The learning network survey for Canadian MLTs in transfusion science has been available for a week. It is too early to pick out emerging patterns, but many of the comments made when we asked MLTs to elaborate on their answers, are well worth sharing.
I was forced by my manager to complete this survey.
The largest group of comments were about the MLTs’ managers. Many MLTs praised their managers for making continuing education available; almost as many criticized them for throwing up obstacles to their involvement. Without a doubt, managers play a pivotal role in engaging MLTs in work-related learning. This comment was typical:
Presently, the director for the transfusion service on our site is very active in continuing education, therefore we are receiving a lot of support. If/when he retires it is doubtful that we will continue to receive this support. Hopefully, we will have enough continuing education activities in place so that they will continue to be a part of our work life.
Another large cluster of comments called for better online resources. This surprised me because our pre-survey investigations lead us to believe that internet access is an issue for many MLTs. In fact, some comments were quite specific about the sorts of online resources they wanted:
I think that an electronic bulletin board where we could ask for support would be a very valuable resource!
It would be very good to have a website where:
- one can identify and workout complex transfusion related problems (antibody identifications/dealing with warm autoantibodies … )
- Technologists can share interesting cases or questions
- latest transfusion related developments (e.g. blood donation centers handling of TRALI or lead levels)
- What should we as Technologists be teaching Residents of Anesthesia and Hematology
Online learning is often proposed as a solution for those who do not have access to face-to-face opportunities, such as for MLTs in smaller, more remote facilities. However, almost all comments singled out cost, and especially time and workload as barriers to participation. Some typical comments:
I find it extremely difficult to try to keep up on education with our hospital cutting back on staff and the workload just keeps increasing.
I work in a small rural hospital where all disciplines are practiced 24hrs/day, 7 days/week. There are only [a few] MLT’s here and it is very very crazy busy all the time. It is very tough to keep up with updating procedures, completing maintenance, etc etc etc. … I love my profession and love to learn and try to do continuing education. I just find that there is never enough time to get it worked in. We seem to barely be getting the patient workload done here, let alone trying to find time to do continuing education.
I’d love to do more learning, but as a regular part-time MLT we get the short end of the stick for shifts; so working multiple nights and varying shifts makes it almost impossible to have some resemblance of a normal life. I just find it extremely difficult to get some time for extra learning, when it’s hard enough to days off due to every lab I’ve worked in we’ve been short staffed.
Some MLTs pointed to the gendered and political aspects of the profession that are inadequately acknowledged in their workplace, and which influence their participation in continuing education:
Another problem I have encountered is that the social aspects of being a MLT are rarely addressed. The issues of child care, shift work, job sharing opportunities, med lab opportunities for economic upward mobility are always presented in the narrow scope of bench tech then supervisor then lab manager. There is never any mention of employment branches that rely on MLT skills and knowledge that are not med lab tech bench work type positions…
…continuing Ed has always been something I have done and I enjoy learning but it has never made a difference in the paycheck. I make the same as someone who has never taken any classes. So why would I spend any more of my free time taking an other class?
How is continuing education in transfusion science meeting these challenges? Fairly well, especially compared to the past, according to this week’s comments:
… having been a technologist for over 20 years, I personally see great improvement in the continuing education/conferences/information sessions that are now being made available for the blood bank technologists at the hospital …
Of all the con. education that I come in contact with, transfusion medicine offers the most opportunities for learning. I would actually like to see more opportunities in other disciplines come available …
While the opportunities are there, for some MLTs the issue is relevance to practice:
I’ve been in this field for many years and have also set up and taught many refresher courses for technologists. I try to keep my general knowledge in Transfusion Medicine up to date but my area of practice is very narrow and often there is no Con Ed available that matches my specific work needs. While I take more general courses to obtain the credits I require to keep my license to practice — and they are interesting — they are often superfluous to my actual needs. I do find that all learning is interesting and does have value for me on a personal satisfaction level but there is not a lot that I need to be able to do my job.
There does not seem to be any educational material available other than basic, advance, review or retraining. There needs [to be] something in the middle ….
On MLT asked where is the science in transfusion science:
All of the opportunities focus on the same topics- safe work practices, TRALI etc. We do not focus on transfusion medicine as a science so we do not obtain any of the scientific research based data.
Another called for more interdisciplinary opportunities:
I think there should be more courses offered that are refresher courses that would tie multiple disciplines together. This knowledge tends to fade if you only work in one department.
A couple MLTs emphasized the value of continuing education to expand their networks beyond the lab:
I believe it is very important for all health care professionals, particularly those involved in transfusion, to get outside of their 4 walls. … It makes me a better technologist and improves my perspective for improvements in patient care.
The learning survey is open until June 23. If you have already completed it, consider asking a colleague to do the same.