Healthy workplace environments support a nurturing student educational climate

Due to the shortage of medical laboratory scientist personnel in the United States, the successful integration of students into the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) profession is vital. Education Facilitators are being used increasingly to assist clinical site managers in actively supporting and contributing to a healthier workplace environment, thereby inspiring students to become part of the organization. Education Facilitators associated with a single university-based MLS Program were the participant target group in a study. Face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five Education Facilitators at two clinical sites. The findings of this study suggest that organizational efforts to improve the learning environment for MLS students should focus on providing a supportive and nurturing educational climate. Education Facilitators' descriptions revealed an organizational leadership that communicated a commitment to provide people, space, and equipment in an effort to promote a positive clinical rotation experience. Additionally, the facilitators expressed a need to "pay more attention to students," be "willing to work with students," and make sure the students don't get "lost in the shuffle." They said that concern for a healthy work/life balance should be communicated to MLS students through day-to-day educational contact with bench technologists and Education Facilitators.