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Medical Laboratory Staffing

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Introduction Patient care is as vital part in the medical community, the shortage of medical laboratory technicians can jeopardize this care in so many ways. According to ASCP “The number of technologist/scientist and technician education programs has declined by more than 50% since 1970, with the most dramatic decline in technology/ scientific programs, 71% of which closed between 1970 and 2007. In contrast, the number of phlebotomy [Phlebotomy is a procedure that removes blood from the body] training programs increased six fold from 1987 to 2003.” As stated by the Bureau of Labor Statics, “Medical laboratory technologists (commonly known as medical laboratory scientists) and medical laboratory technicians collect samples and perform tests …show more content…

This is because “Delays in diagnosis and treatment caused by the shortage threaten the quality and timeliness of patient care. The scarcity of needed laboratory professionals increases costs to hospitals for recruitment and may even result in additional losses associated with sending tests out. While it is difficult to quantify the impact of the shortage on the quality of patient care, certain problems have been reported – including testing delays, mislabeling of specimens, and conducting the wrong tests. Whether these errors result directly from a lack of full staffing has not been documented. Nevertheless, it is clear that a staffing shortage creates changes in the testing process, sometimes with negative consequences (California’s Other Healthcare Crisis).” The shortage of medical laboratory technicians is so significant, that a lot of attention need to be put towards this issue. In hospitals doctors may have to wait about 3-5 days only to receive feedback on a sample that was delivered a week ago. This problem is life-threatening because doctors have to wait a much longer time to diagnose their …show more content…

The resultant lack of public understanding and recognition of what lab workers do mean that fewer young people are aware of hospital laboratory careers. • The growth of industries such as biotech and laboratory manufacturers – which typically pay better salaries – has increased the demand for skilled workers. • A lack of career development opportunities has discouraged potential recruits and made it difficult to retain qualified professionals. The biggest problem, however, is the small number of accredited education programs in California and their lack of capacity to train large numbers of students. In 2007, the total number of CLS graduates was 119. In 2008, the number of graduates is expected to increase to 125 (California’s Other Healthcare Crisis). Fortunately, this is not a concurring problem in Florida. Solutions Toward Improvement According to mentor Mona Edouard she says “To improve the situation the large multi-national corporations as well as non-profit organizations need to take strategic steps. Working with junior colleges and colleges to bolster and grow new CLS and MLT preparing programs; educating our state council on the requirement for more state financing for preparing; and expanding open mindfulness and enthusiasm for lab science as a profession

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