Shervelle Bergholz
Honolulu,HI
Summary
Insightful Laboratory Technician brings dedication to excellence and calm demeanor. Team player trained in laboratory procedures, equipment maintenance and inventory management. Supports lab operations with accurate documentation and organized spaces. Structured Laboratory Technician offering background in collecting, processing and analyzing various specimens. Familiar with basic medical terminology, laboratory protocols and testing procedures. Expertise in urinalysis and blood typing. Recognized for performing laboratory tests and procedures with attention to detail, optimum quality and expedience.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Laboratory Assistant
The Queen's Medical Center / Pathology Department
Honolulu, HI
01.2011 - 03.2022
- Worked in Cytology Department - received specimens from inpatients within the hospital and also specimens from doctors' offices from all Hawaiian Islands. We also received specimens from other islands in the Pacific including Guam, Majuro, and the Micronesian islands.
- Responsible for identifying the specimen to make sure that specimen was routed to correct department within Pathology. For instance, urine samples or sputum samples would go to the Non Gynecological section of Cytology while gynecological specimens collected in Surepath vials or ThinPreps or, in some cases, a conventional smear would go to the Gynecological section of Cytology, etc.
- Ensure that sample was properly labeled according to CAP and JCAHO guidelines. Once verified, each sample would be assigned a barcode with a unique identifier and then routed to proper department. As well, if sample was not properly labeled, this responsibility included calling doctor's office to get proper identification of sample to include two separate patient identifiers such as name, birthdate, social security number, etc. and the correct and complete source of the specimen.
- Responsibility also included going to different pre- assigned areas within the hospital to retrieve specimen
- General duties assigned included filing slides and picking slides at physicians' request. General duties also included ordering supplies and assisting physicians' with securing and preparing specimen or slide for transport including preparing necessary paperwork to make sure correct tests were ordered.
- Duties were split between the different sections of the Cytology Department. In the Non - gynecological section of Cytology, responsibility included receiving samples such as sputum, urine or cyst fluid, etc and preparing slide for physician. These slides would include cytospin slides or thinprep slides for urine, for example, and then staining the slide with either Diff Quick or Papanicolaou stain procedure. In the Gynecological section, responsibility included processing pap smears accordingly.
- Pap smear is collected in a surepath vial, then slide would be prepared with appropriate patient identification plus barcode. Then, the slide would be processed on the Totalys Slide Prep machine. If the specimen is collected via Thin Prep then, likewise, a slide would be prepared with appropriate patient identification and processed on the ThinPrep Machine.
- Any pap smear collected with a conventional smear would simply be stained on the Totalys Slide prep machine.
- Once the slides were processed, responsibility included running the slides through the automatic stainer which had to be properly set up with the correct stains, alcohol and water in the appropriate sequence. After each staining process, the slide would then be coverslipped either by hand or using the Leica fully automated coverslipper.
- Responsibility included submitting first five slides for quality control to ensure stains were properly placed within automatic stainer. Once quality control was completed, the slides were then distributed to the cytotechnologists for their review.
- Responsibility also included bone marrow technician. As a bone marrow technician, assisted the physician at bedside to collect bone marrow tissue for screening of blood cancers including leukemia, multiple myeloma, and lymphoma among many other diagnoses.
- Assisting the physician included preparing the necessary materials in order for the physician to perform the collection. This included a JAMSHIDI kit plus an 5 ML EDTA and Sodium Heparin tube. In some cases, this also included blood culture bottles in order to check for infections. At bedside, the physician would collect 5ml - 7ml of fluid from the patient right or left posterior superior iliac crest. Would then separate the fluid into the sodium heparin tube and EDTA tubes. then, I would put some of the liquid into a container to clot and make pull smears, as well. Then, the physician would collect a coring sample of the cortex of the bone. Would then lightly touch the bone to a slide to make touch prep slides of the core and would then put the core in formalin to preserve for future testing.
- After the physician had completed the procedure, performed a fingerstick on the patient to collect blood to make a peripheral blood smear. Once completed, all items were taken back to the laboratory for processing.
- The slides were stained with Wright- Giemsa or , in the case of the peripheral blood smear, modified wright Giemsa. The tubes were sent to flow and for any cytogenetic testing as requested by the physician while the bone was placed decal solution and submitted for any other staining including iron stain as requested by the physician.
- As Lead Bone Marrow Technician, responsibilities included making the Wright Giemsa stain and, once the laboratory obtained an automatic stainer, maintenance and ordering supplies for the automatic stainer. As well, trained the bone marrow technicians and wrote the Standard Operating Procedures for bone marrow collection.
Phlebotomist
Diagnostic Laboratory Services
Honolulu, United States
02.2008 - 01.2011
- Completed proper sanitation and cleaning of equipment and work areas between patients.
- Labeled transfer tubes and followed exact directions for handling and storing specimens for transport.
- Used personal protective equipment correctly to protect coworkers and patients.
- Stocked phlebotomy cart or carrier with appropriate supplies.
- Centrifuged blood samples as outlined in clinical protocols.
- Tracked collected specimens by initialing, dating and noting times of collection.
- Conducted venipuncture and other CT procedures.
- Reviewed patient records for accuracy and completeness.
- Organized daily work based on collection priority.
- Packaged and shipped specimens to central lab daily.
- Monitored patients for reactions and verified sample quality.
- Performed bedside tests like bleeding time tests and entered results into patient charts.
- Collected blood samples using vacutainer tubes, tourniquets, syringes, butterfly needles, and straight needles.
- Drew blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe or butterfly venipuncture methods.
- Followed physician orders to correctly administer therapeutic phlebotomy.
- Promoted mission, vision and values of organization and trained new clinical staff in phlebotomy procedures.
- Obtained blood specimens by performing venipunctures and finger sticks 25-30 times per day.
- Assembled tourniquets, needles and blood collection devices to prepare work trays.
- Validated blood and specimen collection orders, alerting nurses or physicians of discrepancies between order and nursing station logs.
- Spoke with patient to gather information for lab records, reduce fear or anxiety and optimize cooperation.
- Protected patients by following infection control, sharps disposal and biohazardous waste disposal procedures.
- Assisted with office procedures by monitoring patient flow, performing telephone screening and maintaining sample drug lists.
- Maintained exam rooms by ordering supplies, transporting specimens, washing and packing instruments and changing solutions.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Microbiology
University of Hawaii At Manoa
Honolulu, HI12.2007
Associate of Science - Liberal Arts And Sciences
Leeward Community College
Pearl City, HI06.2005
Skills
- Inventory Control
- Regulatory Compliance
- Contributing Team Player
- Biohazardous Waste Disposal
- Automated Laboratory Testing
- Safety Protocols
- Attention to Detail
- Equipment Testing and Calibration
- Specimen Processing
- Laboratory Equipment Handling
- Aseptic Techniques
- Diagnostic Tests
- Blood and Tissue Sample Collection
- Analytical Thinking
- Reagent Preparation
- Butterfly Needles
Timeline
Laboratory Assistant
The Queen's Medical Center / Pathology Department
01.2011 - 03.2022
Phlebotomist
Diagnostic Laboratory Services
02.2008 - 01.2011
Bachelor of Science - Microbiology
University of Hawaii At Manoa
Associate of Science - Liberal Arts And Sciences
Leeward Community College
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