Medical Laboratory Professionals work behind the screens of the medical industry. The contributions produced by this diligent, dynamic, accuracy-driven teams, provide approximately 70% of diagnostic information. This information is imperative for proper diagnosis and treatment. Due to the nature of laboratory work, laboratory personnels are not visible at the forefront of delivering patient care. Therefore, much of society is unaware of the efforts conducted within other parts of the medical industry.
In November of 2018, I had an experience with an elderly couple that will always remain at the forefront of my mind. I was an evening shift Blood Bank Technical Supervisor at a Trauma Level I hospital housing with more than 1000 beds. The Blood Bank served in/out transfusion-dependent patients, as well as being a transplant institution conducting cardiac, liver, and lung transplants. To say we were busy is an understatement.
We had an outpatient order for an older woman who was accompanied by her husband. Her husband, being her advocate, was known to express his concern regarding an issue concerning his wife. The patient’s two units of blood were delayed and the patient’s husband proceeded to call the blood bank to inquire about the delay. The medical laboratory assistant informing him the order was being worked on was not enough, so he proceeded to hound the nurse. The nurse then proceeded to ask to speak to the supervisor.
Before speaking to the nurse, I got the status of the order and asked the technologist approximately how much longer the wait would be. She explained intital testing had revealed an antibody, and so she followed protocol and informed the nurse there would be a delay in blood products.Completing the workup and finding appropriate blood for the patient is what caused the delay. She was at the last portion of crossmatching the blood, and after my review of the workup, it should be 15 minutes.
I informed the nurse it would be 15 minutes, and she pleaded with me to explain the delay to the patient and her husband. After receiving confirmation from my manager to proceed, I hand-delivered the blood to the outpatient room.
“Perception is reality,” so it is imperative to be aware of all verbal and nonverbal communication when interacting with patients. Therefore, accompanied by the nurse, I entered the room and introduced myself and my position. I explained in layman’s term an ABO Type, antibody screen, and finding suitable blood when an antibody has developed. When I was through, they had an exceptional understanding of concept and turnaround time. The patient and husband were appreciative of my explanation and grateful for my staff. The patient’s husband then asked me about my education and what it entailed for me to hold my position. He was highly impressed and never knew all the science and math courses required to become a medical laboratory scientist. He said it was an opportunity he was going to pass along to his granddaughter, who was interested in science.
The following day, the patient’s husband called and apologized to the staff member he initially spoke with and praised the work we do for all patients. This experience highlighted the importance of training laboratory management when interacting with patients. It is more common for the pathologist or medical director to reach out to patients but there are times, especially on the off-shifts, where a laboratory supervisor or manager may be the best option available.
Being an advocate for the medical laboratory science profession is a means of educating the society of a vital career which impacts all lives. Medical laboratory lrofessionals may be behind the scenes, but to administer treatment, essential laboratory results are required; without the laboratory – you’re guessing.
-Tiffany Channer, MPH, MLS(ASCP)CM honed her skill and knowledge of Blood Banking at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, where she completed her 9 year tenure at Memorial Sloan as Blood Bank Educational Lead Medical Technologist III/ Safety Officer. She’s currently working as a Quality Assurance Specialist / Educational Supervisor at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Tiffany was a Top Five 40 under Forty Honoree in 2015 for her dedication and advocacy to education and laboratory medicine.
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