Dear Mary,

I can sympathize withyou.  I work PRN in a small hospital lab with a man
that does the same thing you do.  He is not certified and and was trained
on the job by someone who wasn't certified.  He is not that organized, but
he manages to keep the pathologists happy.  I on the other hand have never
seen too hard of times, I am used to having secretaries.  It was always my
job to do the technical stuff and some clerical, but not much.  

One week while I was working for this man who wanted a vacation, the
pathologist came in on Friday when I was at witt's end, and I let her have
it.  She wanted to know, so I told her.  Since then, they have approached
administration about a clerical person so the full time histologist can do
just that and the clerical person can file reports, as well as blocks and
slides, help with accessioning and grossing, and the data entry on the
computer.  This person will have other duties as well, but at least that is
a start.

My co-worker and I were discussing the situation, to which he was grateful
that he may finally be getting some help.  We still don't think that is the
ideal situation.  What happens when there are more than 50 or so blocks
every day, he will never get time to catch up.  On days when he has an
excess of 50 of course he will call me and we will start the assembly line
routine.  Our idea is that the hospital should hire another full time
histologist.  One should come in at the regular 6:00 time and the other
come in at 8:00 or 9:00 and fall right in the routine.  Between the two,
the paperwork could be taken care of as well as the grossing and
accessioning, filing and whatever else needs to be done.  

The days that he and I have done that, it has worked out very well.  The
pathologists have someone there until 5 or 6:00 and they love that.  The
other way, the hospital will have to pay the regular histologist, the
clerical position, and the PRN histologist.  It just makes sense to me to
hire another full time histologist.

For what it's worth, there is my opinion.

Kelly S. Pruitt HT
----------
> From: Marysia33@aol.com
> To: HistoNet@Pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject: Workload units for histology
> Date: Wednesday, July 21, 1999 11:43 PM
> 
> 	I need help in workload units for histology.
> 	I have a lab manager (a med tech of course) that thinks, that in an 8 
> hour day I can physically gross, embed, cut (do it all) 100 plus 
> specimens/blocks a day and still have time to keep up on administrative 
> duties. I am the only Histologist working at this place. I really need
help 
> on this one as my wrist is getting weak  :(
> 	Any information would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thank you,
> 
> Mary A. Mullinax, HT (ASCP)
> Clinical Pathology Lab.
> Palmdale, CA 93551
> Marysia33@aol.com