Khealy

If you are CAP accredited, the following applies:
TRM.50000
Phase II
N/A YES NO

Does the person in charge of the technical operations of the transfusion medicine section of the laboratory have education or experience equivalent to an MT(ASCP) and at least 4 years experience (one of which is in transfusion medicine) under a qualified laboratory director?

Although I should, I do not know what Texas' requirements are. However, I can tell you what goes on here in the western part of the state.
Our hospital (350+ beds) requires a BS, MT, and 5 years experience. However, many of the smaller nearby hospitals have MLTs as BB supervisors, and there are even a number with MLTs as lab directors. With the shortage of techs, I see this only becoming more common, especially in the more rural areas. In the 10 years that I have lived here, no one has gotten into any sort of trouble because they don't have MTs in these positions...if there are regs, they are not enforced.
Let me also add that I have both an MLT and an MT...and went to school for both. Sad to say, I learned almost everything I know from my MLT program. The MT program added very little, if anything, to my knowledge base. It is the quality of the program, not the number of years it takes to learn it, that makes the tech.
Our lab is staffed almost entirely by MLTs...and that is not an issue, as they are all excellent techs. I have worked with MLTs who knew more about BB than I ever will, and MTs who were incapable of doing the minimal job requirements, and vice versa.
Sorry for the rant; this has been a touchy subject here also.
Karen

We have used MLT's in blood bank for thirty years. It all depends on their level of training. The ones that were trained at this facility were trained practically to the same level as an MT and were highly recruited by other facilities in the area. We are a clinical site for an MT school and the MLT's are doing the training of the MT's. I know this sounds like heresy, but it goes back to my original point it all depends on their training. MLT's that we have hired that were trained at other facilities do not have the same level of expertise and are not given the same level of responsibility. We have several MLT's that could outperform, physically and mentally, MTs. At this point in time we have no MLT's in a supervisory capacity, but have had in the past. We do have MLTs as lead techs over groups that have MTs with many years of experience. Certifications and titles are important, but look at what you have, not what letters are after their name.