Well, Judy hit on a couple of points, but I would like to add that most of
the direction in education requirements is coming from us professionals and
not from the government. Look at NCA, ASCLS and ASCP for these efforts - all
NON governmental. As a matter of fact I'm disappointed in the latest
iteration of the CLIA regs. On the one hand they try to make the profession
sound more "professional", and on the other hand they allow OJT techs to do
highly complex testing.

It's a well known fact that nurses are leaving their
profession in droves.  And they are leaving it in
such numbers that the new nurses coming out of
shools are not enough to replace them.

Job dissatisfaction is perhaps higher in nursing
than in other health professions.  But other health
professions also have a problem with people leaving
well before their retirement age.

I happen to be one of those other health
professionals.  And I too will probably leave my
profession soon.

It's not only poor working conditions and lack of
control over my work that upsets me.  I also don't
like the unreasonable government interference in my
work and in my life.

Local governments in most places have recently
created many new rules and regulations that govern
health professionals.  And now I find myself in a
ridiculous situation where my many years of
work-experience and continuing self-education count
for nothing.  According to these new government
regulations, I'm now actually less qualified to do
my work than the new graduates who have no
work-experience.

I suppose this is what happens when some bureaucrats
in a far away place take it on themselves to judge
who is competent to do his or her work and who is
not.

I have more than kept up with the advances my
profession through continuing self-education.
Whenever I come accross something I'm not familiar
with in my work, then I go on the internet and find
out about it in much greater detail than is really
necessary for me to do my work.  And what I learn
this way actually stays in my head.  The information
has real meaning for me because it is relevant to my
everyday work.

But the new government rules and regulations
completely ignore this kind of learning.  And they
penalize people like me.

According to my local government, I'm now not
qualified to do my work because I've not taken
enough formal courses and I've not memorized a bunch
of facts most of which have little to do with my
everyday work.

I can accept that the government and employers  have
an interest in making sure that health professionals
are competent in their work.  And would have no
problem, if periodically I had to write an exam to
assess my knowledge.  And if I fail the exam, then I
can accept that I need to take a course or two to
upgrade my knowledge.

But I do have a problem when the government tells me
that I'm not qualified to do my work, despite the
fact that my supervisors praise me for my competence
and the good quality of my work and I have not
failed any exams.

I've recently looked up the internet site of the
organization created by my local government for
regulating and registering people in my profession.
And what I've read there really turned me off.

This internet site reminds the reader that their
organization has been created by government
legislation to regulate workers like me.  They have
the authority to do it.  And what's more, practicing
in my profession is a "priveledge", not a right.

In other words, 'Workers like me have to do as they
say, or else'.

Well, I don't need this kind of bulshit from the
government.  There are many other professions where
the pay and the working conditions are better.  And
there are many other professions where employers
recognize and value the competence and the years of
work experience of their employees.

I don't need some far away government bureaucrat
whom I've never met telling me that I'm not
competent, when both I and my employer know that I
am competent.

I will leave my profession.  And my only regret is
that I chose to go into this profession in the first
place.  If I had known that the government will
start interfering in my work and in my life this
way, then I would have chosen some other profession.