A Better Lab Now: A Professional Development Program for Your Staff

As a manager of a laboratory you may be considering a strategy of succession for your senior staff.

Or you may be interested in advancing staff with core competencies that would be essential with new instrument acquisition or simply to share the load of complex tasks that befall the senior staff.

I think those are all good reasons to look at the many tasks your lead technologist perform and provide a way to spread this technical knowledge base. Additionally, I think it is imperative to look at this as a way to retain staff by engaging and developing their skill sets.

Looking at the challenges we face in the laboratory it may be only short sighted to look at the training and retention of new or younger staff. We always should be looking for ways to invest in the "middle" staff to advance their "senior" skill sets for readiness of succession, assisting in periodic, large projects and their retention!

How to accomplish this? I look at it as a project, it needs design with specific objectives and due dates, participation by senior staff and the medical director. Even though much of this non-productive work, I think it is important to make this project "institutionalized" into your operational plan.

Starting in 2018 I wrote down all my tasks and projects, what I was best at and what others were best at. The point would be to take our best assets and make more. Your lead techs are probably caught up in the constant scurry to complete tasks that they could not list for you all they do without taking a long moment to think about it. So I took my time and wrote it down and wrote a "shell" around that. The shell is the program with a plan to teach all these skill sets and provide real world practical projects for the trainee to complete. Then, title the project with a, maybe stighlty grand title.

I called mine [insert major chemistry line name] Professional Development Program. When I showed that the vendor they were very excited about it and pledged their resources to assist in the program.

Here is my 2018 draft for you to consider how to adapt to your uses.

XXXXXX Hospital Department of XXXXXX

[Main Chemistry Analyzer] Professional Development Program

Objective:

The objective of the program is to train a tech is all areas that support the operation of the XXXXX analyzers. Presently there are several techs who are very knowledgeable of some of the components of this program, but not all. This program addresses the need for coverage when one person is absent, provides for succession, and helps secure the department during periods of special projects, personnel turnover, and other events. This program will enhance the operations of the shifts where these tech work and the whole department overall. Much of this training has carry over to other instruments in the department which allows additional coverages when needed.

Scope:

The program can handle up to two techs at one time. Techs must have demonstrated commitment, motivation, and desire to complete the program. The two candidates are ideally not from the same shift at the same time. Depending on laboratory resources additional techs can join the program before the current techs complete all the components.

The time commitment is approximately two years to adequately cover the program components, provide time for the tech to perform the tasks and feedback, and make process improvements.

Training and competency will cover lower management, technical, and Informational Technology duties. Each component will have four elements that cover:

· Education (direct and independent training),

· Practical (the component being performed by the tech),

· Experience (the independent actions and feedback of current practices and procedures), and

· Process Improvement (the items the tech has helped to improve in the department).

These sections will be signed by laboratory management as being completed satisfactorily.

Resources:

Individual components of the program will have a lead person identified who has expertise in the tasks for be completed. This person will train the tech and monitor progress. When ready the tech will assume assigned duties and projects to complete the Practical and Experience elements. The Process Improvement element is accomplished as an ongoing project and does not have specific time restraints.

Other resources include specific on-line training modules from Bio-Rad, XXXX, and Med Training. On-site training provided by vendors including Bio-rad and XXXX. It is preferred at least one off-site training occur related to the program components. Additionally, lecture and CE by laboratory personnel to includ residents, fellows and medical directors to supplement the training where indicated.

Outline:

Program Components:

A. Reagent Management

B. Quality Control

C. Quality Indicators

D. New Assay Validation and Implementation

E. Procedure Writing

F. Training

G. Mentoring

H. Competency Assessment

I. Proficiency Testing and Management

J. Maintenance

K. Troubleshooting

L. Instrument Interface

M. IT Tasks and Validations

N. Instrument Manager

O. Water Supply

P. Regulatory

Q. 6 Sigma White Belt Project

Reagent Management

This component encompasses the annual reagent order, individual orders, product receiving, stocking and monitoring of reagent lot changes, expirations, Reagent Bulletins, Package inserts, and procedural changes related to reformulations, conversions and best practices. By the end of this process the tech will be proficient in all areas, and will be able to provide process improvements and cost savings, and independently take action to overt waste, and incorrect result reporting.

A. Education (this section for details of training, resources, and check-off)