ICU Nurses Toured the SPH Lab

November 23, 2016

On September 26, 2016, 20 nurses from the St. Paul’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) paid a visit to the Laboratory to learn more about our operations and diversity of testing.  They were divided into small groups touring different disciplines of the Lab by rotation.

A post-tour evaluation was conducted, see some feedback below:

What did you learn that you didn’t know before visiting the lab?
• Seeing the intricate use of machines, microscopes and how lab techs do their jobs
• The timescale of running samples
• Not all tests can be seen or completed from one tube
• The lab uses different labels than the units for specimens
• It’s a big department/complex testing for life saving
• The extent of what happens between sampling → analyzing.  It appears to be hard work!
• How much prep is needed before running samples

What did you enjoy most from the tour?
• Putting various disciplines into context – having a visual gives a better understanding of the bigger picture
• Seeing how much happens and what happens with specimens from start to finish
• The knowledge behind how the lab operates – touring the various disciplines was enlightening

What is your overall impression about the lab?
• Very intricate and dynamic unit of the hospital
• Busy, very eye tiresome work for visual microscope
• ‘Orderly chaos’
• Techs have lots of knowledge
• It is very organized.  Friendly staff
• Very technical and the need for accuracy
• Very cool, you guys have a cool job

Laboratory has been visited by various programs/departments.  Contact Peter McLellan, SPH Lab Site Supervisor for more information.

To learn more about the ICU, click here (http://phc-connect/programs/icu/Pages/default.aspx) (accessible via hospital intranet only).