Every clinical laboratory has staff members who volunteer for extra shifts. From a scheduling standpoint they are invaluable. From a workforce standpoint they are carrying a debt the lab has taken on without acknowledging it. Voluntary overtime functions as a pressure release valve for chronic understaffing. When willing staff absorb coverage gaps reliably, the gaps
Voluntary Overtime Is a Staffing Debt Read More »
The laboratory on-call model has been inherited more than it has been designed. Most labs run some version of the same arrangement whether it’s a rotating list, a phone that gets passed, or an expectation that whoever is on call will respond when needed. This is often because that is how it has always worked,
On-Call Scheduling Is a Retention Problem Read More »
Point-of-care testing has expanded significantly across healthcare settings. Testing that was previously centralized to the laboratory now also occurs across dozens of locations, performed by staff whose primary role is clinical care rather than laboratory science. That expansion has created a scheduling and compliance problem that most laboratories are still working out how to manage.
The Point-Of-Care Scheduling Problem: Managing Testing Staff Who Don’t Report to the Lab Read More »