, etc. We (lab) screwed up. I get a call from the Nurse Supervisor wanting to know why it was taking so long and when exactly the floor could expect blood. I told her that the Ref Lab told me that this spec had not been ordered stat, and that it was ok'd to be worked up on 1st shift. I relayed this to the Sup. She was furious. She had an order to give blood. I asked what I could do to help. She asked me to call in a Ref tech (at 4:30am, now..almost 24hrs from original order time). I obliged. Because of my actions, I was told that I am not to offer to do anything in a case like this, and that it's BB "policy" to tell the Nurse Sup or Phys to take a hike, and that I have the final authority on who gets what blood. Of course, I asked to see this "policy", and it's not on paper. I'm having issues with this whole scenario, and I'm having doubts about this whole "not on paper" policies thing. I have never, nor will I ever defy authority. Am I right or wrong?? This whole incident spurred an internal report made by the Nurse Sup, but because she had no right to bug me about this, SHE was written up! WE didn't document anything. WE told the Ref Lab that because the patient had an 8.4 hgb, it could wait unitl morning. WE are not doctors. WE are not the primary care giver of patients. What's your opinion on this??

As far as AABB requirement, I have no idea. But I will tell you that I came from a lab where BB was a separate room.....down a long hall. Where I am now, BB is off to one side, but very much part of the main lab. There is no comparison! Besides making it easier for us "old shifters" ( all of a sudden, I feel like I should take a nap!), it allows the other techs from other depts to partake of difficult patients and such. I work the graveyard shift and it sure helps to be close to the other areas. Also, I can hear the delicate call of nurses who need to pick up blood. Requirements? Regulations? I leave that to you managers and directors. All I can say is that having BB be part of the lab is a win-win situation.

I had no idea that buying a camera would be like a trip down the cereal aisle!! Now, in MY day..well, let's not go there. But I do appreciate the responses and I have printed out each and every one to show my daughter. Thanks to all, and to anyone else you has had a good experience, feel free to repond.

I would like to purchase a digital camera for my daughter. She is going to England and Ireland to play soccer this July. I'll go as high as $250, but obviously more interested in getting a good camera that's easy to use with no fancy bells and whistles for the best price. I have learned more from reading every post since I have joined this exceptional site than I ever learned in a classroom, so come one guys, don't let me down! Any help will be greatly appreciated!!

Geeze...I'm gonna wish I hadn't asked this, but here it goes: To all of you who had wonderful, incredible, fulfilling Lab Weeks, did all 3 shifts share in the fun? Or was like my last employer as well as my current position where 2nd shift gets less of the action. And 3rd shift, well, my only 2 employers totally forgot they even had a 3rd shift when Lab Week came around let alone saving us some ice cream or leaving us a few pieces of pizza. I guess there's no surprise that I belong to one of the "misfit shifts", huh? Lab Week....ugh...bah humbug!!

Donellda...By any chance, are you guys hiring? Ha! The commute from Indiana would be a bit much, but having a Lab Week like yours just might be worth it! Bless you for showing your techs the respect they deserve!!

I completely agree with Larry and Bob! And, to make matters worse, I have witnessed phlebotomists use extra tubes for testing without consulting with the tech(s). Of course, you can imagine running a glucose on serum that's been on the cells for 6 hrs; PTT from a tube drawn 12 hrs ago, and so on and so on. I have always thought that any dept or person drawing a rainbow besides ER is not only a waste, but extremely bad medicine.

Hey, I have a great idea! Seeing that I live in Indiana and we're in the process of getting 6in of snow, I volunteer to PERSONALLY see that whatever/whosever units of FFP and/or Cryo that needs thawed are PERSONALLY thawed by me..on a beach...in, let's say...the Bahamas! Nothin' like adding that PERSONAL Hoosier touch! Oh, and...great job Colts!

This is my first post! I worked up my first transfusion reaction the other night (2am). Using gel. the pre specimen game me a DAT reation a weak 1+. The post specimen yielded a true negative. "Talk" thru the lab was that we (techs) could overlook a pre positive DAT if the post DAT was negative. I asked my supervisor about this (no SOP) and she said that even though AABB does not recommend that positive pre transfusion DAT's be ignored, she and our pathologist had not only overruled AABB but had decided to not rejoin AABB this year. How do other labs handle the DAT situation, and what do you all think of "jumping ship" concerning AABB? Thanks in advance!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to welcome me. I had sort of been expecting messages refering to my lack of BB experience, but that was not the case at all. And, as far as the Colts are concerned, after what I saw of the Bills game, I don't think I'll be making any Super Bowl plans. But until then, I'll be tuned into BB Talk ready to learn!!

Hi...I'm from Indiana (Go Colts) and I will certainly have BBTalk on "speed dial" seeing that I have been a lab generalist the majority of my 30yr career. I am presently working 3rd shift at a facility that could not be any more different than my previous position which I held for the already noted 30yrs. Blood Bank to me means majors and minors and spending lots of time labeling tubes, so anything I can learn from all you guys will be greatly appreciated!! Thanks....