The Impact of Timely and Accurate Lab Results on Nursing Decisions and Patient Management

Providing clinical laboratory services for patient care is a dynamic process with increasing pressures in every setting – inpatient, emergency department, and outpatient. A comprehensive laboratory system involves the interface of a well-orchestrated group of healthcare personnel, including not only pathologists but also laboratorians, nursing staff, and physicians. All critical participants follow guidelines using state-of-the-art instrumentation and technology to provide clinically relevant information in laboratory reports. In the current clinical setting, the amount of blood testing to diagnose and monitor patient status is growing in epidemic proportions, which puts pressure on clinical laboratory scientists and other healthcare providers to provide an increased number of test results back to physicians in a time frame that is deemed acceptable for patient care. The aim of the clinical laboratory staff is to provide any laboratory results available as soon as possible. With the advent of automation and computer technology, patient results can be transmitted in real time. (Kadhim et al.2020) In this paper, we primarily focus on one critically important interaction between the physicians, nursing staff, and clinical laboratory professionals. We discuss how the timeliness and accuracy of some laboratory tests greatly affect the decisions and patient management made at the nurse/bedside level. Examples include the administration of a blood product, reporting of critical results, glucose testing, PT/INR values for warfarin patients, results needed for managing hypokalemia, and understanding risk and indication for heparin bridging. Our interdisciplinary panel includes a nurse practitioner, nurse staff educator, and end-user nurse, all playing medical-surgical roles at a large urban magnet hospital. Each individual will explain how the registered nurse uses specific laboratory test results to make informed decisions in patient management. The clinical laboratory professional will describe the processes, pros, and cons related to performing the tests. Information will also be shared regarding the implementation and evaluation of changes for improvement. We will elaborate on the benefits gained through interprofessional problem-solving for user test applications and educational updates. Upon completion, this information can easily be converted into a laboratory workshop. (Zhang et al.2020)