Dan Botsford provided a summary of Block per Hour Workload last October after the query "Is 30 blocks  per hour a reasonable cutting rate for a clinical lab?" (summary included below).  I am looking for performance expectations for Histo techs, in particular what do you expect from new employees by the end of the probationary period?  

The CSLMS has competency objectives for students - must produce quality slides at a rate of 25 per hour.  Note the document I have did not define whether it was 25 blocks or 25 slides per hour - can anyone clarify?  But what would be the performance standards you would expect for a new grad after  a 3 month probationary period?  after one year?

Thank you in advance for any help.

Date: 4 Oct 1998 13:45:18 -0500
From: dl.botsford@sympatico.ca
Subject: Workload:Block cutting/per hour(Summary)

Summary

1. Blocks per hour (BPH) 20-25 CaseMix (CM) small and large
- -rush and priority 3 levels-Bone marrows extra sections and extra time
- -require beautiful sections

2. BPH 25-30
- -if no interruptions, prewritten slide a tech with a few years serviceshould easily achieve that quota

3. BPH 40 CM 80% large 20% small

4. BPH 40 CM 80% large 20% small
- -levels/single sections ,40 plus blocks if single sections only
- -not all sections perfect but generally pretty good.

5. BPH 40-60
- -with no interruptions unless cutting serial sections on the small cases

6. BPH 40-50
- - 55  blocks if lots of hernias, veins ,tubes and abortions
- - two levels per slide for endoscopic, bladder bx, scanty uterine curettings, small skin lesions
- - special stain slides on all gastric and esophageal bx
- - bone marrow and lymph nodes at 2 micron- remaining specimens at 3-5 microns
- - occasional mild pain in either hand and one scary, one month bout, of sharp pain in the left (coarse feed) twisting wrist

7. BPH 100-120 (collective rate?) CM 80% large 20% small
- -levels included

Thank You for your Responses!

Dan