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National Accrediting
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| Archives |
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Volume 99 - Summer 2008
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President's Report
Change
by Cheryl Caskey, MA, CLS, CLSplH(NCA)
President, Board of Directors |
"Change has a considerable psychological impact on the human mind. To the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get worse. To the hopeful it is encouraging because things may get better. To the confident it is inspiring because the challenge exists to make things better." - King Whitney, Jr.
Change is inevitable in all phases of our lives. How we approach, embrace, and frame it is telling. The Clinical Laboratory Science (CLS) professions are changing and many aspects of educating future practitioners must change also. I think every one of us would like-in fact, we feel it is our due-to see the Clinical Laboratory Science professions have more prestige and visibility. That will only happen when WE make it happen-no one will carry our banner for us. We are the only ones with a dog in this fight. The CLS student paradigm must change to better equip future professionals to integrate differently into the healthcare team. Advocacy must become an integral part of what we do. I am not just referring to advocacy for the profession in the legislative arena, which is certainly important to the profession. Advocacy for the profession includes educating our healthcare colleagues and the public about CLS and how our professionals impact them personally. Educators and managers alike must be advocacy role models. Laboratory staff members take their cues from management and pay attention to what their leaders find important. Students take cues from educators. Advocacy has not been a constant in our professions in the same way it has been in some of the other health professions like nursing or pharmacy. Both of these professions are more visible than CLS making their advocacy initiatives easier at the outset. Overall, clinical laboratory professionals have not been strong advocates for our professions. We want the prestige and recognition but do not seem to understand how to achieve them. I think it must start in the CLS classroom. Students need to understand early on that advocacy must be part of what they do. When that happens, our future managers and educators will change the landscape of this profession.What new or changed roles do you see for future practitioners? The Doctorate of Clinical Laboratory Science (DCLS) is one of the major role changes just over the horizon. Other opportunities will present and our roles will continue to change and evolve.
It is time to review and update the NAACLS Standards and that review must be done with the future in mind.
In addition to updating Standards, NAACLS must change how it gathers information, assesses programs, and looks at student outcomes. We must incorporate the electronic tools and technology now available into our processes. We must seriously evaluate the information we require from programs for self-studies and be sure it relates to outcomes. If it does not, we must question the value of it.
The NAACLS Strategic Plan is an excellent blueprint by which the organization will be able to effectively change how future practitioners are educated. It reflects our need to be conscientious about moving to processes that gather only the data needed for program assessment and to do it electronically. It identifies the areas where we must make changes. It challenges us to pursue educational innovation and emphasize flexibility. It stresses the need to make mentoring and education programs available to new program directors and NAACLS volunteers.
NAACLS itself is also changing. It is reaching out to its constituency to evaluate customer service and make the identified changes needed. A Quality Program is changing how data is being evaluated and will trend it into meaningful information; information that is not useful will not be collected. The staff and leadership will review data collected and make adjustments to keep our processes and programs innovative, timely, and meeting the needs of those we serve. NAACLS is also becoming more transparent to its constituency and to the public by posting more program information on the website.
How do you view these real and coming changes? Are you fearful (things will not improve), hopeful (things could get better), or confident (innovation and change are inspiring) as we move forward?
I just read an article ASCLS (then ASMT) Past President Mary Briden (Arizona) wrote for the Arizona society newsletter, (Cactus Chronicle) in 1985 entitled, "The Emerging Trends of Change." She noted a friend once told her there are three types of people:
- Those who make things happen
Those that watch things happen
Those that sit around and wonder what happened
Which category do you fall into? NAACLS is making things happen and will be a better and stronger organization because of it. Think about your friends and colleagues and the ones with whom you most enjoy spending time. Most of us enjoy being around those who make things happen-they energize, inspire, and challenge us to stretch ourselves, to explore new things.
Those who watch things happen can only experience things through others-not the best way to see change happen. Those on the sidelines are judgmental or apathetic rather than contribute their talents to the tasks at hand. People in the third category notice change at some point-they just are too apathetic or out of touch to engage in things.
"Change your thoughts and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale. Each us of must challenge ourselves to embrace change. Embracing change will move us forward as a profession and as an organization. It will provide the landscape for future practitioners and will create an environment where innovation and intellect can flourish in the profession and in NAACLS.
"Nothing endures but change." - Heraclitus.
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Newly Accredited and Approved Programs, April 08 | |||
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President's Report
Change by Cheryl Caskey, MA, CLS, CLSplH(NCA) President, Board of Directors |
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Qatar University Celebrates Accreditation of the Biomedical Sciences Program
by Victor A. Skrinska, PhD Lead Scholar/Distinguished Professor Biomedical Sciences Program, Qatar University |
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CEO's Corner
All Hazard Preparation and Execution Competencies: A Curricular Necessity? by Dianne M. Cearlock, PhD Chief Executive Officer |
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Dr. NAACLS | |||
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NAACLS New BOD Member Appointed Dean | |||
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NAACLS Volunteer, Dr.Vicki S. Freeman, Receives 2008 Piper Professor Award | |||
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AMA's Health Care Careers Directory Expands
Information provided by the AMA for distribution purposes |
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Board of Directors Update, April 08 | |||
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Fall 2008/Winter 2009 Site Visits | |||
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Copyright © 2008 National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. All rights reserved. Comments or suggestions to the site editor. |
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