What would you do

[holeinone]

Say your PA or resident or fellow pathologist was grossing a large specimen. They had to leave the gross room,but knew they would be back within a few minutes, so they soaked paper towels in saline and covered the specimen. When they returned, the grossing table was empty and they found the specimen and paper towels were in the trash can. A lab employee had entered the empty gross room, saw the paper towels, picked up everything, not ‘knowing’ there was tissue there, and threw it all in the trash. All the tissue was found.
How would you as lead pathologist react?
Would you fire this lab employee, who has worked there for years but has other issues, as well?

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[cmz]

There are a lot of unknown variables. Was this at the end of the day? Why is there someone cleaning up that often? If this was during prime time hours, the lab employee should not be touching anything on the grossing bay/station, especially if said items are still on a cutting board. I would maybe give the employee a write-up and careful instruction to always check what they are disposing, especially during primetime hours. I would not fire the lab employee unless there was a patterned history and this became an opportunity to cut your losses (but you should have sufficient paperwork as backup). [Note: My company policy states 3 write-ups and you're out. If I followed the rules, I wouldn't have any employees.]

 

[WEBB PINKERTON]

In today's market, you better just sweep it under the rug. Good luck finding a replacement otherwise.

 

[gbwillner]

There is one answer:

CAPA

 

[caffeinegirl]

Agree with the responses above. Any department should have a QA/CAPA process for documentation. I have seen so many crazy things happen in the gross room, that this is mild in comparison. How about the resident who throws away the remainder of the lymph node dissection in the trash because she found all of the lymph nodes already? Or the tech who wasn't paying attention and loses a very small biopsy of a VIP patient? Or a pathologist who loses a kidney biopsy because they didn't wrap it correctly?
All these things require documentation, investigation and a corrective action plan. And yes, in this world, you need to have an air tight case for termination with cause.

 

[Spaziergängerin]

Agree with everyone about not terminating without all the paperwork in line. Even if there are other issues, if those are not well documented, you're looking at a lawsuit. If it's not on file with HR, it didn't happen. Write it up, notify whomever is the HR supervisor, and leave it alone unless there is a VERY long paper trail otherwise to justify letting a long term employee go.

 

[pathology1234]

In my residency we had a resident who kept a jar full of lymph nodes and would use them every time they needed more lymph nodes for a cancer resection case. That resident was fired from the program.

 

[SetecAstronomy]

In my residency we had a resident who kept a jar full of lymph nodes and would use them every time they needed more lymph nodes for a cancer resection case. That resident was fired from the program.

Seriously? WTF!?

 

[LADoc00]

Say your PA or resident or fellow pathologist was grossing a large specimen. They had to leave the gross room,but knew they would be back within a few minutes, so they soaked paper towels in saline and covered the specimen. When they returned, the grossing table was empty and they found the specimen and paper towels were in the trash can. A lab employee had entered the empty gross room, saw the paper towels, picked up everything, not ‘knowing’ there was tissue there, and threw it all in the trash. All the tissue was found.
How would you as lead pathologist react?
Would you fire this lab employee, who has worked there for years but has other issues, as well?

I would react in very dramatic fashion by drinking an espresso and yawning. Is this post at all serious??

Why would you even consider firing someone for this? Are you in Singapore or something? Do you fire people for leaving a toilet seat up as well?

Or was this employee fired because this is like issue #1002 on their "total screws up list"?

And are you the employee??

 

[LADoc00]

In my residency we had a resident who kept a jar full of lymph nodes and would use them every time they needed more lymph nodes for a cancer resection case. That resident was fired from the program.

okay this is comically absurd but I absolutely appreciate the utter ZF givens attitude given I hate looking for LNs too now.

 

[deleted314957]

okay this is comically absurd but I absolutely appreciate the utter ZF givens attitude given I hate looking for LNs too now.

LA, surely you are not grossing colons or necks or breasts and doing node hunts at this stage of the game

 

[LADoc00]

LA, surely you are not grossing colons or necks or breasts and doing node hunts at this stage of the game

Thank baby Jesus only when someone calls in sick....I try to make myself feel better though by asking out nurses when I wander the halls.

 

[gbwillner]

Seriously? WTF!?

What's the problem? This is just good customer service! The attending wanted more lymph nodes, so he/she found a creative solution to meet demand. That's the stuff fortune 500 CEOs are made of! This resident should have been made chairman, I say!

/s