Pathology collection?

[Freya]

I want to study next year. I ultimately want to be a midwife, but will prob do my enrolled or registered nurse quals first.

Tricky part is I finished school yonks ago with decent marks but a crappy UAI (thanks scaling!) . Ive done nothing since but be a mum and wife.

Ive seen an advert for training to become a pathology collector or whatever they are called. Im considering doing it because even if Uni gets put on the back burner I can still use it to find work.

Anyone done a course like this or work in this field - what sorts of things do you do? Im under the assumption you dont need nursing quals but I could be wrong.

[kawazuki]

i am a registered nurse and have done pathology collection and use it daily as i work in a GP's office.

the course runs over 6 weeks at night 2 days a week or you can do a 2 week full on course.
it is good and most of the collection agencies ie laverty, douglass hanley moir run their own course.
you also do some work experience for 2 weeks and then apply for a job.

this will help when you do get to do your RN's as you will have the ability to take blood and cannulate which is a huge bonus as you arent taught them as part of your cirriculum.

you are able to do a bridging course which will give you a step up into the nursing degree, well it works that way for wollongong uni, thats where i studied. otherwise you will sit an adult entrance exam and be given a new UAI. its not very difficult the test. my brother did it not long ago and said it was just like the school certificate for year 10.

the work hours are good for pathology 9-5 usually and monday to friday. if you could get a job in a hospital pathology collection centre you may be able to then talk them into sponsoring you to do your RN's and work on a ward 1 day a week as an undergraduate which you can do once completing first year.

if you have any questions just ask.

[kawazuki]

sorry forgot to add, no nursing requirements needed to do teh course.

you will be doing blood collection, swabs od throats wounds, noses etc, ECG's, urine samples, faeces collection,
but its mostly blood collection and swabs.

the hardest part i found was remembering what tube is used for what test lol but you have cheat sheets with you all the time.

[Mother Goose]

which State are you in?

If you want to be a mid or nurse later, working in path will be great experience for you. Venepuncture (blood taking) is suppose to be a standard in all nursing courses although most students find they don't get to practice it on clinical's and usually find their first practical experience is when they are working on the wards. Most hospitals make you do an independent hospital based course to be able to cannulate someone (it isn't usually taught as part of a Uni course). You won't be cannulating anyone working in a pathology centre but you will become an expert in getting blood out of people!

You don't need nursing quals to be a pathology collector. You do a course through TAFE. You'll also want a senior first aid qual.

Good luck with it!