Laboratory staff development practices: a statewide study

A statewide survey of staff development practices in New York State was completed to: 1) assess the current staff development practices for laboratory personnel in a variety of health care delivery settings; 2) determine the importance of selected laboratory practices to the professional growth of the laboratory staff; 3) make recommendations for staff development practices based on research findings. The study results are based on responses to a 1978 mail survey to laboratory staff employed in New York State. The most significant findings were that in over half of the laboratory settings surveyed three of six general types of laboratory staff development practices were nonexistent. Furthermore, regardless of size and/or type of laboratory setting, there were rare opportunities for staff development. The findings have implications for level of job satisfaction, level of professionalism, and even performance appraisal.