Job Satisfaction, Workload, and Burnout Among Medical Laboratory Professionals: Their Interrelationships and Implications for Workforce Well-Being

Abstract

This systematic review synthesized empirical evidence on the interrelationships among workload, job satisfaction, and burnout among medical laboratory professionals (MLPs) and evaluated their implications for workforce well-being and service sustainability. Guided by Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search across six electronic databases yielded 1,635 records published between 2015 and 2025, with 44 meeting the full inclusion criteria. Using an inductive thematic analysis, the synthesized data generated six core themes: operational and structural pressures, professional identity and recognition, burnout and mental health implications, leadership and organizational climate, growth and workforce sustainability, and coping mechanisms during crisis periods. The findings indicate that excessive workloads, chronic staffing shortages, and limited workflow automation consistently drive emotional exhaustion, diminish job satisfaction, and heighten diagnostic error risks, ultimately threatening patient safety. Conversely, administrative recognition, role clarity, supportive leadership, and continuing professional development function as essential protective job resources that mitigate turnover intentions. Grounded in the Job Demands-Resources framework, the review demonstrates that addressing systemic organizational stressors through proactive workforce planning, safe staffing guidelines, and continuous mental health monitoring is vital to safeguarding workforce well-being and guaranteeing long-term diagnostic service quality.