Shawnee student experiences blood banking in clinical work

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A junior this year, Eleanor (Elly) Jarvis (Hometown: West Union, Ohio) chose to attend Shawnee State University because she loved the campus environment and small class sizes. Majoring in the two-year Medical Laboratory Technology program, the first-generation college student’s favorite part of her major is the amount of hands-on experience she gets during labs and in class.

“The hands-on experience from our student lab prepares me for my clinical practicum, which occurs in the fifth and final semester of the program,” she said. “This is where students are sent to a hospital lab to get hands on experience in a real medical laboratory.”

Recently, Jarvis and her classmates took part in blood banking during their labs. A department within the hospital laboratory, the Blood Bank is responsible for storing blood products, completing necessary paperwork for crossmatches, blood and Rh typing, and identifying antigens and antibodies found in blood.

“I am learning how to perform crossmatches, ABO and Rh typing, and antibody and antigen identification,” said Jarvis.

Within the Blood Bank, medical laboratory technologists run tests that allow other medical professionals to determine the best course of action to care for their patients as their work is the science and chemistry behind the blood work that laboratory testing practitioners use to make diagnoses, make therapeutic decisions, or to monitor patients’ health and wellness. Working with her classmates and faculty members, Jarvis has been able to practice and perfect her skills to use in the field.

“I enjoy how the small class sizes allow us to connect one-on-one with classmates and instructors,” she said.

A five-semester program, the SSU Medical Laboratory Technology program stresses cognitive thinking skills, proficiency in laboratory skills, ethics, and best laboratory practices with hands-on learning. Students are trained to work in a variety of clinical institutions including in clinics, doctors’ offices, and commercial labs. Graduates are ready to begin work immediately upon graduation.

To learn more about the Medical Laboratory Technology program at Shawnee State University, visit www.shawnee.edu/mlt.

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