06 Nov 2020
Meet the Team: Nikki King handles and process a variety of specimens for VIDRL
Can you introduce yourself, your background and your role at the Doherty
Institute?
I work in specimen reception as a laboratory technician at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Doherty Institute.
Can you describe a ‘typical day’ in your role and how it fits in with the broader pandemic response?
A typical day in specimen reception involves the handling and processing of a variety of specimens for the various Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference (VIDRL) laboratories. Processing samples includes centrifugation, aliquoting, and preparation of specimens for scientific analysis. Trouble shooting problem samples is done at sample receipt, ensuring laboratory standards and processes are met and followed.
Specimen reception staff members are faced with challenges on a daily basis. We must adhere to scheduled laboratory testing times so that turn around times can be met and results issued to clinicians in a timely manner. In times of peak work-flow, staff can feel under pressure to meet the agreed deadlines. We work in an ever-changing environment where it is important to work as a team.
The above points I have made were enhanced a thousand times over in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic due to the amount of samples we were receiving daily. On some occasions the number of samples being received was tripled - I believe it was close to 3,000 COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) samples a day for quite sometime, and that was on top of our routine work.
You have a background in photography. How did you come to find yourself in
science?
Yes, I do have a background in photography, but the background to that was science! In fact, my background has always been science. I studied back in New Zealand, starting as a medical laboratory technician, and working and studying my way to becoming a microbiology scientist. After narrowly surviving my Big Overseas Expedition through the UK and Europe (during the incredible fashion period known as the 1990's), I moved to Melbourne in the year 2000. It was here that I met my husband and completed a Certificate in Forensic Science (I'm not sure if those two events should
be in the same sentence).
I started my family and took a break from science to focus on that. It was here that I studied photography, which had always been a passion of mine. While becoming a lucky mum of three, I set up my own business as a children's portrait photographer. Yep, I knew how these little people ticked, and I really needed the flexibility to work when I wanted as the time demands as a mum are hard to predict. I had the privilege of creating artwork for families throughout Melbourne and across Australia. It was a very busy time with three children under five and a small business.
As my family grew and they all started to leave home for the day to go to school, it was time for me to get back into my science career, so the search that brought me to the Doherty Institute began!
What are some of the biggest challenges or misunderstandings in your line of work?
We need to liaise with a wide variety of clients both internal and external to our immediate work place. As a public health laboratory we receive all sorts of requests and specimen types, which need to be triaged appropriately. A major component of our work involves problem solving and follow up of incorrect sample types received for a particular test, sample labelling and collection issues. At times we find ourselves in stressful situations, having to make decisions and sometimes reject samples that are not be compliant, this involves liaising with the medical registrar and senior laboratory staff for clinical guidance. We need to comply with standard policies and guidelines to ensure quality standards are met, even in busy times. Specimen reception has taken on more responsibility for patient safety by being the gatekeepers of compliance around specimen labelling and correct patient identification.
The staff here must be able to work safely with potentially dangerous samples that can be an infection risk. They must also be able to work quickly, while at the same time paying meticulous attention to detail to ensure that samples are sent as fresh as possible to the correct laboratory with the right information. Finally, it’s important for someone working in this department to gain an overall appreciation of each of the pathology laboratories, including the departments of immunology, microbiology, chemistry and haematology among others so that they know which tests are done by which lab.
You were recently profiled in the Metro Tunnel "Thank you" photo spread.
What was this experience like for you?
Ha! Yes I was profiled in the Metro Tunnel "Thank you" photo spread. To say getting my own photo taken was a tad awkward is an understatement! I was certainly the client every photographer dreads! Sorry Phoebe!! I made incredibly helpful suggestions to photographer Phoebe Powell, such as "ummm can we do that again?", or "How about we soften the light, so my wrinkles aren't too harsh?" etc wore a little thin! Sorry Phoebe!
The whole experience from being asked to participate, applying a quick dust of Thin Lizzy and getting my image taken, and then being one of the images in the final "thank you" photo spread was an honour as much as it was fun. I'm really happy that specimen reception was recognised, as this department plays such a crucial role within the laboratory. I'm lucky to be part of a great team of people. My husband and children can't wait to be able to come and see the photo spread when the restrictions ease!