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Shift Length and Error Frequency in Plasma Donation Centers
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Authors
Carter, Tessa
Department
Healthcare Administration
Issue Date
2025-12
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Plasma donation centers across the United States are currently facing staffing shortages, leading to longer work shifts and increased operational pressure on existing personnel. These high-risk environments require exceptional precision, especially in donor identification, phlebotomy, and sample handling, where human errors can result in serious safety breaches or compromised plasma quality. While broader healthcare literature has documented the negative effects of extended shift lengths on clinical performance and error rates, few studies have directly examined how these dynamics play out within plasma donation settings. This study aims to explore the relationship between shift length and the frequency of documented errors made by donor-facing staff in plasma donation centers across the Midwestern United States. Using quantitative, correlational research design, and retrospective data from staffing and incident logs, this research will analyze whether longer work shifts are statistically associated with increased error rates. Common errors include mislabeling, donor misidentification, and documentation lapses, with high-severity incidents disproportionately occurring in shifts over 11 hours. The findings support the implementation of evidence-based scheduling policies, fatigue management protocols, and real-time quality monitoring systems. Recommendations include limiting shift length to 8–10 hours, optimizing staff-to-donor ratios, and integrating change management strategies to improve safety culture. This research contributes to a growing body of evidence advocating for sustainable workforce practices in plasma collection environments and offers actionable insights for healthcare administrators and policymakers.
Description
Fall 2025 Graduate Project/Thesis/Capstone in Healthcare Administration.