Like the growing shortages of primary-care doctors and nurses, the ranks of skilled lab workers are shrinking as well. Medical experts warn that this can pose a potential threat to the safety and quality of health care. Currently hospitals say it can take as long as a year to fill laboratory job openings. The American Society for Clinical Pathology, which certifies lab professionals, says average job-vacancy rates currently top 50% in some states. The contributions laboratory professionals make to patient care cannot be emphasized enough. Laboratory professionals have critical roles in patient care. Laboratory testing performed by skilled laboratory professionals is the foundation for most medical diagnoses and treatments. Thus, ensuring hospitals …show more content…
One reason is because laboratory professionals work behind the scenes so in a sense they are “forgotten” about. Most people do not know a lot about what laboratory professionals do or just how important they are to patient care. The laboratory professionals are highly trained, they preform and result the tests that are responsible for about 70% to 80% of all diagnostic and treatment decisions made by physicians in the Health Care Organizations. American Society for Clinical Pathology, says the younger generation simply has not been introduced or attracted to this field in recent …show more content…
The age of laboratory professionals has been increasing steadily over the past few years. Reflecting the fact that younger, newly trained laboratory professionals that have entered the workforce has become increasingly slower. The average age of certified medical laboratory professional is 44, which signifies that the laboratory personnel labor force is aging at a 78 percent faster rate than the entire U.S. labor force. An older work force can be problematic for a large number of reasons. For one, an aging workforce generally leaves their field of work through retirements at a faster rate than younger health care personnel. Older workers can also be more vulnerable to the adverse health and safety risks associated with shift work. As our nation ages, estimates project that the demand for laboratory professionals will continue increase.
What states are being affected by the shortages of laboratory professionals?
What is being done to reduce the shortages of laboratory professionals? Some hospitals across the United States are launching programs that pitch a career in lab sciences. Lab managers are visiting career classes at high schools, and job fairs for laid-off workers in other fields, to try and interest people in a career in lab
As we grow up, we’re always asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Most of us usually have an answer, but our answer will change as we get older. When I was younger I wanted to be a rockstar, then I wanted to be a hairstylist. Later on, I wanted to be a Lawyer, then a Mortician. Now, I’m for sure on what I want to be. I want to become a forensic laboratory technician. Which is basically a fancy name for someone who helps solve crimes. Forensic science has been around for a while, and since it’s been around, it has grown. It’s grown with technology, so that laboratory technician’s can become better at their jobs. Forensic laboratory technician’s are the ones who can find DNA on a cigarette butt, or even
Firstly, every year there are many deaths associated with medical errors. Sarah Loughran writes, “An average of 195,000 people in the USA died due to potentially preventable, in-hospital medical errors in each of the years 2000, 2001 and 2002…” (medicalnewstoday.com) and this was just in 2000, 2001, and 2002 with the numbers bouncing higher or lower each year; nevertheless, there seems to be no end in sight for errors in the medical field. There is a way to lower these numbers drastically. The way to do this is by leveling the doctor to nurse ratio in hospitals thereby eliminating the stress factors on most nurses whom often have several patients to attend by themselves but no help in doing so. While demand for nurses may be high, there also comes a breaking point for any human being, “…factors including the high acuity of patients, inadequate nurse to patient ratios, increased work demand, and decreased resources.” (American
Physician assistants (PAs) do many tasks and work in various medically influenced settings. PAs can prescribe medications but may need a physician’s opinion beforehand. They may give treatment in the care of broken bones and administer immunizations. A PA also has to educate patients and family members on how to care for a condition that affects them or the members of their families, such as an asthmatic child (“Physician Assistants.” U.S.). Giving lab tests and taking blood samples are also a part of a PAs job duties. They must record the medical history of the patient. A PA may assist a physician/surgeon in a surgery (“Physician Assistant.” Encyclopedia 14).
Professionalism initiative. (2012). Informally published manuscript, Medical Center, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS, Retrieved from http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/fafd/professionalism-initiative.html
Nurse practitioners do more than you’d actually think. They diagnose and treat acute, episodic, or chronic illness, independently or as part of a health care team. They may focus on health promotion and disease prevention. May order, perform, or interpret diagnostics tests such as lab work and x-rays and provide services such as health and wellness counseling, screening and referrals, and physical exams. They also may prescribe medication dosages, routes, and frequencies based on patient characteristics such as age and gender. They analyze and interpret patients, histories, symptoms, physical findings, or diagnostics information to develop appropriate diagnoses. As well as provide primary and some acute care and are qualified to meet the majority of patient’s health care needs.
For my second choice host laboratory, Brookhaven National Lab, the activities and research established in the bioscience department are of the greatest interest to me. I had previously visited Brookhaven National Lab for a tour of the various facilities when I was younger. One facility in particular that stuck out in my memory was the national synchrotron light source. The ability to use light as an analytical tool still almost seems almost like a fantasy to me. If possible, I would like to be able to see for myself the applications of the NSLS in biological, pharmaceutical, or medical investigations. Due to my experience with neurobiology and physics research, individual labs that I feel would be good fits for me would be the neuroimaging, imaging instrumentation, and molecular/structural biology research groups.
Our generation is going through a baby boom which is causing an increased population that has demands in the medical field. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states Medical Assistant as one of the fastest growing professions. It is expected to experience a 35% growth by the year 2016. While life is starting at birth and adding to our population numbers, individuals are expected to live longer. Medical...
Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications (3rd edition). Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company.
... for every pharmacist. This ratio dictates that pharmacists can not oversee every aspect of technicians’ jobs. It is this singular fact that very few people realize. The pharmacy technician who receives no formal training is responsible for not just the delivery of a patient’s medication, but also for their bill, their confidential information, and their life. The question now is, how can an uneducated individual be given so much responsibility? Technicians are granted these responsibilities because a pharmacist can not do the job alone. Pharmacists strive to mold each new technician into an employee that will realize what technicians really do. Pharmacists and technicians provide patients with safe and accurate medication in a timely manner. This is not a task for pharmacists or technicians alone; it is task that requires both personnel in order to be accomplished.
The amount of career opportunities involved with the profession are endless. Virtual Job Shadow estimates that there are about 75,000 Ultrasound Technicians in the world and half are working in hospitals. By far, hospitals are the most common employers for sonographers but doctor’s offices are not too far behind. Labs, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes are other establishments that Ultrasound Technicians can be found. These jobs are highly competitive and they demand a high level of attention and accuracy. As medical careers flourish, needs for technicians in many fields of medicine are increasing. Instead of a doctor choosing complex and risky surgery to find out problems within the body, they can now choose a safer path; the ultrasound path. Patient’s history and physical evaluation are building blocks to diagnostics but ultrasounds are much greater. While the field of Ultrasound Technology is a popular in the health care industry, there are still a fairly small number of people in the
One of the issues involving health care and the aging population is majority of health profession employees being a percentage of the aging population. With the knowledge of health profession employees being a factor in the aging population puts a strain on doctors and nurses that come into the workforce after ones have retired. The fewer employees there are, the greater the work load will become on one person. It is imperative for each nurse in a unit to have four patients maximum. Giving more responsibility to one employee does not make the situation less of a challenge, it more so puts people’s lives at a greater risk of danger. The new demands placed on the health care system for health services will not only include a need for more workers, but also require changes in the way services are provided.
The elderly population are important consumers of medical services and medicines. Since the amount of elderly Canadians is in the process of growing, the demand for pharmacy technicians will also grow.
I plan to practice Clinical laboratory science in a retail setting because I have an absolute desire to help
They test many types of samples in the lab such as skin or body fluids like blood and urine. Lab techs have the responsibility to not only perform the test but to record the results and get the results where they need to be. Blood tests can indicate many different conditions such as a hormone imbalance or blood type. This is very important because if someone receives a blood type that is not compatible with their own blood, the patient could die. Skin and tissue samples can also lead to a diagnosis. They can run tests to see if a sample reacts to something or doesn’t react to something. This is how the lab tech helps to diagnose.
Choosing which career path to follow is one of the most important decision people take in their lifetime. Considering that this decision will affect the entire future life, it is very important to be sure that it is the right one. It is one of the most important steps in order to successfully find a job that would satisfy personality needs and guarantee a steady income. If he or she is passionate about their job, hard work is simplified and high salary helps to concentrate on results. The key about being successful at work is to be in love with it.