# SDMB lab rats, check in! (It's National Medical Laboratory Professionals Week) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 24, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651 "2008-04-24T05:40:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/1 "2008-04-24T05:40:06Z")
I mentioned in the title that it’s NMLPW, of which I know of two others here who’s job title falls under that specific category (I’m inviting them to this thread via PM), but I like to notice and remember all lab rats of all walks of life. Some of you guys do research work, some work in quality assurance, both for the state and privately. Did you start in a lab, and now are involved in sales, or even in customer service fixing all my broken instruments. Personally, I have over five years experience working on the overnight shift at various Boston area hospitals. I work both as a laboratory generalists in a community hospital, as well as full-time in the Blood Transfusion Service at a large Boston city trauma center. I look forward to seeing what some of you other guys do, both the ones I know and the new ones. **bbs2k** , Clinical Laboratory Scientist (NCA) PS: Also if anyone (lab person or not) has any questions about what I do, I’d be happy to answer any questions. ---
**Author:** ![Leah\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Leah\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leah_M)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/2 "2008-04-24T06:06:39Z")
Thanks for the poke. 🙂 We’re currently ‘celebrating’ this in our lab, too. Except, I work the night shift, and we get nada. Only the day and evening shifts have activities and recognition events. I work as a ‘Laboratory Assistant’, technically, since I’m not a certified tech. I started out working as a phlebotomist, and then moved over to the lab. I’ve been here about four and a half years, in this hospital, in this position. I actually like my job in and of itself, though some aspects of it sometimes make me wish I was a heavy drinker. But I love working in the lab, and the same as **bbs2k** , don’t mind questions and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/3 "2008-04-24T11:51:44Z")
We got sandwiches and cookies, and a few silly games with dorky prizes. Hey, at least our hospital is giving stuff to the eves and nights, too, so we’re not TOO bad off. Of course, it’s nothing like the hospital wide love-fest that is Nurses’ week, so I’m a little bitter, but lots of love to you nurses out there, I couldn’t do what you do! I used the internet Anagram server to jumble all the tech’s names, as a fun little game for everyone, and that went over well… we also have a ring toss game scheduled for Friday, where we’re going to try and toss a ring over one of the pucks of the automated line as it scurries along. I know THAT will end in tears when someone hits an instrument… so I"m glad I don’t work Friday! I’m an evening shift generalist - this week is my blood bank rotation and it’s been HELL. The STAT-iest of STAT specimens have been arriving way hemolyzed, and then the ED gets pissy with me because I can’t get stuff out fast enough, while we lost an OR case when she went into DIC. They need to get a second blood banker on this shift soon, it’s getting insane! Before this job, I was in a blood bank in a big Montreal hospital, jumping between shifts as needed. A regular schedule is much better, even if I’m off-schedule with the rest of the world. I don’t see myself working my way up to management, though, and I don’t think I want a day job yet. I’m happy where I am, for now. Go lab week! Helping people one test at a time. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/4 "2008-04-24T13:20:04Z")
I answer phones and do client services and purchasing for a lab, so I’m not a lab tech, but I still get free food this week. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/5 "2008-04-24T13:38:36Z")
Yesterday was Administrative Professionals Day. How come _we_ didn’t get a thread, eh? ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/6 "2008-04-24T14:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=Really Not All That Bright] Yesterday was Administrative Professionals Day. How come _we_ didn’t get a thread, eh? [/QUOTE] It’s called lab-comradere, we tend to be fiercely loyal to each other. We’re fascinated by all the weird stuff, and if we do our jobs best that means you never here or see us. I was at a conference this week and heard us compared to food. We’re like fudge, mostly sweet mixed in with a couple of nuts. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/7 "2008-04-24T23:19:45Z")
Our company is celebrating by hanging a large banner and making everyone go visit another department. And, um, well, that’s about it. Of course, I’m getting out of the field this fall to go to grad school, but I’ve now had six years of working in a clinical molecular lab. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/8 "2008-04-25T02:46:56Z")
I may just join your sacred ranks. I put in an application to be a laboratry assistant (I’ll even let them call me Igor, if they accent the first syllable.) at the State Hospital in Atascadero. It’s a mental hospital, and has quite a reputation. It’s a huge complex. I think I’d fit in quite well. State civil service being what it is, I’ll hear something in a month or so. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/9 "2008-04-25T05:02:14Z")
We got Subway sandwiches tonight. We had pizza last night although third shift lost out on that because the phlebotomists took it all home with them when they left. I thought there was going to be a bloodbath over that. No one else in the hospital seems to have noticed that it’s Lab Week but there are posters for the Nurses in every hall and elevator. I’ve been a Medical Technologist (ASCP) for eighteen years and was a microbiology tech for three years before that. As an MT I’ve spent my entire career an Evening Shift generalist. (Antigen: you couldn’t make me work blood bank alone again if you held a gun to my head-I did it for sixteen years.) It’s been a fairly rewarding job I guess but lordy how I’m getting tired of the lab being the hospital’s dumping ground for everybody’s frustrations and anger. ---
**Author:** ![Leah\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Leah\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leah_M)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/10 "2008-04-25T06:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=dwyr] It’s been a fairly rewarding job I guess but lordy how I’m getting tired of the lab being the hospital’s dumping ground for everybody’s frustrations and anger. [/QUOTE] Next time the job description is up for review, they should change it to “Professional Scapegoat”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/11 "2008-04-25T06:15:43Z")
I feed the _lab rats_, and the lab rats. With rat food, and brownies, respectively. Can I share the love? ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/12 "2008-04-25T16:11:39Z")
[QUOTE=dwyr] … because the phlebotomists took it all home with them when they left. I thought there was going to be a bloodbath over that. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the laugh (among all else you do.) Great one! ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/13 "2008-04-25T17:30:01Z")
[QUOTE=dwyr] It’s been a fairly rewarding job I guess but lordy how I’m getting tired of the lab being the hospital’s dumping ground for everybody’s frustrations and anger. [/QUOTE] I’m used to it by now, and I’ve accepted that it will never change. When a nurse has to redraw a specimen because the first one was hemolyzed and I wouldn’t run it, it’s ok that she’s saying “the lab lost your specimen, we’ll have to try again”. I _am_ getting annoyed with the docs in the ED trying to get me to run hemolyzed specimens. Sure, but then expect me to call you in a few minutes with a potassium panic value. And I should _not_ need to explain to a nurse why I can’t use a clotted specimen for a CBC. It’s not the “dumping ground” aspect that bugs me, it’s how so many of the other professionals in the hospital can be so ignorant about the lab, when most of their work depends on the specimens we’re analyzing. Best story from the past year - a young nurse from the floor came to the front window of the lab, almost jogging, with a tube in her hand. “This is the third time I run down here with a tube”, she says. “No matter how quickly I get here, it keeps doing this!” She proceeds to invert the tube… the red top tube… to show me the big slug of a clot inside. Um… yeah. \*\*Note: most nurses absolutely kick ass and I’m going to walk around hugging them for Nurses’ Week. But there are a few nitwits who seriously make you wonder what clown nursing school they managed to graduate from. And they make for some good stories, if not necessarily for the best patient care. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/14 "2008-04-25T17:44:12Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] Best story from the past year - a young nurse from the floor came to the front window of the lab, almost jogging, with a tube in her hand. “This is the third time I run down here with a tube”, she says. “No matter how quickly I get here, it keeps doing this!” She proceeds to invert the tube… the red top tube… to show me the big slug of a clot inside. Um… yeah. [/QUOTE] I don’t speak\* labese\*, what does this mean? 😕 Or, rather, why is this the best story? ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/15 "2008-04-25T17:49:22Z")
[QUOTE=Always Brings Pie] I don’t speak\* labese\*, what does this mean? 😕 Or, rather, why is this the best story? [/QUOTE] Sorry, I’ll explain. Red top tubes don’t have any additives in them, no anticoagulants. The blood is _supposed_ to clot in them, so we then spin the tube in the centrifuge and get serum separated from the cells. And while you didn’t know that, I think it’s funny that a nurse didn’t, and that her colleagues let her run the specimen downstairs three times without telling her anything. ---
**Author:** ![Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sticks_and_scones/32/16951_2.png) [@Sticks\_and\_Scones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sticks_and_Scones)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/16 "2008-04-25T17:59:50Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] Sorry, I’ll explain. Red top tubes don’t have any additives in them, no anticoagulants. The blood is _supposed_ to clot in them, so we then spin the tube in the centrifuge and get serum separated from the cells. And while you didn’t know that, I think it’s funny that a nurse didn’t, and that her colleagues let her run the specimen downstairs three times without telling her anything. [/QUOTE] Ok, gotcha. Yeah, I guess that is somewhere between scary and dumb. It reminds somehow of the phlebotomist that while taking my blood couldn’t find a vein so he ripped off the fingertips of his gloves to get a better feel, I guess, and then continued on doing his job wearing those same gloves. :smack: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/17 "2008-04-25T18:01:53Z")
[QUOTE=Antigen] Sorry, I’ll explain. [/QUOTE] This can be forgiven IMHO. It’s my job to know which specimen types are needed for which specific tests. As long as the nurse knows to ask, and properly collect the specimen then an experienced nurse is a tremendous asset to laboratory testing over a brilliant doctor. I have dozens of these stories as well, including many of “blame it on the lab” things, but when it comes to testing we’re the bottom so that’s where the buck stops. My night last night ( **Antigen** will sympathize as a blood banker), a warm reacting autoantibody with an order for two to crossmatch. Yay… eluates, DATs, autoabsorptions! ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/18 "2008-04-25T18:42:24Z")
I run a Plastics Testing Lab - nothing medical - but I got my guys breakfast today! ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/19 "2008-04-25T18:54:11Z")
We’re not a Medical Lab, but thanks for including me anyway! 🙂 I’m in Quality Assurance…wait! Where are you going? Guys? GUYS??? It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651/20 "2008-04-25T20:29:17Z")
My \*\*LabRat \*\* runs an inorganic chem lab. He tests for trace metals. Not the same kind of lab as yous guys but he’s a Rat nonetheless. I’m glad they have a day for you and people actually remember it! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-lab-rats-check-in-its-national-medical-laboratory-professionals-week/446651.md?page=2)