Understanding one’s working environment is of utmost importance for medical students. If every team member understands his or her place within the healthcare organization, the work is done without any delays, and a high patient satisfaction level is reached.
I am going to work at Al Rahba hospital (1) for 80 days. I will be assigned to a laboratory, and my role will be moving from one discipline to another in the hospital, assisting in various spheres of laboratory analyses: microbiology, hematology, and biochemistry. All of these labs have different functions, and I will be able to check my knowledge of these branches of lab investigations. In the hematology lab, I will make blood tests and identify whether the patients have any hematologic disease. In the microbiology lab, I will decipher whether the patients have disease-producing microbes. In the biochemistry lab, I will check patients’ exposure to pathologies.
Within the laboratory, I will have a standard range of duties. First of all, I will need to ask the patient what kind of a test the doctor ordered to decide on the sample collection type. Then, I will collect a sample and identify the patient by the bar code scanner to find him or her in the database. I will give patients the codes with the help of which they will be able to check the results online. As soon as the test results are ready, I will report them to the doctor. Each sample will be assigned a UR number and an ID. It is rather crucial for a lab technician or assistant not to confuse anyone’s results since people’s welfare depends on them.
Depending on the laboratory, the responsibilities of a lab worker differ. However, there are several similar duties in all labs:
- receiving, labeling, and scrutinizing samples;
- performing lab tests, making analyses, and interpreting their findings;
- keeping the lab equipment in good condition;
- making sure that the safety guidelines are followed and preserving the working environment in a clean and neat condition.
Apart from the mentioned accountabilities, there are also certain things I will have to do not as a member of the lab workers team but as an employee at a large healthcare facility with many departments and tasks. The following flowchart represents the variety of services performed at Al Rahba hospital (1):
Each of the hospital’s departments does its best to provide the patients with high-quality services and improve their health conditions. Being a lab worker within a large hospital means that I need to have perfect listening and communication skills. I will have to collect information from various people (both patients and doctors). I will need to process the gathered information and take care of confidentiality. It is also necessary to
My role in the system of Al Rahba hospital is to maintain professional relations with the patients and employees from various departments. I have to be punctual and responsible, and I should be able to assess and react to situations promptly. In my laboratory placement, I have the accountabilities of proper organization and evaluation of the tests. However, as an employee of a complex healthcare facility, I have to know the internal rules and regulations, be helpful, and assist my colleagues whenever they need me. I believe that when every medical worker does his or her best to integrate with other departments, both the hospital and patients will receive beneficial outcomes.
Reference
1. Al Rahba Hospital. Abu Dhabi: A SEHA HealthSystem Facility; Web.