Students' Perceptions of Laboratory Science Careers: Changing Ideas with an Education Module

Clinical Laboratory Science, Fall 2005 by Haun, Daniel, Leach, Argie, Lawrence, Louann, Jarreau, Patsy

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a Web-based education module in changing students' perceptions of laboratory science careers.

DESIGN: Perception was measured with a short examination and then a Web-based exercise was presented. Following the exercise, the test was administered again. Frequency data from the pre-test and post-test were compared for changes in perception. The correlated pre-test/post-test pairs were also examined for opinion changes and these were analyzed for significance.

SETTING: Large parochial high schools in New Orleans, Louisiana. A small team visited the schools during their appointed class times for biology.

PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were high school biology students in grades 9-10. Two-hundred-forty-five students participated (149 male and 96 female).

INTERVENTIONS: A Web-based exercise on blood film examination was presented to the students in a classroom setting (www.mclno.org/labpartners/index_03.htm). The exercise contained focused messages about: 1) the numbers of healthcare workers acquiring AIDS from on-the-job exposure and 2) common career paths available to the laboratory science workforce.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The shift in perception of:

* what medical service generates the most diagnostic data

* which professional group performs laboratory tests

* the risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting

* interest in a science-related career

* how much education is required to work in a science-related field

RESULTS: The intervention significantly shifted perception in all areas measured except that of interest in a science-related career.

CONCLUSIONS: Many students perceive that the risk of acquiring AIDS while working in the healthcare setting is "high". Web-based presentations and similar partnerships with science teachers can change perceptions that might lead to increased interest in clinical laboratory science careers.

ABBREVIATIONS: CCCLW = Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce; CLS = clinical laboratory scientist; CLT = clinical laboratory technician.

INDEX TERMS: community outreach; community-institutional relations; career choice education; Internet education.

Clin Lab Sci 2005;18(4):226

Recruitment of qualified applicants is a high priority for clinical laboratory science (CLS) and clinical laboratory technician (CLT) educational programs in Louisiana and in most areas of the nation. Currently there is a national shortage of qualified laboratory personnel as evidenced by a current national vacancy rate of 7.0% for CLSs and 8.6% for CLTs.1 Based on demographic information from the ASCP member database, more than 72% of the current laboratory workforce is older than 40 years of age.1 It is predicted that attrition in the profession due to retirement will decrease the workforce dramatically during the next 10 to 20 years. The demand for certified CLSs and CLTs will continue to increase as the nation ages and the proportion of elderly needing Healthcare continues to increase.2 The number of CLS programs in the nation has decreased 62% during the last 19 years.3 The increasing demand and decreasing supply of qualified laboratorians make recruitment a problem that requires intensive effort.4

One of the reasons for lack of qualified applicants is lack of knowledge of the profession as a possible career path. It is often said that CLS is the "hidden profession". The Coordinating Council on the Clinical Laboratory Workforce (CCCLW) is comprised of representatives from various laboratory professional organizations, industry groups, and government agencies. It was established to develop a strategic plan to address the shortage of clinical laboratory personnel. One of the objectives of the CCCLW is to increase the awareness of the profession as a career choice by designing projects to facilitate a relationship with K-12 school systems, high school guidance counselors, and science teachers.5

In 2000 and 2001, two summit meetings of the CCCLW were held. In Summit I (June 2000), four breakout groups identified the "components of the problem". All four groups cited image and public recognition as components and three of four groups cited "danger" as a component of the problem, using the words "danger", "dangerous", and "dangerous working conditions" as component descriptors.6 The report for Summit II cites the "risk of infectious disease" as one of the seemingly recognized reasons for instability in the clinical laboratory labor pool supply.7

The project described in this paper was designed to reveal the profession to prospective students by providing resources, lesson plans, and support from local laboratorians for middle school and high school science teachers. By giving teachers a resource that is easily accessible and providing an incentive for use in their classrooms, more students will be introduced to CLSs/CLTs earlier in their education. Many middle school and high school students who think they may be interested in a health career only know about doctors and nurses. This Web-based approach was also designed to dispel the myths that it is dangerous to work in a laboratory and that one must have many years of education to have a meaningful career in science and medicine. The Web-based nature of this resource makes it instantly available to science teachers and CLS/CLT educational programs nationwide.