Lab Scientist

Latest Activity

1. Question about some labs

   Lab Scientist replied to november17's topic in General Nursing

   Perhaps, but most likely the chloride is the biggest giveaway when looking at the NA/CL results (contamination with NS)

2. Question about some labs

   Lab Scientist replied to november17's topic in General Nursing

   You are 100% correct with your theory. I am a clinical lab scientist and I see this frequently in the lab. It is a hallmark of D5W contamination for an H&H, WBC, and PLT to drop from this, as well as the MCV to rise (from glucose swelling the R...

3. Manager mad RN followed policy and procedure!

   Lab Scientist replied to elfinM's topic in Safety

   That stinks that a manager would discipline someone for simply speaking up about a breach in the rules. That manager should be reported to his/her manager for breaking the rules.

4. Problems with blood bank

   Lab Scientist replied to Sweeper933's topic in NICU

   You can have the XRay department do it...we do when our equipment is being repaired.

5. Whyyyyy? Rant from a Lab Tech

   Lab Scientist replied to raianne's topic in General Nursing

   I am a med lab scientist, and if I come across a value that is incompatible with life I get it recollected to verify and don't report the first result. I let the nurse know what is going on so he/she is in the loop and is prepared for the call if th...

6. Jacked Up Sodium

   Lab Scientist replied to OutlawNurse86's topic in General Nursing

   Just a comment from a Lab Scientist point of view: The value may not have dropped, but could have been the same or actually risen. I know this sounds like a crazy statement, but if you understand how our instruments work and basic statistics, you can...

7. Let the next shift deal with it...

   Lab Scientist replied to night owl's topic in General Nursing

   There's NO WAY you can know the blood was "just fine" after drawing it until it is spun down and visualized at that point. Hemolysis is the destruction of the red blood cell and it's contents spill into the surrounding serum/plasma. After centrifug...

8. Dumb things new nurses do....

   Lab Scientist replied to OhioCCRN's topic in New Nurse

   Good Lord, don't these techs investigate before reporting the "panic" value? Anytime I get a result that could be intepreted as a critical, I first check with the nurse to see if that patient is receiving heparin, find out how the specimen was colle...

9. Dumb things new nurses do....

   Lab Scientist replied to OhioCCRN's topic in New Nurse

   I sure hope the lab didn't seriously believe that glucose result. On our chemistry analyzers, we will see a sharp increase in the potassium, glucose, total protein, and usually either see the specimen is grossly lipemic, or if we don't get to see th...

10. Fired for a medication error

    Lab Scientist replied to stiches's topic in Career Support

    excellent reply. i know of someone who was killed from receiving lidocaine iv rather than im. different drug, i know, but just goes to show that wrong route can be devastating.

11. If Nursing doesn't work out,is Medical Lab Technologist ok for a "Prissy" girl ??

    Lab Scientist replied to Back2Nursing09's topic in Career Support

    MLT is an associates degree. MLS (formerly MT) is a bachelors degree.