AM23-SN-14-O: Present Day Blood Banking Trials and Tribulations; Staffing Challenges (Enduring)

Transfusion Medicine continues to be an exciting and challenging field. Over the years, transfusion medicine has consistently evolved, including significant transitions from manual testing to automation, serological testing to molecular typing, and a plethora of blood product advancements. However, the evolution of transfusion medicine has not occurred without challenges. One of the Transfusion Medicine’s most significant present challenges is short staffing, which has been exacerbated by the aging workforce. Coupled with the decreased influx of new graduates, it is imperative to consider the impact of short staffing on Blood Bank processes.This session will review the following three key Blood Bank essentials: (1) Human Resources, (2) The Impact of Staffing on the Current Work Environment, (3) Operational Workflows to address Ever-Changing Setting of Transfusion Medicine various factors led to the current staffing shortages that will be reviewed during this session. The session will also cover initiatives addressing attrition and increasing recruitment (including international recruitment). The staffing shortage also has had a multi-faceted adverse impact on the Blood Bank operations, from turnaround time to personnel morale. In addition, Blood Banks have had to make operational changes to address the staff shortage and mitigate the impact. This session will identify workflows that enable Blood Banks to do more with less and address real-life initiatives that deal with staff shortages.