Healthy workplace environments support a nurturing student educational climate

Area of Science:

• Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) education and workforce development.
• Clinical laboratory professional integration and retention strategies.

Background:

• A critical shortage of medical laboratory scientist (MLS) personnel in the United States necessitates effective student integration into the profession.
• Education Facilitators are increasingly utilized to enhance clinical learning environments and support student engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences and perspectives of Education Facilitators regarding the clinical learning environment for Medical Laboratory Science students.
• To identify key factors contributing to a positive and supportive clinical rotation experience for MLS students.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews.
• Participants included five Education Facilitators from a single university-based MLS Program, interviewed at two clinical sites.

Main Results:

• Findings suggest organizational commitment to providing resources (people, space, equipment) positively impacts the clinical rotation experience.
• Education Facilitators highlighted the importance of personalized attention, flexibility, and preventing students from feeling overlooked.
• A supportive and nurturing educational climate, with emphasis on work/life balance communication, is essential for MLS students.

Conclusions:

• Improving the clinical learning environment for MLS students requires a focus on supportive organizational leadership and attentive mentorship.
• Effective integration of students into the MLS profession depends on creating a positive, nurturing atmosphere and clear communication regarding work-life balance.