Jul 5, 2023, 11:39 AM
by
Edna Garcia and Iman Kundu
In 2022, the American Society for Clinical
Pathology conducted a survey on the
impact of COVID-19 in laboratories to
determine salaries and staffing two years
after the height of the pandemic. This survey
collected five times more responses than
the 2020 survey, allowing for more robust
data on what is impacting the pathology and
medical laboratory space today.1,2
Here are some of the insights and highlights
from the survey.
COVID-19-caused recruiting issues:
Lack of qualified candidates
Low salary
Competition from other facilities
Difficulties hiring for certain shifts (evening, night, weekend)
COVID-19 related factors (stress, fear of exposure, hiring freeze)
Location of the facility as a deterrent (usually in rural areas)
Lack of understanding and support from the administration/
management regarding laboratory needs
More than half of
respondents reported
ongoing difficulties
obtaining supplies, with
a 15% increase in labs
experiencing supply
issues since 2020.4,5
For many of the study
participants, staff well-being
offerings are also an important
retention strategy that is most
of the time overlooked.
In the past, ASCP data have shown
reports of strategies on recruitment
both in laboratory
training programs and
employment but there is no extensive list
of strategies when it comes to retaining
laboratory professionals currently working.
We suggested, in our past reports, that
both recruitment and retention require
the same focus and effort. Some of these
strategies might include:
Retention bonuses
Salary increases, incentive pay
Critical pay, “pandemic pay”
Overtime and bonuses
Flexible hours/schedule
A collective effort by numerous levels and groups of
stakeholders, including the laboratory employers, laboratory
training programs, and professional organizations
is needed in order for the laboratory to continue providing
high-quality care to patients. To that end, ASCP
launched the Workforce Steering Committee in February
2022, which is taking an active role in initiating discussions
and implementing strategies to increase visibility
of the laboratory.
ASCP also established the Medical and Public Health Laboratory
Coalition, a partner organization that fosters collaborative
workforce solutions to address the challenges
and needs facing the U.S. medical and public health laboratory
workforce. The core goals of the Coalition include
focusing on increasing the visibility of laboratory occupations;
expanding and improving workforce recruitment,
development, and retention; and increasing diversity,
equity, and inclusion in the laboratory.
References
American Society for Clinical Pathology. Laboratory
staffing data during COVID-19 pandemic. Accessed
October 29, 2020. ascpcdn.s3.amazonaws.com/static/
ISTP/ASCP_Covid-19_data_web.pdf
Garcia E, Kundu I. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
on medical laboratory staffing. Default. 2021.
criticalvalues.org/news/all/2021/02/02/effects-ofthe-
covid-19pandemic-on-medicallaboratory-staffing.
Accessed March 16, 2023.
Garcia E, Kundu I, Kelly M, Soles R, Mulder L, Talmon
GA. The American Society for Clinical Pathology's
Job Satisfaction, Well-Being, and Burnout Survey
of Laboratory Professionals. Am J Clin Pathol.
2020;153(4):470-486. doi:10.1093/ajcp/aqaa008
Hilborne L, Sossaman G, Caldwell B, Kroft S. Laboratory
Supply Shortages. American Journal of Clinical
Pathology. academic.oup.com/ajcp/advancearticle/
doi/10.1093/ajcp/aqac035/6539925. Published 2022.
Accessed March 16, 2023.
Hilborne L, Garcia E, Kundu I. Laboratory Supply
Chain Shortage Effects on Laboratory Workforce and
Effective Test Utilization. Default. 2022. criticalvalues.
org/news/all/2022/05/10/laboratory-supply-chainshortage-
effects-onlaboratory-workforce-andeffective-
test-utilization. Accessed March 16, 2023.