[Histonet] RE: Contents of Histonet Digest, Vol 86, Issue 28

[Mayer,Toysha N]

I have worked in several labs where lab assistants were embedding.  They were even doing it in the midst of CAP inspection.  It was not an issue.  Proper training documentation was done and each block was cut by an experienced tech.  As a matter of fact, in one lab it was so basic that symbols were implemented and used to identify embedding instructions for the assistants. In one lab, the one of the assistants is better than some of the techs at embedding.  It worked out better for the workflow, because the techs were freed up to cut.  Anything that was questionable was taken care of by a tech as well.

All of the labs I am referring to are in Texas.

Toysha N. Mayer, MBA, HT (ASCP)
Education Coordinator
Program in Histotechnology
School of Health Professions
MD Anderson Cancer Center
(713) 563-3481
tnmayer <@t> mdanderson.org





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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:01:24 -0500
From: "Angela Bitting" <akbitting <@t> geisinger.edu>
Subject: [Histonet] Lab Assistants Embedding
To: <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>,
	<Histonet-requests <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Message-ID: <4D394B63.2B7F.00C9.1 <@t> geisinger.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hello Ever-helpful Histofriends,
 
  I want to train my lab assistants to embed simple tissues like breast resection specimens, placentas, etc.
My manager feels that this will break some kind of regulations and won't sit well with our doctoral staff.
I feel pretty confident that other Labs are doing this and I'm ready to take up the torch, but I need some data from other hospitals.
 
Are any of you utilizing your non-HT staff to do these tasks and what hoops did you have to jump through to get approval from the Doctoral staff? In addition, how does CAP look at this?
 
Thanks for your help, as always,
Angie
 
 
 
Angela Bitting, HT(ASCP), QIHC
Technical Specialist, Histology
Geisinger Medical Center 
100 N Academy Ave. MC 23-00
Danville, PA 17822
phone  570-214-9634
fax  570-271-5916 
 
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