Haematology and Transfusion
A day in the life of a Biomedical Scientist - Haematology and Transfusion
Biomedical scientists investigate the formation, composition, function and diseases of blood. Some of the diseases diagnosed in haematology are leukaemia, malaria and anaemia. They also identify blood groups for blood donation, ensures the correct grouped blood is matched to the patient due to receive the donation and makes sure blood stocks are adequate for critical incidents such as road traffic accidents, operations and cancer treatments.
Name
Nathan Jones
Job title
Biomedical Scientist
Discipline
Haematology and Transfusion Science
Career to date
Having only registered with the HCPC a little over twelve months ago; I’m still relatively new to the world of laboratory science.
After graduating from University of Chester in 2015 with a first class honours degree in Biomedical Science I was awarded the IBMS President's Prize and started working as a trainee Biomedical Scientist at Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
I soon realised there was a lot to learn and had to adapt to combine the knowledge gained at University into the practical applications of day-to-day laboratory work. I spent the following nine months completing my IBMS registration portfolio until I was registered as a biomedical scientist in April 2016. One year on I am taking part in the out of hours system which provides pathology services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As part of this, I work a variety of weekends, bank holidays and nightshifts. I’m also studying towards an MSc in Haematology and Transfusion Science and completing my IBMS Specialist Diploma.
At the start of my shift
A normal working day begins at 8:45am where I take part in a point of care testing clinic for patients taking the anticoagulant drug warfarin. A small sample of blood from a finger prick is used to measure the INR which is used to guide warfarin dosage. Patients are given their result and advised on how much warfarin to take all within a short 5-minute appointment.
At 10am I head back to the main laboratory where I join the rest of my team for the day ahead. Abnormal test results need to be reviewed and authorised before being sent out to doctors Depending on the results, further investigations may be required to either support or refute a diagnosis.
During the shift
After lunch, the throughput of samples increases as samples start to arrive from GP surgeries within the local area. At Warrington hospital we process around 1,000 full blood count samples every day. The results of a full blood count on a 55 year old female are abnormal and require further investigation. A blood film is spread, stained and examined under light microscopy, where I can see that the white blood cells are increased in number and have abnormal morphology. I refer the case onto the consultant Haematologist who suggests we send the sample to a reference laboratory for cell marker investigations. A laboratory support worker then arranges for the sample and it’s paperwork to be transported urgently to the reference laboratory. Towards the end of the day shift it is important to check our pending files to identify if any tests have been missed. Any outstanding tests are completed as the workload starts to reduce. We receive our final delivery from the GP surgeries at around 4:30pm. At 5pm the BMS on the late shift comes to each department for a hand over. This gives the opportunity for me to inform my colleague which samples are still being processed and which results are still to be reviewed. By 5:15pm the working day has finished and the majority of the routine work is completed. Occasionally we stay late to help if there has been a late delivery of samples or we have had some IT problems. It is always appreciated by the BMS who is on-call later that evening when everything is tidy.
Towards the end of the day shift, it is important to check our pending files to identify if any tests have been missed. Any outstanding tests are completed as the workload starts to reduce. We receive our final delivery from the GP surgeries at around 4:30pm. At 5pm the biomedical scientist on the late shift comes to each department for a handover, this gives the opportunity for me to inform my colleague which samples are still being processed and which results are still to be reviewed. By 5:15pm the working day has finished and the majority of the routine work is completed. Occasionally we stay late to help if there has been a late delivery of samples or we have had some IT problems. It is always appreciated by the biomedical scientist who is on-call later that evening when everything is tidy.
At the end of my shift
During out of hours work our biomedical science staff work across three sections: routine haematology, coagulation and blood transfusion. This requires a lot multitasking and I sometimes compare it to juggling or balancing plates. The idea is to keep everything moving and use your automated analysers to help you along the way. While processing samples and reporting results we also receive phone calls requesting blood products and asking for advice.
I find my role as a Biomedical Scientist extremely rewarding. The type of work varies from being able to diagnose anaemia, identifying malarial parasites using microscopy to providing emergency blood products for trauma cases. It is a role that I would thoroughly recommend for anyone with an interest in science, research and healthcare.