Fixation on Histology Blog

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Fixation on Histology, NSH’s blog, features quick, easy to read articles on all aspects of the histotechnology field. Learn about techniques, troubleshooting tips, staining methods, laboratory safety, immunohistochemistry, management, inspections, and more, when you subscribe!

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A Cutting Edge Resume Strategy – No Pun Intended!

How many times have you heard “Keep your resume to one page”? Well, if you believed it then you definitely ...
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The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Cancer Diagnosis

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the healthcare sector and it’s impact is already having ...
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Important Skills for Volunteering on a Committee or Board

Volunteering your time in today’s world of burn out can feel like one more thing you don’t have time ...
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Histologist & Artist

In 2010, I was featured in a local magazine for having a "double life" ( Westchester Magazine ). I worked ...
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Tips We Didn’t Find in Textbooks

We, histology laboratory professionals, through various actions behind histology—procedures and stains, ...
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Take the Leap - Submit a Session Proposal to Present at NSH in Baltimore

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, (OK it was really 2012 in Milwaukee, WI) I decided to take ...
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Why We Celebrate

Back in the 1700’s when Marie François Xavier Bicha, who is known as the father of modern histology, ...
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Rainbow Hospital: Establishing a Histology Laboratory in Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa

I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of the NSH Lee G. Luna Foreign Travel Scholarship in 2021, ...
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Part II, The Evolution of Multiplex Immunofluorescent Methods in Histotechnology

This is Part II of a two-part series on the evolution of multiplex methods. Read Part I . Using ...
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Part I, The Evolution of Multiplex Immunofluorescent Methods in Histotechnology

This is Part I of a two-part series on the evolution of multiplex methods. Over the last 5 years ...
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Growing an Impactful Journal

On a sunny day in Missouri, you might find Yongfu Wang, PhD, unwinding in his garden as he seeds, fertilizes, ...
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Setting Professional Goals You CAN Achieve

As we start the New Year, this is the time many of us reflect on what we want to achieve, and how we ...
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4 Seasons in One Laboratory

We, histology Laboratory professionals, have our own language that we use when we meet that no one knows ...
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Frozen Storage of Epoxy Resins for TEM and Histology Processing

Epoxy resins are used in conventional transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution light microscopy ...
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Say My Name: Recognition in Histology

The most intimate form of recognition of another’s ability is to ask them for advice, and as a newer ...
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Using Immunohistochemistry Double-Labeling to Detect SARS-Cov-2 Infection

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a useful tool in clinical diagnosis and used to localize specific antigens ...
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Nail Protocol: From H&E to IHCs Getting Nails to Stick

Anytime I hear a histotech talk about cutting nails it’s usually universally negative. It can be a battle ...
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2022 Legislative Symposium

Getting to Washington DC from Fort Worth, TX was a surreal experience. As a first timer, I was taken ...
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Histology in the Philippines

“Histotechs are neglected.” This was the emotional statement from Louie Cadao, Vice President of the ...
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Are All Traveling Histotechnologists the Same?

In the Beginning…. The 1980s ushered in a persistent histologist shortage that created the foundation ...
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Factors that Impact Tissue Embedding

There are different embedding techniques utilized by histotechnology professionals, but no matter which ...
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Celebrating our Members—2022 NSH Awards & Scholarship Recipients

During the 2022 NSH Convention in Reno, NSH had the opportunity to recognize the 2022 Award and Scholarship ...
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Happiness, AI, Ocular Histology…Oh My!

NSH is excited to continue its tradition of bringing you the leading voices of histology with three incredible ...
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The Importance of Cross-Training

As a proud member of the New York State Laboratory Leadership Consortium, consisting of senior laboratory ...
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Volunteerism: A Task Everyone Should Be Involved In

Volunteering is often the first step towards active citizenship and can help strengthen people’s ownership ...
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Root Cause Analysis

What is Root Cause Analysis? I have been working in the histology profession for more than 40 years ...
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IHC Past, Present, and Future

Today, immunohistochemistry (IHC) is an essential and routinely used ancillary tool in anatomic pathology ...
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Diet, DIY and Prevention of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable types of cancer. In 2020, it was estimated ...
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If I Knew What I Know Now: Onboarding PCR in a Histology Lab

My histology lab onboarded polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for dermatomycosis a couple of years ago. ...
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The Role of the Field Application Specialist – Your Partner in the Lab!

You may have been advised in the past to contact your field applications specialist or sales rep when ...
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Creating an SBAR, Know Your Audience

The Joint Commission established National Patient Safety Goals in 2002 to address patient safety in healthcare. ...
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Creating Your Career Path

As a former Program Director for a Histologic Science Program, I worked closely with students in the ...
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How You Can Train Clinical Students Without Feeling Overwhelmed

The Paradox of Clinical Students It’s a paradox histology lab supervisors are all too familiar with ...
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Self Awareness

The ongoing pandemic, staffing shortages and the “Great Resignation” all highlight the importance of ...
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A Nail Specimen Technique

Over the years, I have encountered numerous techniques to soften and section nail specimens. This includes ...
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“I Have Already Invented It!” A Tribute to James B. McCormick, M.D.

Dr. James B. McCormick – pathologist, scientist, inventor, educator, mentor, friend, and colleague! ...
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Tips to Increase Workflow Efficiencies in the Laboratory

In the current atmosphere of workforce shortages and staff burnout, increasing efficiencies in the lab ...
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NSH Names Aubrey M.J. Wanner Next CEO & Executive Director

The National Society for Histotechnology has named Aubrey M.J. Wanner as its new CEO & Executive ...
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Tips to Ensure Your Email Communication is Effective

It is not news to anyone that in today’s world, we rely heavily on email as a primary form of communication ...
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CAP Inspection Quick Tip: Let’s talk about CAP Activity Menus!

It is extremely important to make sure your CAP Activity Menu is accurate and up to date. CAP standard ...
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Demonstrating the Fun of Histotechnology

I have been working in histology for over a decade, in various types of labs and settings. No matter ...
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Effective Work Flow Planning Improves Your Lab’s Performance

Managing workflow within your lab has always been a difficult task, with many different competing priorities. ...
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ASCP CMP: Upcoming Important Changes That You Need to Know

The ASCP Board of Certification (BOC) recognizes the vital work of laboratory professionals in response ...
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An In Depth Look at the Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) Stain: Part 2

In part 1 of this blog, I broke down some of the science behind the H&E and discussed a few of ...
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An InDepth Look at the Hematoxylin & Eosin (H&E) Stain: Part 1

The beautiful color that the H&E stain produces is not random. We all know in histology, when staining, ...
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Tips from a CAP Inspector – The Importance of Labeling

I’ve been involved in preparing for CAP inspections for over 20 years. Most of those years, I have been ...
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Microtome Alignment

Aligning all the microtomes in your histology lab will increase your lab’s efficiency. You will immediately ...
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The Facilitator's Role in Creating a Mentorship Program

Advocacy for our profession is a true passion of mine. As a facilitator, I have worked with my team and ...
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CAP Inspection Quick Tip: Equipment Maintenance QC

My message today is short but sweet: Make sure your policy/procedure matches your practice regarding ...
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Histo Tech, Educator, Cancer Patient, Survivor. Part I

I hadn’t been to a doctor in a few (plus) years and developed a persistent, dry cough back in September. ...
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2022 Art of the Stain Contest – A Brief History & Results

As our membership knows, histology and histopathology of biopsy samples are an integral part of disease ...
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Alopecia Specimen Orientation

If you have worked in a laboratory that processes dermatology specimens, you might be familiar with punch ...
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A Gift from NSH to Africa! What to Expect?

Histology laboratory for cancer analysis is being exercised in most parts of the world and is still in ...
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Tips for Microtomy Productivity

Microtomes are at the heart of histotechnology. We've blogged about them before, but not about how histology ...
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Tips & Tricks: Interviewing

We've blogged about the histology workforce shortages and the Great Reassessment. Many hisotechs are ...
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The Modern Microwave versus a Traditional Tissue Processing Machine

The Modern Microwave versus the Traditional Tissue Processing Machine: Realize the Difference Tissue ...
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Histology Tips & Tricks: Cleaning Your Microtome

In a recent Histology Professionals Facebook post, a member posed this question to their group of peers, ...
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Journal Of Histotechnology 45th Anniversary Special Issue

Since we published the first issue of the Journal of Histotechnology (JOH) in September 1977 ( https://www.nsh.org/about/overview/history-of-nsh ...
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Histology Workforce Development: What You Can Do Now!

It is no secret that hiring histotechnicians and histotechnologists is difficult at best and impossible ...
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A Tribute to Freida Carson, PhD, HT(ASCP) - "Get Involved with Your Profession"

Freida Loyce Carson . Encourager, friend, educator, colleague, a great and inspiring mentor! ...
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Andre Zamorano's Volunteer Journey

A histology manager for Roche, Andre Zamorano is the current Region VII Director on the NSH Board of ...
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Updating Tissue Processing Protocols Using the “GREAT” Method

Winter is arriving again, and in some parts of the world, with winter comes snowflakes. Those snowflakes ...
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Most Frequent & Simple Labeling Error to Avoid in Low-Resource Setting Histology Labs

Anatomic Pathology Laboratory is where cancer investigation is carried out. It is here, cytology and ...
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Histology Workforce Development: Educating Histotechs

I shared in my previous post that histotechnology shortages have reached critical status and believe ...
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Histology Tips & Tricks: Dish Soap with Fatty Tissue

In a recent Histology Professionals Facebook post, a group member asked the question, “W hat is something ...
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Silver Stain Classifications

There are several different classifications of silver stains a histologist can use in the lab. The silver ...
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Histotechnology Workforce Development: Shortages Have Reached Critical Status

Workforce shortages in the lab have reached critical status. During the 2021 Clinical Laboratory Legislative ...
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Tips for Dealing with Conflict in the Lab