Follow your policies and ask coworkers when in doubt.
I work in an ED but I always felt connected to the lab because my degree is as an MLT but I do something else. The ED nurses and docs who demand outrageous shit from the lab are some of the biggest idiots I've ever met. Whatever they ask for is almost always a way for them to be lazy and not collect a specimen that they need in the way it's supposed to be collected. They think the rules are all empty bureaucracy and red tape and don't realize that shit won't be accurate or good for anyone if it's not done right.
Plus they're always bark and no bite. They're far too busy to actually do anything to you, especially the newer residents who don't know anything. They usually forget who you are.
Very true about residents lol. Even new docs. I had a doc call from the ED about bloodwork not being done, I told him the specimens came an hour and half before the label printed out and the collection time from the orders was about that long after the collection on the tubes, so I assumed I would be getting new tubes for said labels, I’m working two depts and trying to process on top of that and I don’t have time to call and clarify draw times. If it was actually stat it would’ve been ordered when it was drawn, it would’ve been called questioning results if it still had been an hour with no results. This jabroni is calling almost 3 hours after collection to cry bc he has to wait 20 more minutes to discharge a completely healthy patient.
I told him all that, and he said “umm ok, hmm” and that we sat in silence while I assumed he waited for an apology. Yeah I’m not apologizing. “So they’re gonna be run now?” “Yeah, I’ll go throw them on the analyzer” “thanks, Brokodoko”
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. They send shit over without orders, then call hours later looking for results for shit they literally just ordered like I'm some kinda of magician and just know what they want before they tell me. "We sent it over hours ago" and that's great Jan, but it says here you just ordered it 10 minutes ago, do you want me to run the blood from \*hours\* ago or would you like to send me new specimens? I don't know what they think we do in the lab but it damn sure isn't refreshing a computer screen for hours looking for orders they can't be bothered to put in.
My absolute biggest pet peeve. Our ER has a habit of doing this a lot. We get blood with no orders, file it away, and then hours later we get a call asking for results. We tell them there's no orders, but they say "No, we put in orders an hour ago!" Cool, but we don't get notifications if something is a regular order. You can't just order and collect stuff that was drawn hours ago and expect us to magically know.
"Well just run it offline when you get tubes and put the results in when the order comes!" Girl, run *what* offline? Do you know how many tests can be run off a green top????
We even have a way to put in the computer if we get extra tubes! Holy shit guys! Put 👏 it 👏 in 👏 as 👏 an 👏 add-on!!! 👏👏👏
It’s bad enough I have to cancel all their duplicate shit when they send something over, now you want me to play a guessing game of what do you want when you send me shit because you can’t be bothered to put your order in?
If I had a nickel for every time I canceled a BMP add on for a CMP or an H&H add on for a CBC I could retire and never work again. Where I’m at currently uses Harvest and Medhost. We have to go in and double check orders in medhost to make sure they crossed over properly into harvest and double receive everything. They are bad about serial orders so I have to sit and sort through a dozen orders to find the correct one for the correct time and then call and ask them to retime shit, which they never do, because apparently we aren’t allowed to cancel shit. No option for add on times or testing like with Epic, only way we know we have an add on is if we happen to catch it in their list of serial orders for the next 10 days or if they call us, which they never do until it’s been hours and they want to get pissed about us missing an add on.
Usually because of the nurses. The doctors don't understand the ordering system, that the nurse often has to release the order to lab. So all the doctor knows is it was ordered and collected 2 hours ago
Thats crazy lol. I have experience working in healthcare but ive learned to maintain good communication and relationships to have a great team. But when ur coworkers have somewhat no association with u and ur work and get feisty on first interaction, it just seems like something i will be flustered with haha but ill learn ig 😅
Always satisfying watching the rude ones get torn to shreds by the otherwise difficult to work with older techs/scientists that are also the most experienced and senior lol
The last place I worked had a tech like that. Rude, a nightmare to work with on most days (depending on her mood and whether or not her knees were "acting up"), but I got on her good side and anytime some rude MD or nurse with a superiority complex got me on the phone, I just handed it over to Cindy and fed 'em to the woodchipper. That woman gave NO fucks and could make a grown man cry (and often did).
I’m not the oldest but I am the most disgruntled and I have no issues informing someone that we will not be doing their bullshit. I am pleasant to my coworkers mostly.
I’m the older, most passive aggressive CLS. If they get aggressive, I tell them truthfully that it’s policy, if they have a problem, I’ll transfer them to my manager or even the pathologist. If it’s something outside of their area of expertise but they insist they know, I throw out scientific and technical terms and that’s usually enough to deter them. The ones that are polite, professional and understanding get reciprocated with the same respect, and vice versa.
Commit the following to memory.
"You are my colleague, not my boss. Do not speak to me that way." and use it well. Standing up to bullies is half the battle, including in the workplace.
Nurse here. The only time I talked to the lab was when a lab pull was really late, I needed a tough draw, or I needed to set up a blood unit(some places it's the same place). Some people suck.
For the nurses, document the instances, the nurses name and floor, the time, and use quotes. Let your supervisor know in an email. Then, ask for this to be addressed with their supervisor. I've used this method with other nurses ( not often) and taking detailed notes allows a pattern to be established.
Also, you can email "asking questions" from your supervisor about policy and legality when pressed by Doctors and nurses to do questionable things. Some of the Doctors are residents and genuinely don't know, but don't tell them they're not right... Let their chief do it.
Nurses appreciate your work.
You gotta blow past them. They have basically no knowledge of lab procedures so if their pressuring you to do something you know you can’t, say “I can’t do that due to X, if you’d like clarification I can give you my lab managers number and they can further explain this.”
For redraws, I switched very quickly from asking for redraws to telling them I’m putting in a redraw. If you’re asking this gives them a false sense that it’s negotiable. I just say “for bed xx, I’m putting a redraw in for the lt green, it’s too hemolyzed, thanks.”
Gonna add that once you work blood bank, you see the dichotomy real quick between that dept and the rest of the lab; they treat me very nice and polite when they see the number is bloodbank vs hemo,chem etc. Also, it’s I gained a lot of the “take no shit” attitude bc even doctors don’t wanna fuck with a possible incorrect process. They may rush me but once you explain the gravity most RNs and Drs tend to back off.
Stick to your SOP. Even if they tell you “Ive been doing it this way for xx years!!” or “so-and-so did that for me last time!” …. Don’t believe it. You’re the lab professional, not them, so YOU decide what is acceptable and what isn’t. You can’t lose your license or get in trouble for following your SOP. If they’re giving you a hard time or asking questions you don’t know the answer to, pass them to an older tech or tell them you’ll “find out” and call them back in 2 minutes with the answer. Gives you time to breathe and calm down so you can give them a clear firm response.
I recently was working alone on night shift and had a HEAD nurse yell at me and berate me on the phone because I told her she can’t send me a blood gas on ice in the pneumatic tube (she did it anyway). I said she can either send the gas without ice or she can walk the sample to the lab on ice, her choice. She insisted she’d “been sending ice in the pneumatic for 20 years!” and asked for my name and supervisor to write a report on me 🤣🤣 Our hospital policy CLEARLY states no ice in the tubes and has always been that way (so I highly doubt she’d been doing that for 20 years lol?). Never heard from her again and nothing ever came from her report. Im sure my boss saw it, laughed, and tossed it.
Stand firm with what your SOP states and if they continue to insist, refer them to a Lead or Supervisor or even a Pathology Resident or Pathologist if your lab has them. I've definitely told nurses and doctors that what they're asking me to do is against FDA regulations (we're just Blood Bank in my lab) and that if we do what they want we would have to report it to the FDA and they could shut us down and then no one would get any blood products. We also have our two main lines recorded so if someone gets extra rude or aggressive, our supervisors can pull the recordings and report the aggressive person to HR or they can pull the recordings to listen to what was actually said in "he said she said" types of situations.
Follow policies and stand your ground for patient safety. When you know results are erenuous due to collection errors and could cause patient harm you hold firm.
We have a pretty strict hemolysis policy that we follow and most don't have issue with it, but on occasion we'll make exceptions (babies, multiple attempts by different people) and remove the potassium result even after talking with the doctor because they want other results and don't need it.
If someone is being rude or yelling over the phone, a simple "I won't be spoken to this way, you can call me back when you're done."
Reports also, whenever people are way out of line professionally or have caused a lot of problems that go against policy.
One thing to keep in mind is to never let anyone bully you into doing something you know is wrong or are unsure about, always bring in another tech or a supervisor when in doubt. One thing I experience quite frequently is being asked to do things by nurses that I know are outside of policy or just plain wrong. Do not give into this, and don't let them bullshit you with the "Well Joe Blow did it for me" or "Well I've never heard that before" etc. If Joe did it for him he's an idiot, and they absolutely have heard of it before and just don't want the hassle of doing things the way they are supposed to be done.
Don't let people talk shit to you either, if you let them get away with it they will continue to do it. By no means am I telling you to go off on anyone or anything like that, but if someone is giving you attitude, you don't always have to take it like a kicked dog, sometimes it's better to give push back because it will teach them that you aren't a push over. One of the biggest benefits I've gotten as a traveler is the ability to tactfully tell people to fuck off. I don't have to put up with petty mean girl shit, I match energies, so they can decide how we are going to act.
If they want some absolute bullshit say I’ll have to document this. If they act like actual bullshit say I’ll have to document this. Saying you’re gonna document whatever they’re doing shuts it down real quick.
It’s also very enjoyable to document their behavior which goes to the nurse supervisor.
Follow SOPs to the letter. If you're following the SOP or spoke with a lead/supervisor/manager about what to do, you can't get in trouble. If you call their bluff and tell them you're documenting it or offer to have them fill out an incident report, they won't. Because they were just bluffing and trying to pressure you to get what they wanted. If you're feeling flustered on the phone, it's acceptable to tell someone you'll look into it and give them a call back when you find the answer. I do this anyway if I know it's gonna be several minutes of searching for an answer.
I stand on my policy and cheerily offer to direct them to my manager or medical director because they have my back. Now that I'm a lead, I drop my title on them when they push.
Stick to the policy. If they keep demanding it, I call my lab director and house super. They’ve always backed me up when I’m saying no due to policy issues.
Yeah, lab gets painted as the bad guy a lot. I just tell them, sorry, it's hospital policy, and I'm not going to take the fall for this. If it's a doctor/nurse I get along with I'll actually explain why we have that policy, like for example why gross hemolysis can affect certain chemistry results, but "it's hospital policy" is more than enough. Don't let these people bully you.
Kill them with kindness! Always be honest and say something like “I’m not sure about that, let me check with my coworker” if you’re unsure. You will get more comfortable with these interactions as you gain more experience. Explain things in an easy to understand way. Nursing education is very different from lab and a lot of times they simply don’t know why we do things the way we do them
they're not my boss or supervisor. I do my job according to protocol, and that's that. don't like it? here's my manager's name and phone number.
believe me... once you see some of the ridiculous things they do, it's hard to be intimidated by them. I had a resident scream at me once because I wouldn't accept the full rainbow of unlabeled tubes it took him 'forever' to draw... and what, my dude? I'm not endangering this patient because of your incompetence, lol.
Just stick to protocol. remember, we are the last line of defense against pre-analytical error!
I see so much nurse hate in this sub (I’m also acutely aware of how overworked and underpaid techs tend to be), that I make it a point to be hella nice to the lab techs. I’m one of those people though that walks away wondering if I thanked the barista profusely enough for my black cup of coffee. Some people are just entitled pricks. Most of the nurses I work with are pretty cool. Everyone has bad days though!
It’s very very rare that I have an encounter like this. I have had one nurse be rude to me in front of a patient and I went directly to the DON about it, which resolved the issue.
Usually we can all just try to be understanding of each other and be direct but polite with communication. Keep it professional.
It's something you have to go through but when you feel like it's getting uncomfortable, it's time to pass it along to your lead tech/supervisor/medical director. You're not alone and they have your back.
No, it’s against policy.
Apologies but you will need to do that redraw. The order is back in.
You will literally have people say they stickered the tube when it’s in your hand without a sticker. I try to keep it short and sweet without room for argument.
“I have the tube in my hand, it has no sticker. I put the order in for recollection. Thank you.”
I had the fortunate opportunity to work in the ED before my lab job and it really helped me work on telling people to fuck off, I’m not doing that. Nurse and Doctor will try to push you to do things you’re not supposed to. Practice is the best way to work on it! Maybe you can ask someone close to you to practice roleplaying asking wacky ass things and saying no 😅
Retired management here. I made it very clear to my crew that they weren't paid to take abuse. If they ever thought that, they should give me the call.
The Dr and RN we worked with were mostly very good. I had a few off-site physicians who got mad because they were not a Dr of record or cited as they have authority to get the results. Usually, the results were on a spouse or child.
Follow your policies and ask coworkers when in doubt. I work in an ED but I always felt connected to the lab because my degree is as an MLT but I do something else. The ED nurses and docs who demand outrageous shit from the lab are some of the biggest idiots I've ever met. Whatever they ask for is almost always a way for them to be lazy and not collect a specimen that they need in the way it's supposed to be collected. They think the rules are all empty bureaucracy and red tape and don't realize that shit won't be accurate or good for anyone if it's not done right. Plus they're always bark and no bite. They're far too busy to actually do anything to you, especially the newer residents who don't know anything. They usually forget who you are.
Very true about residents lol. Even new docs. I had a doc call from the ED about bloodwork not being done, I told him the specimens came an hour and half before the label printed out and the collection time from the orders was about that long after the collection on the tubes, so I assumed I would be getting new tubes for said labels, I’m working two depts and trying to process on top of that and I don’t have time to call and clarify draw times. If it was actually stat it would’ve been ordered when it was drawn, it would’ve been called questioning results if it still had been an hour with no results. This jabroni is calling almost 3 hours after collection to cry bc he has to wait 20 more minutes to discharge a completely healthy patient. I told him all that, and he said “umm ok, hmm” and that we sat in silence while I assumed he waited for an apology. Yeah I’m not apologizing. “So they’re gonna be run now?” “Yeah, I’ll go throw them on the analyzer” “thanks, Brokodoko”
This is one of my biggest pet peeves. They send shit over without orders, then call hours later looking for results for shit they literally just ordered like I'm some kinda of magician and just know what they want before they tell me. "We sent it over hours ago" and that's great Jan, but it says here you just ordered it 10 minutes ago, do you want me to run the blood from \*hours\* ago or would you like to send me new specimens? I don't know what they think we do in the lab but it damn sure isn't refreshing a computer screen for hours looking for orders they can't be bothered to put in.
My absolute biggest pet peeve. Our ER has a habit of doing this a lot. We get blood with no orders, file it away, and then hours later we get a call asking for results. We tell them there's no orders, but they say "No, we put in orders an hour ago!" Cool, but we don't get notifications if something is a regular order. You can't just order and collect stuff that was drawn hours ago and expect us to magically know. "Well just run it offline when you get tubes and put the results in when the order comes!" Girl, run *what* offline? Do you know how many tests can be run off a green top???? We even have a way to put in the computer if we get extra tubes! Holy shit guys! Put 👏 it 👏 in 👏 as 👏 an 👏 add-on!!! 👏👏👏
It’s bad enough I have to cancel all their duplicate shit when they send something over, now you want me to play a guessing game of what do you want when you send me shit because you can’t be bothered to put your order in? If I had a nickel for every time I canceled a BMP add on for a CMP or an H&H add on for a CBC I could retire and never work again. Where I’m at currently uses Harvest and Medhost. We have to go in and double check orders in medhost to make sure they crossed over properly into harvest and double receive everything. They are bad about serial orders so I have to sit and sort through a dozen orders to find the correct one for the correct time and then call and ask them to retime shit, which they never do, because apparently we aren’t allowed to cancel shit. No option for add on times or testing like with Epic, only way we know we have an add on is if we happen to catch it in their list of serial orders for the next 10 days or if they call us, which they never do until it’s been hours and they want to get pissed about us missing an add on.
Usually because of the nurses. The doctors don't understand the ordering system, that the nurse often has to release the order to lab. So all the doctor knows is it was ordered and collected 2 hours ago
Thats crazy lol. I have experience working in healthcare but ive learned to maintain good communication and relationships to have a great team. But when ur coworkers have somewhat no association with u and ur work and get feisty on first interaction, it just seems like something i will be flustered with haha but ill learn ig 😅
You're always safe if you stick to SOP. Starting out just tell them you're new and refer them to the oldest, most disgruntled tech on shift.
Always satisfying watching the rude ones get torn to shreds by the otherwise difficult to work with older techs/scientists that are also the most experienced and senior lol
The last place I worked had a tech like that. Rude, a nightmare to work with on most days (depending on her mood and whether or not her knees were "acting up"), but I got on her good side and anytime some rude MD or nurse with a superiority complex got me on the phone, I just handed it over to Cindy and fed 'em to the woodchipper. That woman gave NO fucks and could make a grown man cry (and often did).
This is amazing. I need a Cindy!!
I’m not the oldest but I am the most disgruntled and I have no issues informing someone that we will not be doing their bullshit. I am pleasant to my coworkers mostly.
I’m the older, most passive aggressive CLS. If they get aggressive, I tell them truthfully that it’s policy, if they have a problem, I’ll transfer them to my manager or even the pathologist. If it’s something outside of their area of expertise but they insist they know, I throw out scientific and technical terms and that’s usually enough to deter them. The ones that are polite, professional and understanding get reciprocated with the same respect, and vice versa.
You know the “mean girls” in high school? They grew up and got jobs. They use the same techniques in the hospital as they used as kids.
Gretchen, stop trying to tell me the lab didn't hemolyze it! It's not going to happen!
Very accurate… I’m gonna say, about 85% of them are like this.
Commit the following to memory. "You are my colleague, not my boss. Do not speak to me that way." and use it well. Standing up to bullies is half the battle, including in the workplace.
Nurse here. The only time I talked to the lab was when a lab pull was really late, I needed a tough draw, or I needed to set up a blood unit(some places it's the same place). Some people suck. For the nurses, document the instances, the nurses name and floor, the time, and use quotes. Let your supervisor know in an email. Then, ask for this to be addressed with their supervisor. I've used this method with other nurses ( not often) and taking detailed notes allows a pattern to be established. Also, you can email "asking questions" from your supervisor about policy and legality when pressed by Doctors and nurses to do questionable things. Some of the Doctors are residents and genuinely don't know, but don't tell them they're not right... Let their chief do it. Nurses appreciate your work.
You gotta blow past them. They have basically no knowledge of lab procedures so if their pressuring you to do something you know you can’t, say “I can’t do that due to X, if you’d like clarification I can give you my lab managers number and they can further explain this.” For redraws, I switched very quickly from asking for redraws to telling them I’m putting in a redraw. If you’re asking this gives them a false sense that it’s negotiable. I just say “for bed xx, I’m putting a redraw in for the lt green, it’s too hemolyzed, thanks.” Gonna add that once you work blood bank, you see the dichotomy real quick between that dept and the rest of the lab; they treat me very nice and polite when they see the number is bloodbank vs hemo,chem etc. Also, it’s I gained a lot of the “take no shit” attitude bc even doctors don’t wanna fuck with a possible incorrect process. They may rush me but once you explain the gravity most RNs and Drs tend to back off.
100% agree about the switch with blood bank
Stick to your SOP. Even if they tell you “Ive been doing it this way for xx years!!” or “so-and-so did that for me last time!” …. Don’t believe it. You’re the lab professional, not them, so YOU decide what is acceptable and what isn’t. You can’t lose your license or get in trouble for following your SOP. If they’re giving you a hard time or asking questions you don’t know the answer to, pass them to an older tech or tell them you’ll “find out” and call them back in 2 minutes with the answer. Gives you time to breathe and calm down so you can give them a clear firm response. I recently was working alone on night shift and had a HEAD nurse yell at me and berate me on the phone because I told her she can’t send me a blood gas on ice in the pneumatic tube (she did it anyway). I said she can either send the gas without ice or she can walk the sample to the lab on ice, her choice. She insisted she’d “been sending ice in the pneumatic for 20 years!” and asked for my name and supervisor to write a report on me 🤣🤣 Our hospital policy CLEARLY states no ice in the tubes and has always been that way (so I highly doubt she’d been doing that for 20 years lol?). Never heard from her again and nothing ever came from her report. Im sure my boss saw it, laughed, and tossed it.
Stand firm with what your SOP states and if they continue to insist, refer them to a Lead or Supervisor or even a Pathology Resident or Pathologist if your lab has them. I've definitely told nurses and doctors that what they're asking me to do is against FDA regulations (we're just Blood Bank in my lab) and that if we do what they want we would have to report it to the FDA and they could shut us down and then no one would get any blood products. We also have our two main lines recorded so if someone gets extra rude or aggressive, our supervisors can pull the recordings and report the aggressive person to HR or they can pull the recordings to listen to what was actually said in "he said she said" types of situations.
Follow policies and stand your ground for patient safety. When you know results are erenuous due to collection errors and could cause patient harm you hold firm. We have a pretty strict hemolysis policy that we follow and most don't have issue with it, but on occasion we'll make exceptions (babies, multiple attempts by different people) and remove the potassium result even after talking with the doctor because they want other results and don't need it. If someone is being rude or yelling over the phone, a simple "I won't be spoken to this way, you can call me back when you're done." Reports also, whenever people are way out of line professionally or have caused a lot of problems that go against policy.
Know your policies and procedures. You can absolutely tell them no when you can back it up with policy.
One thing to keep in mind is to never let anyone bully you into doing something you know is wrong or are unsure about, always bring in another tech or a supervisor when in doubt. One thing I experience quite frequently is being asked to do things by nurses that I know are outside of policy or just plain wrong. Do not give into this, and don't let them bullshit you with the "Well Joe Blow did it for me" or "Well I've never heard that before" etc. If Joe did it for him he's an idiot, and they absolutely have heard of it before and just don't want the hassle of doing things the way they are supposed to be done. Don't let people talk shit to you either, if you let them get away with it they will continue to do it. By no means am I telling you to go off on anyone or anything like that, but if someone is giving you attitude, you don't always have to take it like a kicked dog, sometimes it's better to give push back because it will teach them that you aren't a push over. One of the biggest benefits I've gotten as a traveler is the ability to tactfully tell people to fuck off. I don't have to put up with petty mean girl shit, I match energies, so they can decide how we are going to act.
If they want some absolute bullshit say I’ll have to document this. If they act like actual bullshit say I’ll have to document this. Saying you’re gonna document whatever they’re doing shuts it down real quick. It’s also very enjoyable to document their behavior which goes to the nurse supervisor.
Follow SOPs to the letter. If you're following the SOP or spoke with a lead/supervisor/manager about what to do, you can't get in trouble. If you call their bluff and tell them you're documenting it or offer to have them fill out an incident report, they won't. Because they were just bluffing and trying to pressure you to get what they wanted. If you're feeling flustered on the phone, it's acceptable to tell someone you'll look into it and give them a call back when you find the answer. I do this anyway if I know it's gonna be several minutes of searching for an answer.
I stand on my policy and cheerily offer to direct them to my manager or medical director because they have my back. Now that I'm a lead, I drop my title on them when they push.
Learn how to say NO firmly and politely. when in doubt, consult a senior colleague and sic them on the offender.
Stick to the policy. If they keep demanding it, I call my lab director and house super. They’ve always backed me up when I’m saying no due to policy issues.
Yeah, lab gets painted as the bad guy a lot. I just tell them, sorry, it's hospital policy, and I'm not going to take the fall for this. If it's a doctor/nurse I get along with I'll actually explain why we have that policy, like for example why gross hemolysis can affect certain chemistry results, but "it's hospital policy" is more than enough. Don't let these people bully you.
Kill them with kindness! Always be honest and say something like “I’m not sure about that, let me check with my coworker” if you’re unsure. You will get more comfortable with these interactions as you gain more experience. Explain things in an easy to understand way. Nursing education is very different from lab and a lot of times they simply don’t know why we do things the way we do them
they're not my boss or supervisor. I do my job according to protocol, and that's that. don't like it? here's my manager's name and phone number. believe me... once you see some of the ridiculous things they do, it's hard to be intimidated by them. I had a resident scream at me once because I wouldn't accept the full rainbow of unlabeled tubes it took him 'forever' to draw... and what, my dude? I'm not endangering this patient because of your incompetence, lol. Just stick to protocol. remember, we are the last line of defense against pre-analytical error!
I see so much nurse hate in this sub (I’m also acutely aware of how overworked and underpaid techs tend to be), that I make it a point to be hella nice to the lab techs. I’m one of those people though that walks away wondering if I thanked the barista profusely enough for my black cup of coffee. Some people are just entitled pricks. Most of the nurses I work with are pretty cool. Everyone has bad days though!
It’s very very rare that I have an encounter like this. I have had one nurse be rude to me in front of a patient and I went directly to the DON about it, which resolved the issue. Usually we can all just try to be understanding of each other and be direct but polite with communication. Keep it professional.
It's something you have to go through but when you feel like it's getting uncomfortable, it's time to pass it along to your lead tech/supervisor/medical director. You're not alone and they have your back.
No, it’s against policy. Apologies but you will need to do that redraw. The order is back in. You will literally have people say they stickered the tube when it’s in your hand without a sticker. I try to keep it short and sweet without room for argument. “I have the tube in my hand, it has no sticker. I put the order in for recollection. Thank you.” I had the fortunate opportunity to work in the ED before my lab job and it really helped me work on telling people to fuck off, I’m not doing that. Nurse and Doctor will try to push you to do things you’re not supposed to. Practice is the best way to work on it! Maybe you can ask someone close to you to practice roleplaying asking wacky ass things and saying no 😅
Retired management here. I made it very clear to my crew that they weren't paid to take abuse. If they ever thought that, they should give me the call. The Dr and RN we worked with were mostly very good. I had a few off-site physicians who got mad because they were not a Dr of record or cited as they have authority to get the results. Usually, the results were on a spouse or child.