In a recent conversation with a relative of mine, he told me about how his daughter became sick during her visit back from college. They consulted a physician who requested several laboratory tests. Based on the laboratory results, the physician prescribed a treatment that she used and became well. My relative was happy his daughter was able to enjoy the rest of her stay healthy.
I was thinking, we hear similar stories too often, the outcomes please us, and move on. This time though, I wanted to use this story to talk about those behind the laboratory results.
When a patient sample arrive at the laboratory, it is received and processed by laboratory technologists. By receiving a sample, laboratory technologists verify the sample identity, condition, quantity, nature, and suitability for the requested test, among other things.
Who are the laboratory technologists?
Laboratory technologists are unique professionals with unique criteria such as:
- Passionate. laboratory technologists are passionate about the patient well-being. Therefore, they carefully handle each sample, and may delay their break or extend their work hours to complete the urgent requests. Similarly, laboratory technologists would communicate the out-of-range results with the requesting physician to ensure the accuracy of results that the physician would use to decide their course of action.
- Flexible. Diagnostics or therapeutics are constantly changing and adjusting their approaches as they seek improvements. As a result, methods are under frequent change, to which laboratory technologists are open. They are open to train on new method or to switch device. They are also flexible with time to accommodate high demand like what happened during the pandemic peak time. They switched shifts, switched roles, and got the job completed.
- Learner. Laboratory technologists’ passion and flexibility make them learn quickly and constantly. They are continuously adding new knowledge and learning new techniques. Over time, laboratory technologists become highly experienced and knowledgeable professionals which perfectly prepare them for the next criteria.
- Innovative. Innovations require passion, flexibility, and knowledge. Therefore, it is not surprising that laboratory technologists are behind important medical innovations. They have the patience to make a research method work, and they attend to details to make the research method repeatable.
- Caring. Laboratory technologists are caring team members, they help each other during high load times, and they cover each other’s area during shortage of staff. They realize this type of work can wait for only so much, afterwards it has to be completed.
- Courageous. We all are taught to avoid contaminated, or potentially thereof, materials, and to disinfect our hands or wash them to ensure safety. Laboratory technologists are trained to handle potentially or confirmed infectious materials, they do this while taking measures to protect themselves, their colleagues, and the environment. Although risky, laboratory technologists handle such material in order to complete the requested laboratory test, and to provide the requesting physician with a reliable result.
- Behind the scene. Laboratory technologists do all of the above behind the scene, often they are not recognized for the great job they are doing every day. This does not bother them because the recognition is not their goal. Clinicians do know the valuable work of the laboratory technologists, and they do appreciate it, but may be not the patient or their family, partly because laboratory technologists do not provide a direct health care to patients.
- Humans. And above all, laboratory technologists are humans who seek to improve, to make a difference, and participate in public interest. But they also have needs, they need rest when they get tired, they need support when they get stressed, and they need recognition from their direct supervisor to reward them. They also need resources to maintain their edge, they need opportunity to grow and give back even more, and they need to be with their family to be back in the laboratory.
Because of all this, laboratory technologists are an asset that institutions should care for and maintain. The skills and traits of laboratory technologists makes them potential candidates to assume and succeed in leadership roles.
I have written about laboratory technologists because I am a laboratory technologist by training, and I am proud of it. But to be fair, there are many professions whose members possess the listed criteria and more. The fact of it is, every profession is unique in its own way, and we need all to succeed as a community
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