2. Ask more questions.
3. If the test starts with an H, don't spin it if it's blue. (It makes them go bad faster)
4. Always balance the green tubes (same amount in each). You can put four tubes in a centrifuge, but then it's more likely to shake, and if it shakes too much, then it's more likely to break the centrifuge. Folding the label over makes it easier to see the amount of blood for balancing, but only do that for greens, not any other color tube, especially yellows which get sent out.
5. Yellow tubes usually stay in central. They will tell you if they need to go to chemistry instead, but no big deal if you put those in the wrong place.
6. Dark green tops go to chemistry, too. Make sure that they come on ice. If the label says lactic acid, you spin it. If it says ammo (ammonia) or anything other than lactv, ask.
7. Blues are coags. Pinks are hematology. Greens are chemistry. Urines, stool, sputum go to microbiology
8. Blood cultures (bactens) go in the big rectangular boxy thing that you have to pull on the handle pretty hard to pull out. First scan the bar code for the bottle, then the laboratory's bar code for the test.
9. If a tube comes down through the pneumatic chute, open it and get someone to add it to the system. If it's labeled "Blood Bank Only," open it to check if there's a yellow slip. If there's a yellow slip, then it goes straight to blood bank so that they can get a blood transfusion ready to send up.
10. Other things that go to blood bank are (I believe) core samples, which check what the baby's blood type is. They have a blue top and have a baby's name written on them, like Smith, Babyboy. Also magenta, dark pink tops with an extra, yellow ended, label goes to Blood Bank. The purpose of Blood Bank is to make sure that all of the blood types are exactly what the label says, so they blood type the people, the samples, the blood bags to prevent any errors.
It's been a while since I volunteered in pathology, but pretty much, change your gloves whenever they get bloody, which will be often. Label everything. Add enough formalin to cover at least half of it. Placentas need their own special setup bag, with a special towel, a plastic cylinder about the size of cat food containers which you add something like formalin but different, and a few other things. The pathology assistant does the macroscopic inspection of liquids, not the pathologists. Most pathologists do not particularly like to talk. Make cassettes.
I feel like there's more, but I forgot the rest, so this will have to do.
PS. Here's an interesting website on blood tests: ProProfs List of tests and additives in tubes
Pneumatic Tubes
