The reason we are here

I have been at my first assignment for one whole month. It has been wonderful. I am learning a whole heck of a lot and everyone is being so good to me. They are very welcoming and willing to teach me whatever I want to know.

Because of confidentiality rules and such I won’t get into too much detail, but I must say that in a day we do about as many samples as I did in an hour at my old job, but I am never bored. There are usually two people for chemistry, one in microbiology, one in blood bank and one doing hematology, urinalysis and coagulation. We also have some wonderful phlebotomists that do all the drawing, ordering and processing of samples. They have taught me how to sort, label and receive samples. They have even offered to let me draw some patients so I can brush up on my phlebotomy skills.

They have two Vitros 5600s and I was so happy to see them and hear all of their odd noises. It was welcoming and familiar in a place where everything was so foreign. I remember looking forward to work because I knew those instruments were there. They have been trouble for this lab but they seem to be settling in. I loved being able to walk in on day three and do weekly maintenance.

There are also some point of care analyzers for blood gas, dimers and urine toxicology. I have learned a new hematology analyzer and a new coagulation analyzer. My two favorite new things I have learned is microbiology and blood banking. I have never been so excited to streak a urine culture before. I also learned how to set up PCR for all sorts of bad bugs. It has been great to learn some new skills and brush up on ones I have not used in 10 years. My first gram stain even came out the way it was supposed to! In blood bank I was reminded how to use tilt tube for ABORH and gel for antibody screens.

So far this assignment has been very good. I have heard lots of positive words about me being there. One technologist even told me that I am going to be good at this. I am easy to get along with and I learn fast. Those words meant a lot to me. This whole adventure was a huge gamble and I think it will just get better with each assignment.

I miss everyone at my old job, the job that made me the technologist I am today. I miss all the people I worked with and all the fun I had. I hope to come back when this wild ride is over, full of stories about all the other labs out there.

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