INFECTIOUS DISEASES
She also noted that she found the APHL
Microbiology Discussion Community of
Practice site to be particularly useful.
Through this community of practice,
she built strong connections with
public health laboratorians in New York
and Kentucky, in addition to those in
California.
within her laboratory and in external
jurisdictions were as she navigated a
new world. In fact, San Diego already
had a connection to Michigan. Basler’s
supervisor, Syreeta Steele, PhD, had
worked extensively with Soehnlen who
was Steele’s coach through the APHL
Emerging Leaders Program. Basler and
Soehnlen, along with the California
Department of Public Health’s Viral and
Rickettsial Diseases Laboratory (CDPH
VRD), held bi-weekly calls during the
outbreak response. These calls were
beneficial as they navigated challenges
associated with assay development and
bioinformatics capabilities.
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services HAV
Team (from l to r): Diana Riner, Julie Day, Kevin Rodeman,
Laura Mosher, Bruce Robeson
Although Basler’s and Soehnlen’s
professional and personal relationship
proved to be an invaluable asset in the
fight against HAV in their respective
jurisdictions, the dedication and hard
work of the staff they work beside cannot
go unnoticed. They both emphasized the
value of their staff. n
Soehnlen echoed Basler’s response about
the benefit of her connections with the
County of San Diego as well as CDPH VRD.
San Diego County Public Health Laboratory HAV Team
(from l to r): Brett Austin, Jovan Shepherd, Tracy Basler,
and Syreeta Steele
Build a Competency-Based Lab
Laboratory Competency Implementation Toolbox
Resources, tools and examples for behavior-based
lab competencies
Management
Performance
Retention
Recruitment
Competencies are a tool to guide professional development…
they are not a test.
Behavior-based competency guidelines vs personnel
competency assessments
Competency Guidelines for Public
Health Laboratory Professionals
1, 2
prescribed procedures
that address a
By Workforce Shortages and Retention of Qualified Professionals
Checklist for Implementation of
Laboratory Competencies
Gain Leadership
Support
Form a Team
Integrate
Products into
Processes
Integrate
Products into
processes
Prioritize
Incorporation of
Competencies
of laboratories
anticipated that up to
15% of their workers
Assess how competencies can be applied to address current
would gaps
retire, resign,
or be released within
5 years
Recruit and engage a HR champion
[
Select an area where efforts can be most impactful and are
easily achievable
Educate and engage staff
of laboratories
cite the lack of
promotion
opportunities as a
barrier to retention
16%
%
Following is an example of the progression of a behavior through the tier statements:
SHC 3.00 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): employs the selection, use, and care of personal
of laboratories
equipment
say protective
inadequate
salary while being continually mindful of its limitations
scale is a barrier to
SHC retention
3.01 PPE selection
Beginner Describes appropriate PPE and its limitations for jobs assigned
Competent Selects appropriate PPE for jobs assigned
Job growth for laboratory
Proficient
Develops procedures for the appropriate selection of PPE
professionals will out pace many
Expert
Ensures staff knowledge of procedures for the appropriate selection of PPE
other occupations, requiring a large
influx of appropriately educated
and
Competencies
for laboratorians support training standards and performance
trained professionals.
expectations, and can be readily integrated into human resource practices.
Integrating competencies into position descriptions, performance
Competencies support workforce essentials such as
assessments, career ladder development, education programs
and other professional development activities has the • identifying job responsibilities
potential to address these significant challenges. • developing career ladders
]
• assessing
individual performance, and
3
Download Competency Guidelines for Public Health Laboratory Professionals
• providing a framework for producing education and training programs.
to begin the process
Use Laboratory Competencies to develop position descriptions,
career
1
Boulton M., Beck A., National Assessment of Capacity in Public Health, Environmental, and Agricultural Laboratories – United
ladders, performance assessments, and/or training needs
assessments
States,
2011, MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, March 2013
Use APHL competencies tools and resources
2
3
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm, accessed 8/10/2016
cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6401.pdf
[Job Classification]
II
[Job Classification]
III
[Job
Classification] IV
To progress from one level to the next, it is expected that the employee will have demonstrated
acceptable performance at previous career ladder levels.
[Paste from the CareerLadderTemplate file compiled from the APHL Career Ladder and PD Tool into this
section.]
Career Ladder Editable Template
Definitions:
This template is meant to be a guideline only, and can
be edited to fit your organizational requirements
Behavioral Anchor: A specific, easy-to-apply example of a behavior that demonstrates the mastering of
or limitations.
the competency statement and proficiency level.
Job Classification: [Enter the name of the job classification]
Career Ladder: A series of steps within a job classification, each with increasing responsibility as
expertise is developed, allowing for recognition of professional growth. The steps in the career ladder
may require competition for advancement. For example, progressing through the Federal GS system, or
[Write a brief general description of the responsibilities of the positions in this job classification]
moving from a Laboratory Scientist I to Laboratory Scientist II to Laboratory Scientist III. A Career
Ladder is designed to encourage and assist staff to further their professional development and to
Purpose:
reward level
them
commitment
to professional growth and excellence without moving to a new
Career Ladders formally advance employees to a higher
of for
job their
proficiency
and responsibility.
career path.
A career ladder defines the competencies needed to progress through a job classification by
Career knowledge,
Ladder Plan:
An and
agreement
supervisor
and the employee for documenting the
demonstrating increased responsibilities and enhanced
skills
abilities. between
A career the
ladder
is
achievement
of the
applicable competency
statements,
intended to encourage and assist staff to further their
professional
development
and recognize
them for using behavioral anchors. This plan is
by classification.
both the supervisor
and the
and will include time frames, accountability and
their commitment and excellence without moving developed
to a new job
Note that
the employee
steps in the
feedback opportunities.
career ladder may require competition for advancement.
Brief Description of Job Classification:
The competencies illustrate the nature, extent and scope of duties and responsibilities of the job
classification. Competencies cannot and do not include all of the tasks or functions that might be
appropriately performed within a job classification.
Scope:
The [Public Health Laboratory] may provide advancement opportunities for [job classification] upon
completion of standardized requirements. Advancement under this process is based upon successful
job performance of the work duties and successful completion of the competency-based career ladder
plan for that level of work. Advancement is based on the employee’s proficiency within the job
classification, their qualifications, and the achievement of the selected competency-based proficiency
statements.
Association of Public Health Laboratories
This process applies to the [Public Health 8515
Laboratory]
for the
through
following targeted
Georgia Ave,
Suite progression
700 • Silver Spring,
MD the
20910
positions in the job classification:
[email protected]
rev. 05/16/2017
Page 3 of 3
[Laboratory Scientist I] → [Laboratory Scientist II] → [Laboratory Scientist III] → [Laboratory Scientist IV]
Since the employee and supervisor (including the Laboratory Director), work collectively to advance the
employee to higher levels of responsibility, there may be no need for a competitive hiring process.
Although the intention is to provide career advancements when employees complete the stated
requirements, there may be times when pay freezes or other budget constraints delay or limit career
advancements. In addition, this process may conflict with negotiated labor contracts, which will take
precedence to the applicable extent.
Tools and resources to aid in competency implementation will be posted on www.aphl.org
(Your Development > Professional Development).
Pilot one process such as position description, career ladder, or
performance or training assessments
Use a phased-in approach for additional products
Association of Public Health Laboratories
8515 Georgia Ave, Suite 700 • Silver Spring, MD 20910
rev. 5/15/2017
Association of Public Health Laboratories
8515 Georgia Ave, Suite 700 • Silver Spring, MD 20910
[email protected]
rev. 05/16/2017
Page 1 of 3
Incorporate the use of Laboratory Competencies into human resource and
laboratory processes
Evaluate effectiveness and revise as needed
Association of Public Health Laboratories
rev. 5/16/2017
8515 Georgia Ave, Suite 700 • Silver Spring, MD 20910
[email protected]
Form a Team
Gain
Leadership
Support
@APHL
www.aphl.org/CompetencyTools
To check out other APHL toolkits,
visit www.aphl.org /toolkits
rev. 5/16/2017
8515 Georgia Ave, Suite 700 • Silver Spring, MD 20910
[email protected]
PublicHealthLabs
%
7%
Medical and clinical
laboratory technologists
and technicians
Identify areas most in need of improvement
Analyze Current
HR Processes
Association of Public Health Laboratories
of laboratories
cite the lack of a
career path for
advancement as a
barrier to recruitment
Evaluate processes for developing position descriptions, career ladders,
Total, all occupations
assessing performance and training needs
[email protected]
Assimilate into
Institutional
Culture
Develop
Competency
Based Products
%
[Job
Classification] I
Competency Statements by Levels:
General
Quality Management System
The 15 domains of the Public Health Laboratory
[ 53 ] [ 76 ] [ 83 ] [ 73 ]
%
Minimum
Qualifications
Preferred
Qualifications
Competitive?
Certification
Needed?
Cross-cutting
Technical
The Laboratory Competency Guidelines are designed to support an individual in acquiring expertise
recruitment and retention – Why not the laboratory profession?
throughout their career. The Guidelines’ tier statements list desired behaviors that increase in scope and
responsibility in four levels: beginner, competent, proficient and expert. The tier statements are not linked
to a specific job position but rather to an individual’s development within a particular skill or behavior.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Projection of Job Growth through 2024
Analyze Current
HR Processes
Develop
Competency
Based Products
Assimilate into
Institutional
Culture
General Laboratory Practice
Safety • Surveillance
Informatics
laboratorian’s ability to correctly perform
Competency Guidelines
individual tests that are assigned to them.
Fortune 500 companies as well as other health care professions CLIA
are now
looking measure proficiency of performing a test and do not provide for a progression of
assessments
knowledge,
skills
closely at behavior-based competency models as a way to address
challenges
of and abilities (KSAs) with behaviors that demonstrate professional and personal growth.
Educate leadership on Laboratory Competencies and the value of their use
Secure support and commitment
Standard Qualifications:
Specialized
Ethics • Management and Leadership
Communication • Security • Workforce Training
Emergency Management and Response
Laboratory Professions are Challenged
For example, the CLIA assessments are six
Prioritize
Incorporation of
Competencies
Road Map for Implementing Competencies
in Your Workplace
The Laboratory Competency Guidelines are
a series of behaviors or skills separated into
15 different domains that cover the breadth
of laboratory practice. These behavior-based
competency guidelines differ from the
personnel competency assessments required
to meet regulatory requirements such as
CLIA, ISO or NELAC.
Microbiology
Chemistry
Bioinformatics
Research
APHL.org
Spring 2019 LAB MATTERS
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