Volume 38 Number 5 | October 2024
Approaches for a Healthier Laboratory Workforce
Aditi Sarkar, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, Ascending Professionals Forum
As a medical laboratory scientist (MLS), I deeply respect the dedication, rigorous education, and unwavering commitment to patient care that our profession demands. Our collective experience has highlighted significant challenges, especially in the post-COVID-19 era. With just over a year of experience as an MLS, I’ve witnessed firsthand the impact of workforce shortages, workplace stress, and resulting burnout. What critical factors contribute to this cycle, and how can we leverage self-care, mental health support, workplace initiatives, and other resources to foster a healthier work environment? Let’s delve into this pressing issue and explore potential solutions together.
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reshaped our profession, placing unprecedented pressure on medical laboratories and exacerbating pre-existing workforce shortages. The surge in testing demands has led to unsustainable workloads, particularly at my workplace, where finding and retaining qualified staff is a significant challenge. High turnover rates create a vicious cycle: remaining staff work harder, leading to increased stress and burnout and more resignations.
Consider my colleague Joana, a laboratory scientist with 24 years of experience, who left her job due to burnout after being forced to work longer hours and multiple shifts. Her experience highlights a systemic problem that impacts individual well-being, diminishes patient care quality, and lowers staff morale.
“In our fast-paced, innovation-driven field, continuous learning is crucial for enhancing our skills and knowledge, ultimately benefiting patient care and improving mental health and well-being.”
Burnout leads to increased errors, compromising diagnostic accuracy and treatment timelines, hindering communication and collaboration among healthcare teams, and jeopardizing patient safety and satisfaction. The high-stress environment, characterized by the need for precision, handling critical specimens, and urgent orders, contributes to feeling overwhelmed and undervalued, resulting in emotional exhaustion, decreased productivity, and higher turnover rates.
We need meaningful conversations to address burnout and emphasize the importance of sharing our experiences and solutions as a community, as this is a critical issue affecting both healthcare professionals and patient outcomes. I’m eager to share my personal experience to raise awareness and drive much-needed change and support within our field to maintain a stable and effective healthcare system.
As a mother of two, I often find my work-life balance disrupted by the demanding schedule of 16-hour shifts every other weekend and seven to eight consecutive workdays without a break. This schedule can be exhausting despite my passion for the profession and the pride I take in contributing to diagnostic decisions and patient outcomes. I am constantly seeking opportunities for advancement to achieve a more balanced work schedule that would allow me to balance my laboratory responsibilities with personal commitments.
Self-care is not a luxury but a necessity for maintaining our well-being. Regular physical activity, adequate sleep, and healthy eating significantly impact our mental and physical health. Taking short breaks during my shifts, even for a few minutes, helps me recharge and maintain focus. I also practice mindfulness and deep breathing exercises, which help me relax, reduce stress, and promote a sense of calm after a long day at work. These are not just personal choices but essential strategies that should be promoted and supported in our workplaces, empowering us to take control of our well-being.
My employer has implemented several effective strategies to address burnout. They have adopted a comprehensive approach that includes self-care, mental health support, and workplace initiatives. The employer’s commitment to preserving our mental and emotional health is evident in their value of physical well-being, offering incentives for completing annual health checkups, participating in yearly step challenges, and participating in baking competitions. These initiatives foster collaboration with healthcare professionals across our sister hospitals. However, self-care extends beyond these measures, encompassing setting boundaries, seeking help when needed, and engaging in activities that bring joy and relaxation.
Creating a supportive workplace is essential for addressing burnout. We constantly multitask and handle significant workloads, and many of my colleagues hesitate to seek help due to the stigma or fear of appearing weak. Therefore, access to mental health support is vital, and employers must cultivate an environment that encourages open discussions about mental health. For instance, the Mayo Clinic’s “Resiliency in the Lab” program equips staff with tools and strategies to manage stress and build resilience. This initiative has led to a noticeable reduction in burnout rates and improved job satisfaction among participants. Those interested in learning more can find additional information here.
My hospital, one of the nation’s top institutions, offers its employees in-person and via Zoom counseling services, stress management workshops, and mental health resources. Initiatives like regular mental health check-ins, monthly yoga sessions, and a buddy system for mentoring new hires have been instrumental in creating a supportive environment and preventing mental health issues in our core laboratory. These measures help new staff acclimate and foster camaraderie and teamwork.
Fostering a culture of recognition and appreciation, where employees feel valued for their contributions, is essential. Employers should ensure adequate staffing levels and ample opportunities for professional development to create a supportive environment.
In our fast-paced, innovation-driven field, continuous learning is crucial for enhancing our skills and knowledge, ultimately benefiting patient care and improving mental health and well-being. While my employer offers two seminar days yearly for professional development, more learning days are necessary. Engaging in professional development allows employees to stay current with industry advancements, reducing the stress and anxiety associated with feeling unprepared or outdated. It fosters a sense of competence and confidence, which can combat feelings of inadequacy and burnout.
Moreover, learning new skills and gaining knowledge can be intrinsically rewarding, providing a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Professional development also fosters social interaction and networking, helping to build a support system among colleagues, as many of us have experienced through ASCLS. This camaraderie can alleviate feelings of isolation and provide a platform for sharing challenges and solutions, further supporting mental health. Career growth and advancement opportunities can also boost motivation and job satisfaction, reducing turnover rates and promoting a more stable, engaged workforce.
Regular feedback and recognition programs can boost morale and engagement. Additionally, employers should continuously assess workload distribution and implement measures to prevent overwork, ensuring a healthier, more balanced work environment.
Policies promoting work-life balance, such as flexible work arrangements, can help manage workload and reduce stress. Job sharing, part-time positions, and remote work options offer much-needed flexibility. For example, my laboratory introduced a flexible scheduling system, allowing staff to choose shifts that best fit their personal needs. While this initiative significantly improved work-life balance and reduced turnover rates, it is unfortunately no longer available to new hires due to scheduling challenges with full-time day-shift scientists.
Ensuring adequate staffing is essential to reducing the burden on existing employees. Providing laboratories with advanced technology, sufficient supplies, and adequate support staff can significantly alleviate laboratory scientists’ pressures. For instance, further automating routine tasks enhances efficiency, allowing more time for complex and rewarding aspects of the job, thus reducing stress and mitigating burnout.
Investing in recruitment and retention strategies, such as offering competitive salaries, signing bonuses, and career advancement opportunities, is vital. The interview process can also be improved to be more candidate friendly. I recently experienced an innovative approach during an interview with an employer using AI-powered software called HireVue. Instead of a traditional phone interview, I answered initial questions via video recording, which the hiring manager will later review. This allowed me to take the interview at my convenience, offering a more personalized and flexible experience while reducing the stress typically associated with interviews.
To cultivate a healthier and more sustainable work environment, we must invest in our well-being, benefiting us as professionals and ensuring the quality of patient care. Together, we can break the burnout cycle and build a more robust, resilient workforce.
Aditi Sarkar is an MLS in Hematology at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York, New York.