[Histonet] interview

Wed Jan 9 19:04:58 CST 2013

In the 45 plus years I have been in Histology I seen this many times also.  Unfortunately, we are still the unheard of area of the lab.  T his is not changing through any of the organizations who are happy to take our money and not help us get out who we are and what we do.  

I have visited schools for years and talked to young people about Histology, even had them visit the lab.  E e are just not as glamorous as some other areas of the lab they see on TV or hear about at school where the med tech programs are pushed that do not include Histology in the cirrculum.  Sorry to say we have not had a marketing plan for the field, so the pay is low and the hours long; not to mention the responsibility of having the patient's life in our hands as we prepare the specimens. 

OJT training is only as good as the time can put in it and in a very busy lab it is not enough even if they have the AS they need to take the test. 

Pam Marcum 
----- Original Message -----
From: "joelle weaver" <joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com> 
To: mucram11 <@t> comcast.net 
Cc: ree3 <@t> leicester.ac.uk, "wdesalvo cac" <wdesalvo.cac <@t> outlook.com>, galel <@t> unionhospital.org, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 3:29:30 PM 
Subject: RE: [Histonet] interview 

Yes, I understand that it can be a difficult situation. I just feel that so long as it continues as it has, we are likely to get the same result. If you have no  applicants who are trained or experienced, and you cannot "lure" someone with experience and training by incentives,  then I feel you have to really be prepared to commit to the training process and way past the usual "orientation" period. If you only have new entrants then you have to try to select for people who have the basic science and chemistry background to build on, otherwise they will never "get" theory or the "why" because they have not been given the tools for that. They will have real difficulties troubleshooting and problem-solving. All of healthcare needs more problem solvers and innovators, and if we have to build them, so be it I say. A good attitude doesn't hurt either, and caring about what you do,  both are very hard to train, but can be strengthened in the right individuals, by positive reinforcement and example. I feel there are no shortcuts here, otherwise you will end up with people with very limited scope  and you will fall into what I call the "adding bodies" not capabilities syndrome. Some will know what I mean here. Also you will be doing them a injustice if they decide to go out into the field and into market areas where credential and competency requirements are more strict. They have not be able to do OJT certification for quite some time, (without the college credits), and so I think that you owe them that information about the state of the industry, so they can decide if they want to invest of themselves for the education and training needed.Otherwise their opportunties may become increasingly limited.  
 I also understand the commitment and time involved in training people from "ground zero" from my service as a faculty/clinical instructor and program director in an HT program, and  lots of personal time spent training people on the bench in between my "regular" assignments. So I am not without empathy to the energy required, the lack of support that can happen, and other factors. But I also know that all education has ancillary benefits, such as tolerance for others and communication skills that are very useful in any job, and which I choose to believe  help make the work of education worthwhile. To help enrich our field, I feel strongly that we need to support the movement towards greater education and professional identity. Hiring supervisors and managers should try to stay as firm as they can on this- that is my opinion only.  Overall,  I just know from seeing this play out many times, that it will not change  if we do not change the way we approach it. Believe me,  if I had the power to make this situation better and magically come up with the resources, support and manpower needed  to give people the training and opportunity they might deserve,  I certainly would do it. 

Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC 

Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 18:37:36 +0000 
From: mucram11 <@t> comcast.net 
To: joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com 
CC: ree3 <@t> leicester.ac.uk; wdesalvo.cac <@t> outlook.com; galel <@t> unionhospital.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: Re: [Histonet] interview 

I totally understand hiring only experienced people however; I have a question.  What do you do when you have no one available and the institute you work for will not help with moving expenses or sign on bonuses?  

Believe me I know about training OJT today when you are shortstaffed and can't meet salary demands.  

Pam Marcum 

From: "joelle weaver" <joelleweaver <@t> hotmail.com> 
To: ree3 <@t> leicester.ac.uk, "wdesalvo cac" <wdesalvo.cac <@t> outlook.com>, galel <@t> unionhospital.org, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Sent: Wednesday, January 9, 2013 12:31:04 PM 
Subject: RE: [Histonet] interview 

Yes, please  interview and hire people with experience and/or training!  The situation in histology will never get better otherwise. 

Joelle Weaver MAOM, HTL (ASCP) QIHC 
 > From: ree3 <@t> leicester.ac.uk 
> To: wdesalvo.cac <@t> outlook.com; galel <@t> unionhospital.org; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
> Date: Wed, 9 Jan 2013 08:50:43 +0000 
> Subject: RE: [Histonet] interview 
> CC: 
> 
> Well  if  you  only  pay  peanuts you   only  get  monkeys...................... 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of WILLIAM DESALVO 
> Sent: 09 January 2013 00:05 
> To: Gale Limron; histonet 
> Subject: RE: [Histonet] interview 
> 
> It is difficult to interview individuals that do not have any experience in the detailed and manual technology of the Histology lab, but you can find the right individuals to become exceptional Histotechnologists. Although it can be very time consuming to train individuals, the right individual worthy of all the effort must have the right attitude! If the individuals have the necessary science background to understand the complex processes used in Histotechnology and have the right attitude, then lack of aptitude can be overcome. I have been involved, for several years, in training individuals with no Histology experienced and have been always rewarded by the performance of the individuals that wanted to learn and become more than a embedding or microtomy techie. Histotechnology is so much more than slapping tissue into a mold or hacking paraffin sections off a block. Everything done in the Histology lab is directly tied to a patient outcome and quality and precision area must.  Make sure the individuals understand how difficult it will be to gain the knowledge and experience necessary to pass the ASCP exam, while only working part-time for 24 months. Find out what type of commitment they are willing to make to better Histotechnology, the patient outcome and themselves before you and your team invest any effort. Above all, the right attitude is the big first step in becoming a competent Histotechnologist that is dedicated and compassionate about improving the patient experience. 
> 
> William DeSalvo, B.S., HTL(ASCP) 
> 
> Production Manager-Anatomic Pathology 
> Chair, NSH Quality Management Committee 
> 
> Owner/Consultant, Collaborative Advantage Consulting 
> 
>  > From: GaleL <@t> unionhospital.org 
> > To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
> > Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2013 13:02:04 -0500 
> > Subject: [Histonet] interview 
> > 
> > Hello, 
> > I just found out today I will be doing 2nd interviews for 3 candidates for a part time Histology position at our hospital on Friday of this week. These candidates are not histotechs but are willing to do online training and take ASCP board exam within 24 months. I would appreciate some help with what questions to ask. I did not attend the 1st interviews but these were done by our lab manager who does not know a lot about what we do I histology............. 
> > Thank you! 
> > 
> > Gale Limron CT,HT (ASCP) 
> > Histology Supervisor 
> > Union Hospital 
> > 659 Boulevard 
> > Dover, Ohio 44622 
> > 330-343-3311 ext 2562 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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