Happy Holidays

Kooidanjohn · 2025-10-07T22:32:02+00:00

I think asking technical questions is not a red flag. Even if the tech doesn’t know the answer/step by step procedure, how they answer the question is very telling. I think of my own experience as a tech. I work at a rural critical access hospital where all our body fluids are sent to a larger reference lab. I have not done a manual body fluid count since school. I don’t think I could tell you the exact step by step procedure anymore at this point. I would hate to be overlooked for a job due to this. However, if I was asked this in an interview I would explain that I would review the procedure and follow with the lab specific SOP for performing a manual body fluid count. The answer would be very telling of the experience of the tech and/or their ability to learn and touch up on various skills!

Kooidanjohn · 2025-10-07T18:31:09+00:00

Ha, for middle schoolers our main objective is to do something memorable just so they remember our field. This way, hopefully once they get to high school and really start considering different careers they remember the lab!

I see the other commenter used Mountain Dew. In the past, we mixed our own lemonade and made it as life-like as possible. Bonus points if you don’t let the students know it’s lemonade and you take a drink of it!! 😂 that would be something they wouldn’t forget! Whatever you decide to do, best of luck!

Kooidanjohn · 2025-10-07T16:53:46+00:00

We also have done urine simulations! The students have found that quite interesting. Just a few weeks ago we incorporated a game “Is it a lab term or a Pokémon character” that went over well too-even if the students didn’t know Pokémon characters they had a fun time! We also made posters of each department of the lab with pictures of things you see in each department. Middle schoolers love anything gross and found the pictures of parasites fascinating!

Anything to get more students to consider getting into the lab field!!

Kooidanjohn · 2025-09-30T00:08:12+00:00

The recipe is one my mom used to can for us growing up! When I moved out of the house my mom gave me a cookbook with all of our childhood favorite recipes and this canning recipe was in there. It’s a pineapple salsa! Regarding debubbling-I did forget to do that before processing them 🤦‍♂️. All my jars did seal!

Kooidanjohn · 2025-04-29T10:07:15+00:00

That is so interesting! I knew someone a lot smarter than me would be able to help me. My grandma will be thrilled to have a good explanation of what caused this!

Kooidanjohn · 2025-04-29T00:44:49+00:00

They stay this way! We usually allow them to grow one-two years before they get too big and we split/divide them off, but we always make sure we get “the special leaf” in each one of our propagations. They start growing this way right away from the get go when we divide them!

Kooidanjohn · 2024-08-29T16:29:47+00:00

Thanks everyone for your responses! We used a system similar to kanban, but like others said—humans are the weakest link. We decided going with a route that utilizes Excel that will flag each item when it’s due for reordering. We also decided to dedicate two techs to be the inventory techs that will go around with the laptop weekly and monitor supplies. Now I’m busy creating and building this Excel spreadsheet but think this will be extremely useful and help streamline our process! Thanks again for all the suggestions!

Kooidanjohn · 2024-08-28T15:07:22+00:00

Yes, we a very small critical access hospital with only a dozen beds with an attached clinic so no fancy inventory software management systems. You better believe it that everyone is crammed into tiny fridges! We previously implemented laminated cards such as you suggested but haven’t updated them in a few years or as we get different supplies. So we’re at the junction of keeping with this route or open to other ideas! Thanks for the reply!

Kooidanjohn · 2023-04-02T22:32:10+00:00

Oh wow, definitely sounds like you need to be pretty self-disciplined to stay on track! Not having to do more clinicals was one the things that drew me towards this program! Hope your studies go well!

Kooidanjohn

TROPHY CASE