The Laboratory Workforce Shortage

Abstract

Most clinical laboratories in the nation report severe difficulties in recruitment and retention of most types of personnel. Other important factors impacting this problem include work complexities, increased automation, and a graying workforce. As a further challenge, institutional needs for clinical laboratory personnel are expected to grow significantly in the next decade. This article examines the current situation of the clinical laboratory workforce. It analyzes the different types of personnel; the managerial, supervision, and line positions that are key for different types of laboratories; the job outlook and recent projections for different types of staff; and the current issues, trends, and challenges of the laboratory workforce. Laboratory managers need to take action with strategies suggested for overcoming these challenges. Most importantly, they need to become transformational leaders by developing effective staffing models, fostering healthy and productive work environments, and creating value with a strategic management culture and implementation of knowledge management.

Practical Guidance for Clinical Microbiology Laboratories: Laboratory Diagnosis of Parasites from the Gastrointestinal Tract

“…Unfortunately, recruitment and retention of qualified individuals are major problems for most clinical laboratories throughout the United States and many other countries (42)(43)(44)(45). The closure of training programs for medical laboratory scientists (MLS) and medical laboratory technicians (MLT) has contributed to this shortage; many of these closures were related to financial constraints.…”

Strengthening Laboratory Partnerships, Enhancing Recruitment, and Improving Retention Through Training and Outreach Activities: The Minnesota Experience

“…9 Other factors contributing to the projected gap include an aging workforce, low awareness of laboratory science careers, and difficulty retaining qualified staff. 10 One challenge to the recruitment and retention of medical laboratorians is a shortage of qualified applicants. Although the number of certified medical laboratorians increased by 42.0% from 2000 to 2016 (4802 to 6818), the number of new medical laboratorians entering the workforce is not keeping up with future demand.…”

“…9 Other factors contributing to the projected gap include an aging workforce, low awareness of laboratory science careers, and difficulty retaining qualified staff. 10…”

Project management in laboratory medicine

“…The situation has even worsened in recent years, so that the predicted worldwide shortage of health care workers will probably exceed 15 million in the year 2030 (17). Laboratory medicine makes no exception to this rule, since an inefficient turnover has involved almost each category of laboratory professionals, especially during the past decade (18). It is hence rather understandable that laboratory managers shall place staff availability among the top list of drivers of project management.…”