Immunohematology Gel Technology Grant uri icon

abstract

  • The East Carolina University (ECU) Department of Clinical Laboratory Science requests $9104.50 in funding for an Ortho Clinical Workstation and consumables for gel testing (immunohematology) for one year. Our program serves undergraduate students who major in Clinical (Medical) Laboratory Science and culminates with a bachelor's degree. This request speaks to each of the funding categories in this grant program. Currently, we provide students with manual tube-testing experiences in our Immunohematology curriculum, although many hospitals are now adopting the newer gel technology. The ability to provide our students with laboratory exercises using gel testing creates a richer environment for student learning that will translate to career, and supports classroom theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience.
    Having this technology in-house also provides us with an enhanced ability to carry out clinical simulation. At this time, we are able to secure clinical placements for our current student cohort that can provide immunohematology experience. However, clinical placements are increasingly difficult for hospitals to provide with decreased staffing levels; consolidation of smaller, more rural hospitals (as are commonplace in eastern North Carolina) into large integrated systems often translates into a restricted testing menu at the smaller sites. Many programs have had to provide simulation experiences in lieu of an actual clinical placement for their students, especially in microbiology and immunohematology. Having this equipment will provide us with a robust simulation environment should we need to move in this direction in the future.
    Finally, this equipment can be used for our outreach efforts in recruiting students to the Medical Laboratory Science profession. We teach a general elective "Introduction to Clinical Laboratory Science" course that is open to freshman and sophomore students (no prerequisites). In this course, we demonstrate a number of techniques and design low-risk, hands-on activities to educate students with an interest in science and medicine about the profession. We also produce social media content showcasing our students and our laboratories, and being able to share photos and video of our well-equipped student laboratory spaces is a draw.
    You may recall that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the East Carolina University Clinical Laboratory Science program was under threat. There was a one-year moratorium on admissions, hiring for faculty was frozen, and many individuals and organizations were concerned that the program might close. ASCP was one of the organizations that expressed support for our professional program, and I am happy to report that with the full support of our College, we are fully staffed and expect to admit the largest class in our program's fifty-year history this fall, expanding from 16 seats to approximately 24. Supporting our program through a grant to modernize our Immunohematology offerings would mean a tremendous amount to our students as we seek to fulfill ECU's mission, which includes transforming our region by improving health care, promoting wellness, and reducing health disparities.

date/time interval

  • February 2022 - February 2023