An analysis of inservice education practices for hospital laboratory personnel

Inservice education is a form of continuing professional education provided by the health care employer at the worksite. The purposes of this study were to describe current inservice practices in clinical laboratories and to explore laboratory managers' perceptions of the job impact and cost-worthiness of specific inservice education activities. A written survey was mailed to 237 hospitals in Ohio to gather data. Results of the study (61% usable return) were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Notable findings include: Most laboratories do not have an inservice budget; most important for cost worthiness and job impact are new employee orientation, policy and procedure discussions, and instruction on instrumentation. The report discusses ratings of several inservice activities in terms of their value for improving employees' knowledge, skills, and attitudes.