[Histonet] Cutting speed

[Stella Mireles]

Teresa please express your concerns to your supervisor or lab manager now !
 A new person in a lab needs more time than one month  to get used to the
routine feel of a new place.  Did they use a  PRN during their search for
the new tech. If so, have that person come in and help during the vacation
break of the the other tech. Our utmost concern should be care of the
patient and safety of the tech.  I know from personal experience that both
will be compromised when you have a situation like yours. You will be
rushed and tissue samples can be lost in embedding or cut away during
microtomy. You could cut yourself also. I am not even taking into account
the other responsibilities of a general histology lab that will be
compromised as well.
The histo students in our area are encouraged to be able to trim and cut 30
blocks in one hour. This does not include the time to embed the tissue, nor
the time to stain and sign out the case.

Worst case scenario; the other tech will have to delay the scheduled
vacation until you are thoroughly acclimated to the flow of the lab. My
personal opinion is that the this situation is totally unfair to any new
employee, seasoned or new graduate. I would never do this to a new tech
myself.

Stay in our field, be encouraged, it does get better Teresa.

Have a Great and Prosperous New Year
Stella