Hello, I am a newish phlebotomist to a hospital (previously worked at a plasma center). What are some tips you could give me or some common mistake that happen with rejected blood draws. I am working towards a degree in lab science and I don’t want to make mistakes that affect lab results.

I am at the beginning of my schooling so I don’t quite understand everything. I would appreciate any advice at all!

Second question any advise with PIVO? I have only had (two) redraws done for PIVO patients.

I am applying to my college's MLT program in the spring. Micro was always an interest of mine but now that I'm in intro micro classes I am realizing it is my passion. I guess I'd just like a look into your day at work. Do you enjoy your job? How long have you been doing it? Is it repetitive and boring now? Are you challenged at all? Do things still surprise you? I want to be stimulated at my job. I excel at problem solving; it's literally one of my favorite things to do. What are the pros and cons of your department?

Having a little fun on night shift!

My girlfriend has an interview for a clinical laboratory scientist position with San Diego reference lab and they mentioned that there will be a skills and ability test that she won’t be able to study for. She was wondering if anyone has interviewed with them and would know what that test might entail?

8-year old patient presented to ER post tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy with lethargy, not eating/drinking, and inability to urinate(has only done so once in 24 hrs.)

Dipstick: Glu-Negative Bil- Moderate Ket- >= 160 mg/dl Sg - 1.025 blood - trace Ph- 6.0 pro- trace Uro- normal Nit- negative Leu - small

Thought it was neat. Haven't seen these in a while. This was on a freshly voided urine.

I have been out of school and working for 3 months. I feel so dumb and lost. I want to be a great tech, but I feel so defeated when I can’t handle/don’t know how to navigate certain situations. I work in a hospital and we are always short staffed and super busy so no one really has time to help or answer questions.

Hi everyone,

I got an email from an agency for a position as a travel laboratory supervisor position.

Can someone give me some info as to what it would be a laboratory sup. in a travel situation? Are you doing the ordering for the lab and making schedules and whatnot? I have a good idea of what supervisors in my facilities I've worked at do, but what's it like in a travel assignment? I want to compare supvisor in a facility vs. travel assignment. Let me know! Thanks!

Our lab just switched to auto verifying in Chem. Is it normal that you have to validate the results that are less than the analytical range like ETOH <5? Can it be set up to auto verify those results as well? Is there any reason you wouldn't want those to auto verify? I'm not really understanding why our lab does not have results like that or acetaminophen that does not cross over automatically.

Thanks for any information.

Any recommendations or solutions on how to identify Myeloid cells and erythropoiesis cells?

They all look alike and I’m really struggling to identify them.

Please I’m open to suggestions.

For some reason no matter how much red and blue I mixed I couldn't get purple I was so mad

I’m in the middle of my micro clinical and so far it’s going pretty well. I just have found it so hard to keep everything straight in my head and sometime get mixed up with certain organisms. Does anyone have any advice for how to keep it all nice and neat in my brain? Any help at all would be greatly appreciated :)

PS. I never should’ve listened to anyone who said these things smell like grapes, chocolate, etc bc they ABSOLUTELY smell just like different flavors of hot garbage to me

Calling all techs: Just wanted to check in and see who has the worst coworker experience(s) within the lab world and why.

I would also like to know how you got through this experience (preferably without going insane) with someone who is downright the worst work with.

Asking for a friend :')

Hi,

I was just curious as to how everyone’s experience working in the blood bank is/was at either the Cleveland clinic or UH. I worked in core lab at UH but I never heard anything about the blood bank, and I worked at the clinic but only doing research. Is it something you guys would recommend?

Thanks,

Just wanting to get some reassurance and hopefully encourage some others on here in the process. Making As and even Bs seems out of reach for some of my courses on top of my other responsibilities (work, family, etc.). Can anyone share how they’ve been successful in their professional life despite having less than stellar grades?

If you think the answer to the above question is yes then by all means share your experience too.

I'm in my third year of medical laboratory science and in my heme 2 course we just started looking at WBC disorders! I am desperately in need of some help identifying the cells. I'm really struggling to differentiate the different stages of the neutrophils correctly, if anyone has anyway I can look through them? Or cells in general? I've found every course to be okay, but I can't wrap my head around the neutrophil development phases and I'm going crazy because my counts were not accurate at all during my last lab lol

I’m interested in eventually getting my bachelors in clinical lab science from a university, but right now I’m trying to figure out if the best pathway is to do an associates in science or an MLT program at my local community college. I feel like the obvious answer is MLT if I plan on doing CLS, but I don’t want to be confined to MLT. I feel like the associates would offer more room for exploration if I decide I don’t want to do CLS. Any advice?

So as a med lab professional im trying to be understanding but this ridiculous. Im in the middle of onboarding w an agency for a temp job so they require bloodwork and urine which is fine. I make the appointment and get the bloodwork. I ask if i need urine done they say no. I say ok and leave. I get a notice from the agency saying i still need urine. I go back to a different labcorp since the first labcorp missed my order. The second labcorp doesnt do pre employment urine tests so i try to find another labcorp. all the other ones in my area have no appointments available. I go back to the first labcorp without making an appointment since it was their error in the first place. I go and tell me theyre done collecting urine drug screens for the day. Now here I am waiting for who knows how long just to pee in a cup! God people always check your damn requisitions!

I think 3rd shift and probably 2nd has got to be 7 on 7 off. There's no way I could do it other wise. We work Thursday to Thursday so tonight I'll set my alarm "buzz only" for 2am then once I've got the kids dropped off at school come home and sleep 4 or 5 and switch over. Yeah maybe I miss a few games or holidays but 5 on 2 off or 4 on 6 off seems crazy to me you'd miss everything not to mention I know years in advance what my schedule is.

mainly my concern is will it be good career keeping in mind the next 24 years does it pay well

We have recently acquired some bugs from a nearby lab and they came with no instructions.

Is it as simply as thawing the vial and dipping a loop right into the vial and streaking onto a plate or is there more preparation I need to do to use these bugs?

Also, after you thaw them once, are they trash? I’m sure the CDC says they are trash but realistically could we re-freeze them and store them for later use?

I just recently passed my MLS after working as an MLT for 2+ years. I started off working at a smaller hospital where I got to work in all 4 departments as well as did all the accessory lab jobs like processing and phlebotomy. Some days were tough, just like with any job, but at the end of the day I felt like I had a purpose and enjoyed socializing with all workers and patients and getting to have a broad range of practice and challenges. After working there for almost 2 years, I decided I personally wanted to move to a bigger city and got a job at a large hospital, which is where I am currently at now. I have learned so much there as a younger tech and have gotten to see some amazing things, but I only work in chemistry/UA or heme/coag depending on the day, and it it really starting to drain me and I don’t feel as important or fufilled. Going along with this feeling and the main kicker: my current shift is nights 5 days a week, where I really only have 1 full day off. I have given night shift a few months to settle in and my sleep schedule really isn’t too bad, but it’s the work-life balance that is slowly killing me. I am in my younger 20’s, no kids, and nothing tying me down anywhere. I have noticed by the time it gets to Saturday, I am mentally and physically a wreck and don’t want to do anything fun or hangout with anyone and that is definitely not ‘me’.

With all this being said, I really think I am going to quit my current job. I have around 3 other job opportunities I could almost guarantee get, just would have to figure out which I would enjoy the most. I understand every job in the amazing lab world has its ups and down, but I’m at the point where I’d rather be drained/tired from my job only 3/4 days out of the week instead of every single day. What would be the best way to quit? I know putting in my 2 weeks on a letter would be best, but I’m thinking of scheduling a time to meet with my supervisors and tell them my situation and thanking them, while also peacing out of there. The main the I’m nervous about is the upset it is going to cause once my shift is back open; it’s literally going to make the evening shift have to stay late and morning shift come in really early, but it’s also not my fault they made such a shitty shift that way. It’s not a terrible place to work and isnt super stressful, but I need to put my health and wellness first. If anyone could give me any advice moving forward or any personal stories about being in the same boat that would be very appreciated! I still love the lab and enjoy working, but I also need to enjoy my life, especially while I have so much freedom.

Is your facility CAP Accredited? I have some questions everytime you receive your CAP cycle.

I'm about to give my MLS exam in February next year and was looking to buy labce for preparation, can't afford the full price being in third world so looking for an affordable deal . Please reach out to me if you have LabCe Subscription left more than 6 months ,

or even if someone wants to share their labce with me i can pay my half . Thank you

I want to get a gift for a friend who is soon to become an MLT and in school for MLS. I’m having difficulty finding anything targeted towards the profession that doesn’t look tacky/ girly. Got them a custom lab coat after their Bio degree, but want to gift something more specific to this milestone as well. Please lmk any ideas or recommendations if you all have any!

I felt the need to say that. Even though I’m mentally struggling with the idea.

We grow up and learn that it’s crazy to quit a job especially that the salary is better than many jobs but not the best comparing to the tasks and the capability to understand it and handle it.

I know most of the jobs if not all have their challenges and difficulties. But something seems not right in working at diagnostic labs (especially that I’m working in Molecular section) which has its own issues that differ from core lab.

Maybe I just lost the passion and the sight to see the good things I just can’t see the other side and I’m stock. That’s why I quit. Everyone has their reasons and their circumstances.

Hopefully there is more and more opportunities for us and I pray to find our path and accept the heavyweight of a decision like that.

I just wanted to say this maybe someone needs to hear it as I wanted to know this myself.

Just as I described above, where can I find these??