Her exotic job title has excited a lot of interest in the media, but in case you missed a description of what a phlebotomist is and does, we bring you a profile on Kylie Douglas, a South Australian phlebotomist working at Clinpath.

Every day a phlebotomist comes across people who are seeking answers to a health concern.

After visiting a doctor and being sent off for a pathology test to get to the bottom of it, the first person a patient will meet is a phlebotomist.

A phlebotomist is a medical technician who takes blood samples from patients and performs laboratory tasks including setting up samples for analysis and entering lab results in a computer system.

We asked Kylie about a day in the life of the phlebotomist.

‘We are trained to draw blood and to assist patients collect for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research. The word in Latin actually means “opening of veins”.

‘It’s more than just a job for me as I get to meet locals coming into the doctor’s surgery who each have their own stories to share. We get to know our regulars and build a rapport,’ said Kylie.

‘Our new patients can be nervous, so it’s good to be able to generate a conversation to create a distraction for them.’

Every year in Australia 500 million pathology tests are performed – many of them involving blood – with 70% of medical treatment decisions relying on those results.

Kylie represents just one of the 35,000 skilled employees working in Australian pathology. Clinpath Pathology employs nearly 300 phlebotomists in South Australia to assist over 140 licensed collection centres.

‘After receiving a doctor’s request form for a pathology test, as a phlebotomist you have to prioritise the order in which samples are taken and dispatched to the lab for analysis,’ said Kylie.

‘Something may be urgent and require immediate attention, while some samples are sensitive to temperature and need to be sent to a lab within a set timeframe.’

‘Getting tests results quickly can be absolutely critical, such as in a hospital situation. A troponin test – which is searching for early markers of a heart attack – means those who need help immediately can get it, while those who aren’t in danger can be safely cleared from emergency departments.’

So, even if you didn’t know it, chances are you’ve had an interaction with a phlebotomist on several occasions, and well before The Bachelor hit our screens.

The post People in Pathology: Kylie Douglas, phlebotomist first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

But Donna’s road to pathology came via a tragic route. When Donna’s sister Sarah was a little over the age of one, she was diagnosed with leukaemia.

‘We used to travel from Hurstville in Sydney to visit a Pathologist named Dr David Sugarman for treatment,’ says Donna.

It proved to be a memorable experience.

‘After Sarah would get a finger prick test at Dr Sugarman’s rooms, we would go across the road for a milkshake. I always remember Dr Sugarman’s houndstooth jacket,’ she said.

Sadly, Sarah died at age two. It was 1970 and treatment for leukaemia was rudimentary. In response Donna made two vows to her mum:

‘I told mum that one day I would work for Dr Sugarman, and that I’d also find a cure for leukaemia.’

Donna didn’t manage to achieve the second goal but did manage the first.

By 1985, Donna had completed a degree in Applied Science (Biomedical Science) at UTS and went to work with Dr Sugarman at Sugarman’s Pathology, as she had vowed to do 16 years earlier as a 6-year-old child.

She stayed there eight years, moving in 1993 from Sydney to Townsville where she took up a position as Senior Scientist at Townsville Pathology and a casual lecturer at James Cook University, during which time she also completed a PhD in physiology and pharmacology.

One of Dr Rudd’s passions as a senior lecturer is to bridge the gap between the clinical world and the science of pathology. The other is seeking recognition for scientists within the world of pathology.

She has witnessed a lot of change in pathology since she started working in the sector three decades ago. One of the main differences being NPAAC standards and National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) auditing, which has made an enormous difference to quality and standards within the sector.

‘The technology has also changed dramatically with automation,’ says Dr Rudd ‘but the scientific voice remains key to high standards and the level of oversight. It can’t be done away with.

‘I’ve visited laboratories in other countries and you can tell the difference in quality and governance standards. Australian pathology is very much at the forefront of lab standards globally.’

From the tragedy of her sister Sarah’s premature death, a great career has been forged in pathology and health education, a career that has helped the health of tens of thousands of Australians as Dr Rudd helps to educate Australia’s next generation of pathologists and medical scientists.

The post A pathology pledge born of tragedy first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.

Automation of testing procedures, centralised blood collection processes, quicker test turnarounds, consistency and quality of results, modern communication channels that bridge geographical divides, and equity of service across Australia are some of the big-ticket items.

“Growing up on a farm in Kimba, South Australia, I realised I wasn’t cut out to be a farmer like my father, and upon the advice of a local teacher, a visit to the local pathology lab was organised. It was a fateful visit which piqued my interest in pathology,” said Mr Nielsen.

Before completing his year 12 exams, he was promised a job if he matriculated, which he duly did, and henceforth began a 44-year long association with pathology.

As a rural-based medical scientist he needed to become a pathology all-rounder, owing to the paucity of specialist pathologists. Arriving in Mt Gambier as an histologist, Mr Nielsen soon turned his hand to other pathology disciplines.

At age 30 Mr Nielsen started an undergraduate degree in Bachelor of Applied Science – Medical Laboratory Science, at Charles Sturt University, while working full-time in the lab. To add another layer of difficulty, he had three children under four at home.

Through the combination of study and full-time lab experience, Mr Nielsen was able to work in biochemistry, microbiology, haematology and transfusion.

While at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS) in Mount Gambier he would often work from 9-5pm and then be part of a roster for on-call work from 5-9am.

“One of us had to be on-call for after-hours and you might be woken up at 2am to perform tests for someone in a diabetic coma. You might be woken every two hours and then be ready for work again at 9am,” said Mr Nielsen.

“Back then we would do our own blood collects in the region, taking maybe 120-150 units of blood, which would then have serological testing elsewhere before we could add it to our local blood bank.”

Processes have changed significantly since then.

“Back in the ‘70s and ‘80s the level of technology and medical integration was underdeveloped, impacting access to quality pathology,” said Mr Nielsen.

The biggest impact on pathology over his career has been the introduction of National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation.

“NATA accreditation has provided a framework for excellence across the industry.

“Pathology testing in Australia is known to be high quality, and with technological advances patients receive their test results faster,” Mr Nielsen said.

Recently Mr Nielsen became an ambassador for Pathology Awareness Australia (PAA) and in that role he will continue to champion the value of pathology to Australia’s healthcare system.

“I’m thrilled that as an ambassador for PAA,” Mr Nielsen said.

“It’s been a fabulous career. Every day is different, the work’s important, and the people you work with and meet along the way are terrific. I’m glad to be continuing that journey with PAA.”

The post David swapped a life on the land for a career in the lab first appeared on Know Pathology Know Healthcare.