When sending specimens outside the lab for testing or other purposes, there are many things to consider. Not just anyone in the laboratory can prepare the specimens for shipment; specific training is required. Staff need to know how to pack the specimens, how to keep themselves and the...
Pete picked up a rack of specimens that needed to be delivered to the serology lab across the hall. He wore gloves because he was handling specimens, and he pushed the lab exit door open using the knob. He walked across the hallway in his PPE, and he opened the door to the serology lab to...
Pete picked up a rack of specimens that needed to be delivered to the serology lab across the hall. He wore gloves because he was handling specimens, and he pushed the lab exit door open using the knob. He walked across the hallway in his PPE, and he opened the door to the serology lab to...
The one thing healthcare isn’t short on is data. The industry has data coming in from all directions, but that’s not always a perfect scenario—data that is duplicated, low quality, or siloed can present barriers to better analysis. For healthcare systems to improve the way they want, data needs...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) urged healthcare employers to address a spike in workplace illnesses and injuries among their employees. There was a 249% increase in injury and illness rates in 2020 among nursing assistants, according to the agency, citing Bureau of...
Do you ever think about how you think, or come to conclusions, or make decisions? It’s a Philosophy 101 question, but in the healthcare context it means examining how we make assumptions, skip steps, ignore details, and use flawed reasoning when diagnosing or treating a patient. And all those...
After two years of watching and waiting, I have been infected with the COVID-19 virus. I realize that this is nothing special. Millions of others have caught the virus, and some have had a far more devastating time with it than I. Like many others, I have no idea where the infection came from....
In the 1964 classic movie Mothra versus Godzilla (released in the U.S. as Godzilla vs. the Thing), a giant egg is washed ashore in Japan after a hurricane. Godzilla finds the egg and tries to break it, but when it hatches, twin giant worms are released that spell disaster for the title monster....