Texas Coalition for
Clinical Laboratory Quality (page two)
How big is the shortage of of laboratory personnel?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the U.S. Department of Labor,
predicts a need for 58,000 new technologists and technicians by 2014
(1). The current number of graduates from accredited laboratory
education programs will cover less than 75% of these openings
(2), and this number does not account for those who take jobs outside of
the laboratory or retire.
If shortages of nurses, laboratory and other health care
professionals are unavoidable, then can the public depend upon existing
safeguards to ensure only competent persons perform these jobs? Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, pharmacists,
physician assistants, respiratory therapists, dieticians are some of the
health professions licensed by the state of Texas. In each case in
order to be licensed an individual must pass a board or certification
exam, prior to being licensed to practice. Certification is the
accepted method of demonstrating a minimum level of competency in almost
every skilled profession. Should Texans not expect the same standard of
competency for clinical laboratory personnel?
Currently eleven states and Puerto Rico license clinical
laboratory technologists and technicians. Each
state has different laws concerning the requirement for continuing
education, license fees, and routes to becoming licensed. The
common denominator among all states which license laboratory personnel
is the requirement for a licensee to be certified by a
recognized agency. Many health care personnel are certified
without being licensed.(3) An important difference - certification
is voluntary and licensure is a legal requirement, with penalties for
those who practice without a license.
The TCLCQ believes that
the work of clinical laboratory professionals has an impact on public
safety, and the quality and efficiency of healthcare. The TCLCQ
believes the state of Texas should ensure that Texas laboratory
personnel are qualified to do their jobs.
Two leading clinical laboratory
professional organizations have published position papers supporting
personnel licensure. The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
in 2005
and the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) in 2006
(4,5).
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References:
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Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,
Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition, Clinical
Laboratory Technologists and Technicians, on the Internet at
https://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos096.htm
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Anderson, S., NAACLS Update �CLEC 2006,
presented March 29 at the 2006 Clinical Laboratory Educators
Conference � San Antonio, TX
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Wentz, J. Point-Counterpoint State Licensure,
LabMedicine, 35 (10), 2004, 695-696
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The ASCP
position paper on state licensure is
available online at
https://www.ascp.org/pdf/StateLicensureofLaboratoryPersonnel.aspx
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The ASCLS position
paper on state licensure is available online at:
https://www.ascls.org/position/LabPersonnelLicensure.asp
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