[Histonet] Histo Aide Duties

Wed Dec 7 16:47:18 CST 2011

I'm sure there are worse comments that could have been made to your "opinion" that someone should be licensed to coverslip. Obviously you realize the cost for labs for such an act? Coverslipping is not technical in my opinion. (or CLIA's and CAP's )

Yes, supervisors are mandated with the responsibility of making sure the product<our slides> are of high quality. But they have regulations and guidelines they follow. Back to the CLIA/CAP guidelines. 

Quality of slides should be monitored with daily QC. Ive often done this by filling out a QC sheet with a certain % of cases to have a Pathologist sign off on. CAP loves this type of thing. 

It doesnt provide any of us any service to our profession to belittle those who help us, those aides. The aides of which I have had many who hold BS degrees in science feilds who do not have a certification or licensure as a Histotech. Many of whom could whip out a FNA cytospin with perfection all at the same time coverslipping a hundred more. 

Rene, I just think you shocked some of us with your opinion that coverslipping should be done by licensed personel. 

I hope you dont take any of this as personal. This subject should have just remained per the laws/regulations as it was ask. 

Things always get messy when we put our opinions in. 

Now I've put mine in and I'm running for the hills.........................................

KD

________________________________
From: Rene J Buesa <rjbuesa <@t> yahoo.com>
To: joelle weaver <joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com>; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; Nicole Tatum <nicole <@t> dlcjax.com> 
Sent: Wednesday, December 7, 2011 4:47 PM
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Histo Aide Duties

I think that using the qualifier "silly" is not called for.
Regardless of how things were done years ago it does not mean that they ought to continue that way.
As the last step I personally think (even if you think it is "silly") that cover-slipping should NOT be completed by an unlicensed person with not enough knowledge for the task.
An aide is just that, an aide that can be very helpful in completing some tasks efficiently and cheaper than a HT, but that ought not to be allowed to do technical tasks.
As to automated cover-slippers go the final product should be inspected by a licensed HT before sending it to the pathologists. It is just a way of increasing productivity and cutting costs.
Regardless of all, a lab is run by a supervisor and she or he is the one who decides what tasks can be done by an aide, even if he or she ends as being considered "silly".
René J.

--- On Wed, 12/7/11, Nicole Tatum <nicole <@t> dlcjax.com> wrote:

From: Nicole Tatum <nicole <@t> dlcjax.com>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Histo Aide Duties
To: "joelle weaver" <joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com>, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 3:45 PM

Most professional labs require a person who has completed an accrediated
histology programs, but CLIA states that a person can work within a
histology lab if they have a combination of 12hrs of college chemistry or
biology. In any combination. Then that person needs to be trained in each
area they will work in and be signed off on by the directions as being
able to perform tasks.

To say that an unlicensed person working in histology can not coverslip is
silly. I agree that this is the last chance to verify stain quality as
well as tissue quality, but, before licensure there were thousands of OJT
employees filling our histology positions. Many of whom trained each of us
to have a critical eye when we were students performing our internships.
If the person is working in ur labs as an unlicensed assistant, you must
of had some confidence in them or you would not have them working in your
lab.  The evolution and technical skill of our trade has been taught from
one person to another, at a time when licensure was not as important. That
being said, licensure is now becomming critial to work in our field. But
that does not mean that currecntly there are many unlicensed competent
persons working in histology. They work as Mohs techs , and prep techs,
and gross techs, etc. I would hope that a nonlicensed Mohs tech would know
how to access their slides and coverslip effectively. My point, all
persons working in our field contribute and get the job done, despite
their licensure situations. They could still be very competent individuals
if training by a patient person who is willing to educate others.

Nicole Tatum HT ASCP ASMS

> I don't want to seem nit picky, but I tend to strongly agree with Rene's
> point about coverslipping. It is not really the act or task of
> coverslipping to me, but rather the fact that it is one of the last
> opportunities to assess the slide for technical quality, overall
> presentation, and information accuracy before passing out. I feel that
> this should involve microscopic assessment, and also the judgment that
> arrives from knowledge and experience to determine if the slide is
> acceptable. I don't think it would be reasonable to expect all of this to
> occur with a person who has not had the benefit of training. many errors
> could be allowed out of the lab if labels are just put on without really
> looking at the slides, just think of the impact on perception of quality,
> accuracy and competency of histology. Most times, it is the "oops" that
> seem to stay in memory, and not the bulk,  which go out fine. Not worth it
> to me.Joelle
>
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/joelleweaver
>
>  > Date: Wed, 7 Dec

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