Shabana Hussain

Leadership, Troubleshooting, Quality, Governance, Autonomy, Decision-Making, Risk Management, Analytical Judgement, Training / Mentorship, Resilience

I lead by example during out-of-hours and minimal-staff shifts, manage urgent A&E and ITU workloads, reallocate staff during busy periods to achieve Key Performance Indicators, train colleagues, sign off competencies, and support the Senior BMS with appraisals and return-to-work meetings

When analysers produce red errors alongside IT failures, I systematically isolate the fault, perform troubleshooting, liaise with Roche engineers and IT, raise service cases, and ensure continuity of service using alternative analysers and manual processes

I assess assay performance using calibration and Levey-Jennings QC rules, interpret random versus systematic error, perform recalibration where required, and mask assays when performance falls outside acceptable limits I investigate failed WEQAS returns by reviewing performance reports, repeating samples, and identifying transcription errors on the WEQAS website For NEQAS returns, I repeat samples and use an SDI calculator to compare results with the mean values from other laboratories When assay bias affects EQA performance, I also perform appropriate corrections such as recalibration If EQA failures occur for three consecutive months, I mask the assay and contact the manufacturer to check for wider issues

When a new QC lot arrives, I perform lot-to-lot comparison to ensure that new batches of QC materials give consistent and reliable results compared with previous lots before they are used for routine testing I extract data from Unity and program values into the analyser After obtaining a minimum of 20 readings, I calculate the mean, SD, and CV and compare them to the previous lot I also complete cumulative monthly IQC reviews, identify shifts in QC levels, and adjust means to maintain accurate Levey-Jennings charts

I uphold clinical governance by documenting critical result communication in line with ISO 15189 and raising DATIX reports I can identify risks to patient safety and service delivery, such as transport delays causing haemolysed samples I can raise DATIX reports and non-conformances, ensure CAPAs are created, and support prompt closure to prevent near misses eg expired pipette calibration

As a lone worker on night shifts, I independently manage workloads, multitask, make senior-level decisions, and authorise or repeat results following delta check failures

I can also activate the Business Continuity Plan when analysers fail

I judge assay performance using calibration and QC with Levey-Jennings rules, interpret random versus systematic error, detect contaminated or diluted samples such as EDTA contamination, and decide whether results can be authorised, repeated, or rejected

I train MLAs and trainee BMSs, take a methodical approach when teaching, and sign competency records once assessment criteria are met

I maintain service delivery during analyser breakdowns, IT failures, and extreme staffing pressures, including arranging transport to another hospital when both analysers are down, while ensuring patient safety and effective handover

I receipt stock, complete stock checks, and create new orders to maintain reagent, calibrator, consumables, and QC levels I monitor QC expiry dates, and identify shortages, such as troponin reagents, placing urgent orders to prevent downtime When required, I also arrange transport to borrow reagents from neighbouring hospitals in extreme cases