Building Resilience in Public Health Laboratory Professionals Through Training

Public health laboratories serve as the backbone of disease surveillance, outbreak response and diagnostic testing. Professionals in these laboratories face immense pressure during public health emergencies, such as pandemics, natural disasters and emerging infectious disease threats to deliver quick results and accurate information in real-time. These high-stakes environments demand not only technical expertise but also emotional and psychological resilience. One of the most effective strategies for fostering resilience among public health laboratory professionals is comprehensive, ongoing training.

Resilience refers to the ability to adapt, recover and thrive in the face of adversity. For laboratory professionals, resilience is critical because their work often involves unpredictable challenges – surges in testing demand, evolving pathogens and resource constraints. Without resilience, stress can lead to burnout, errors and decreased productivity, ultimately compromising public health outcomes. Building resilience ensures that professionals can maintain performance under pressure, safeguard their well-being and continue to deliver accurate and timely results.

While training provides the foundation for resilience, its effectiveness depends on a clear framework. Competencies offer that structure, ensuring training is purposeful and aligned with the demands of public health laboratory work.

Training equips professionals with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to navigate complex situations. It goes beyond technical instruction; effective training programs incorporate problem-solving, communication and stress management strategies. Here are several ways training contributes to resilience:

• Enhancing Technical Competence: When professionals are confident in their technical abilities, they are better prepared to handle emergencies. Training in advanced diagnostic techniques, biosafety protocols and quality assurance reduces uncertainty and builds trust in one’s capabilities. This confidence is a cornerstone of resilience.
• Promoting Adaptability: Public health threats evolve rapidly. Training that emphasizes flexibility—such as cross-training in multiple laboratory functions—enables staff to pivot when priorities shift. Adaptability reduces anxiety during crises and fosters a sense of control.
• Strengthening Communication Skills: Clear communication within teams and with external partners is essential during emergencies. Training in effective communication ensures that professionals can share critical information accurately and efficiently, reducing misunderstandings and stress.

Competencies provide the framework for building strong, adaptable public health laboratory professionals. A competency-based approach ensures that training aligns with the knowledge, skills and behaviors required for success in high-stakes environments. This alignment reduces uncertainty and builds confidence—key elements of resilience.

Embedding competencies into training design creates a structured pathway for professional growth that strengthens both technical expertise and emotional resilience. This approach ensures that public health laboratory professionals are prepared to meet today’s challenges and equipped to adapt and thrive in the face of future public health threats.

Resilience is not a one-time achievement—it requires ongoing reinforcement. Public health laboratories should adopt a culture of continuous learning, where training is viewed as an integral part of professional development rather than a periodic requirement. Regular drills, simulations and refresher courses keep skills sharp and confidence high. Moreover, incorporating lessons learned from past emergencies into training ensures that professionals are prepared for future challenges.

The APHL Learning Center (ALC) plays a vital role in sustaining resilience among public health laboratory professionals. With more than 365 learning activities —including 160 online courses, live webinars, archived webinars and conference recordings the ALC offers flexible, on demand opportunities for continuous professional development. In 2025, more than 45 live webinars were delivered by APHL science programs and workforce development programs that continue to be available as archived webinars for up to a year.

By leveraging these resources, laboratories can strengthen technical competence, enhance communication, and support mental well-being, ensuring their workforce remains prepared for evolving public health challenges. Since 2023, there have been 38,100 learning activities completed in the ALC with most of the activities providing continuing education credits that public health laboratory staff may need to keep their state licensures or professional certifications.

Complementing these on‑demand offerings, APHL convenes the biennial Public Health Laboratory Training Conference (PHLTC) to connect laboratory training coordinators, biosafety trainers and sentinel laboratory outreach trainers, among others, for hands‑on learning, peer exchange and program improvement. PHLTC—planned by APHL in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Division of Laboratory Systems—brings together the nation’s public health laboratory training community to share model practices, successes and challenges in training. It is held every two to three years, as funding permits.

PHLTC features plenary and breakout sessions focused on training design and delivery (i.e., adult learning approaches, competencies models, evaluation schema, training modalities, etc.), quality and safety including biosafety and risk assessment and outreach with partners such as Laboratory Response Network (LRN) sentinel laboratories. The overarching goal is to connect public health laboratory trainers and strengthen training programs across jurisdictions. The most recent conference, held in September 2025 in Portland, Maine was attended by 92 in-person and 271 virtual participants.

When laboratory professionals are resilient, the benefits extend beyond individual well-being. Resilient teams are more cohesive, collaborative, and innovative. They can respond to crises more effectively, minimizing delays in testing and reporting. This, in turn, strengthens public health systems and enhances community trust. Ultimately, investing in training to build resilience is not just about supporting staff—it is about safeguarding public health. By prioritizing comprehensive and continuous training, public health laboratories can ensure that their workforce remains strong, capable, and ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead.