Continuing Education Improves Professional Satisfaction and Productivity

Abstract

Despite their high degree of technical sophistication, medical technologists continue to have a low level of job satisfaction and poor self-image among health care professionals. In our highly specialized Clinical Immunology Laboratory, technologies, procedures, and protocols change rapidly, necessitating a strong continuing education program. To improve interest in continuing education and job satisfaction, we designed a new program that required active participation by all members of the laboratory staff, from director to bench technologists. Each medical technologist selected a topic of current interest relevant to the laboratory, chose a faculty member for assistance in organizing the material, researched the topic, and presented a seminar to the rest of the laboratory staff. Although this required extra work, both inside and outside of the laboratory, the results were remarkable. Not only was the staff educated about such topics in clinical immunology as flow cytometry, OKT3 therapy of acute kidney transplant rejection, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody and antigen testing, but motivation improved. Aware of the effort needed to prepare a seminar, staff members were attentive and supportive during the presentations. Technologists had the opportunity to add new accomplishments to their resumes, and several persons wrote articles for the clinical laboratory newsletter or provided diagrams that became permanent illustrations in the procedure manuals. Increased productivity and efficiency observed in the laboratory proved unexpected benefits of this continuing education program. Individually, each technologist came away from his or her presentation with a sense of accomplishment. With the increased responsibility of these presentations, each technologist found professional growth, which resulted in increased job satisfaction.