Professionalism--a required CLS/CLT curricular component

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Laboratory Science
• Professional Development

Background:

• Professionalism is crucial for healthcare practitioners.
• Integrating professionalism into CLS curricula is essential for developing competent practitioners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of mandatory professionalism activities on CLS students.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a management course component in fostering professional identity.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, case study design was employed with 25 CLS students.
• Students completed written responses on professionalism perceptions and reflective papers on their experiences.
• Qualitative analysis of student reflections identified overall themes.

Main Results:

• Student reflective writings indicated that participation in professionalism activities positively influenced their professional identity.
• The mandatory curricular component was effective in nurturing professional identity.

Conclusions:

• A mandatory professionalism component in CLS education is a successful strategy.
• This approach helps cultivate professional identity in future Clinical Laboratory Science/Clinical Laboratory Technician practitioners.