Cytology Laboratory Human Tissue Specimen Processing Training

Learning Outcomes

• Apply standard operating procedures for receiving, labeling, and tracking human tissue specimens.
• Demonstrate correct techniques for preparing cytological smears and liquid-based preparations.
• Implement quality control measures to ensure specimen integrity and prevent cross-contamination.
• Analyze specimen adequacy and identify common artifacts or processing errors.
• Evaluate biosafety protocols and waste disposal methods in accordance with laboratory regulations.
• Document processing steps and maintain accurate records for traceability.

Target Audience

This course is designed for laboratory technicians, technologists, and assistants working in cytology or histology laboratories who are responsible for processing human tissue specimens.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Practicals

Overview

Hands-on practical sessions are essential for learners to develop competence in specimen reception, fixation, staining, slide preparation, and microscopy. Supervised practice ensures proficiency in laboratory techniques and quality assurance procedures.

Practical Activities

• Practical 1: Specimen Reception and Fixation — Learners receive and verify simulated specimens, apply rejection criteria, and perform fixation using appropriate fixatives. (6h)
• Practical 2: Slide Preparation and Staining — Learners prepare direct smears, cytocentrifuge preparations, and liquid-based slides, then perform Papanicolaou and Romanowsky staining. (8h)
• Practical 3: Microscopy and Slide Screening — Learners perform systematic screening of stained slides, identify normal cells and artefacts, and document findings. (8h)
• Practical 4: FNA Smear Preparation and Cell Blocks — Learners prepare direct smears from simulated FNA samples and construct cell blocks using the plasma-thrombin method. (4h)
• Practical 5: Quality Control and Troubleshooting — Learners perform stain quality checks, review error logs, and implement corrective actions for common processing issues. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total

Component	Out of	Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored)	100%	30%
Daily Average (multiple choice)	100%	20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice)	100%	50%
Final Total	—	100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

How it works

• Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
• Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
• You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
• If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.

Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates	Discount
5	3% off
10	6% off
15	9% off
20	12% off
25	15% off
30	18% off
50	30% off
75	35% off
100	40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.