During my internship year as a clinical laboratory scientist, I was trained in all clinical labs like hematology and histopathology, and was also trained in special labs such as toxicology and cytogenetics. But I was not trained in sample collection/triage, nor was I trained on medical waste management. Yes, we were taught during college study about sample collection and medical waste, but we did not get the chance to learn HOW they work. Think about it, lab samples and lab waste are the front and back ends of every lab work.
Reflecting on this now, I can see how valuable of experience it would have been have we had the chance to be cross-trained.
What is cross-training?
Cross-training is the act of learning or being trained on a separate but related discipline. Using the examples above, sample collection and environmental services (waste management) are separate entities, but are related to the lab and are good candidates for cross-training. Such training though is only intended to “educate” the trainee on how things work at the other entity, but not necessarily to make them proficient on a new process.
Why be Cross-trained?
Cross-training provides an opportunity for the trainee to learn how the other related entities work, and what challenges they face. By learning how the environmental services work, lab personnel would learn, among other things, how/when waste is being collected, what happens if sharps were discarded in a non-sharp containers, and what happens to the waste after being collected. Similarly, when environmental services staff are cross-trained in the lab, they would learn the nature of the lab waste, the required containers, and the best timing for waste collection.
Where to be cross-trained?
Almost any separate but related discipline is a good candidate. And because cell therapy is my favorite subject, I’ll list few example that stem cell lab personnel can use.
I have mentioned before (in earlier posts) that every cell therapy program is composed of three components:
- Clinic (BMT/Oncology)
- Collection facility
- Processing facility
Other entities that stem cell lab personnel deal with are:
- Testing lab(s)
- Quality Assurance (QA), and Quality Control (QC)
- Facility management
- Materials management
I’ll pick three of these and use them as examples:
A. Collection facility
As a stem cell lab personnel, when you get trained with collection facility, you would learn how they schedule patient collections, how they prepare for each collection, and how they label and package the product to send it to your lab. You would also learn how late-arriving patients/donors impacts the collection schedule, the difficulties they face with patients and equipment, and how they occasionally need to abort the collection process.
B. Quality Assurance (QA)
By learning the aspects of QA review process of your work, such as how they review and what standard they follow, you get the insight on why QA personnel need certain information, how long they need to review/approve your work, and why they request good documentation practice.
C. Materials management (MM)
MM deals with vendors and couriers, and receive a LOT of materials on daily bases. Learning first hand their receiving process and the magnitude they deal with makes you appreciate their service. Similarly, learning how receiving and logging materials in the lab goes, how they get screened, and how they get quarantined, approved, or rejected, clarifies to you the journey the materials take until they reach your hands. It also puts things in perspective, so you would know how long in advance you need to order your material to ensure uninterrupted service.
Benefits of Cross-training
Besides the new experience and knowledge you gain, here are some benefits of cross-training:
- Improves the communications/expectations between the lab personnel and the other entities.
- Streamlines the lab services and practices to be in line with the other related entities needs.
- Improves productivity by minimizing time wasted on conflicts, and by increasing the planning efficiency.
I have used the stem cell lab as a model, but the cross-training approach can be fruitful in other industries and at all levels of seniority.
Let us know if we missed anything, or if you would like a specific subject to be discussed, write to us.
About the author
Naseem Almezel, earned his MSc degree in Cellular Therapies in 2010, since then his career focus is to support Bone Marrow Transplant and Oncology programs. Naseem likes to work in the lab doing translational research, or in the cleanroom doing GMP production. When he is not working, Naseem likes to read and to spend time outdoors. Find more about Naseem here