Shane Carias' mid-year performance review at Sheffield Hallam University shows that she demonstrates strong skills in professionalism, communication, teamwork, self-improvement, problem solving, numeracy, and laboratory work. Her supervisor, William Monteiro, rates her highly and notes that she can work independently and efficiently. Going forward, Shane will learn sputum cytology protocols to assess inflammation as the university resumes respiratory research studies.

1. Sheffield Hallam University: Performance
Review
Student: Shane Carias
Supervisor: William Monteiro
First: 07/12/21
Mid: 13/05/21
Final:
SKILL AREA Student
Examples / Comments
Supervisor
Examples / Comments
A. Professional & Organisational
Awareness
• General presentation
• Equality & diversity
• Professional ethics
• Confidentiality
• Company structure & function
• Departmental structure & function
• Commercial awareness
Being punctual and showing a positive attitude to
work even when it gets busy.
Knowledge of the roles the staff has in the
department, and departmental structure and
function.
Confidentiality – making sure patient name is
crossed/blacked out on a sample if written
accidently, and using a randomised patient ID instead
for clinical trials.
Score
8/10
Aware of the change in direction this year due to the
COVID pandemic and pivoting towards research into
the long lasting symptoms of COVID.
Aware of GCP and HTA rules for recording data and
storing tissue
Score
8/10
B. Communication
• Clear verbal communication & active
listening
• Presentations
• Explanatory ability
• Writing skills
• Communicating with people at different
levels / from different backgrounds
Answering phone calls from different people in the
department e.g. research nurses and receptionist etc.
Effectively communicating with people from different
background and forming rapport.
Score
7/10
Communicates well in the lab and asks questions
when necessary
Answers the phone to liaise with research nurses and
admin
Score
8/10
C. Working with Others
• Cooperating
• Contributing to teamwork
• Working under supervision
• Supervising / showing leadership
• Working with different people
• Interdisciplinary working
• Emotional intelligence
Doing sputum processing under supervision.
Supervising another student that was doing PHOSP
samples – teaching them the process each type of
sample and the correct technique. Being patient and
supportive.
Contributing to teamwork when there is lots of
samples that need processing. E.g printing out the
labels for them whilst they process samples.
Score
8/10
Works well in a team, works with 2nd placement
student to complete work efficiently.
Can work fully unsupervised and use her initiative
Score
9/10

2. D. Self-Improvement
• Enthusiasm, commitment
• Willingness to learn
• Initiative, resourcefulness, autonomy
• Taking responsibility
• Maturity
• Effective time management
• Personal organisation / work planning
Willingness to learn sputum processing – asked many
questions whilst shadowing the lab tech and when I
did it with supervision, made my own notes for my
own understanding.
I am more efficient when doing multiple samples at
the same time.
Continuation of my placement log book, writing
down new skills/experience each week.
Score
8/10
Commitment to processing COVID samples in a
pandemic where others might be too scared
Happy to learn new SOPS for new studies
Can work unsupervised, can use initiative if required.
Works efficiently when multiple sets of patient
samples comes in, and works calmly and efficiently
Score
8/10
E. Problem Solving & Resilience
• Prioritising tasks
• Defining problems
• Taking action
• Locating information
• Taking a range of approaches
• Persevering
Able to recognise problems, such as incorrect date or
patient ID in the sample notification form and
changing it to the correct details.
Informing manager of low supplies such as pipette
tips, bio bins and gloves etc.
Due to limited centrifuge machine, when there is lots
of samples that need spinning, I have to work out
which samples can go in at the same time to be more
efficient.
Score
8/10
Identifying the order of sample processing for
efficiency, i.e. working while samples are in the
centrifuge.
Solving queries related to incorrect sample
information with research nurses and correcting the
data collection form.
Score
8/10
F. Information technology
• Using Word/Excel/PP etc.
• Using specialist software
• Using databases
• Literature searching
• Open to developing and utilising new
technology skills
More confident in using OpenSpecimen database and
knowing how to manually edit sample location,
adding new containers, closing containers etc.
Using excel to log samples digitally.
Using word to fill in PHOSP shipment forms.
Score
8/10
Using Open specimen for tissue tracking
Using Excel or word to generate sample logs to ship
COVID samples or for audit
Score
8/10

3. G. Numeracy
• Calculating / evaluating
• Checking results
• Applying appropriate statistics
• Recording / presenting data
Using formulas for sputum calculation with more
confidence and checking my results thoroughly.
Using a cell counter for sputum total cell count.
Score
7/10
Calculations for weights and volumes for sputum
processing
Total cell counts for estimating cell numbers for
sputum cytospin production and assessment of
eosinophils
Score
8/10
H. Working Practice
(i) Knowledge
• Experimental/project design
• Function / principles of equipment
• Health & safety procedures
• Knowing reasons for particular working
practices
• Background / theoretical knowledge
Reading SOPs of the research study to gain
background knowledge of the study.
Following health and safety procedures and knowing
their reasons e.g. doing all of sputum processing in
the fume hood instead of the work bench due to
COVID.
Score
8/10
Aware of GCP, HTA and health and safety
regulations.
As we start respiratory research again, understands
the use of sputum cytology to assess airway
inflammation.
Score
8/10
(ii) Work Skills
• Careful & safe working practice
• Manual dexterity
• Correct use of equipment/methodology
• Follows methods / protocols
• Competent in a range of activities
Careful and safe working practice e.g. regularly
disinfecting working bench, fume hoods and samples.
Accurately pipetting samples.
Following lab manuals and protocols for different
studies.
Competent in a range of activities e.g. processing
samples for many studies, staining slides, using
OpenSpecimen, using BarTender label machine.
Score
8/10
Trained to use centrifuges, fume cupboard, class 2
cabinet, pipettes.
Gloves, Lab coats, class 2 cabinet and disinfectant for
safe work practice.
Recently has learned the sputum processing SOP for
measuring eosinophils in sputum which indicate
inflammation.
Score
9/10
(iii) Quality of Work
• Accuracy
• Reliability of service
• Attention to details
• Efficiency
• Meets deadlines
• Resilience under pressure
Highly efficient when processing different samples
ensuring correct method and technique is used.
Processing samples in a timely manner to ensure
integrity of sample is intact.
Meeting deadlines e.g. filling in the PHOSP box
shipment form in time.
Being calm and working well under pressure.
Completing data forms accurately
Processing sets of patient samples simultaneously
when they have all come in together.

4. Score
8/10
Score
9/10
TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SUPERVISOR
Comments / Proposals
Potential action to assist with training, extend
experience or address problems as follow-up to
Performance Review
As lockdown is lifted we will be resuming research and clinical trials. We are receiving sputum now and Shane
will be learning the cytology protocol to assess sputum eosinophilia in sputum using differential cell count. This
involves making calculations, weights and volumes, haemocytometer counts and cell calculations.
Date discussed: 13/5/21 Supervisor:
William Monteiro
Student: Shane Carias