Skills Identification for Healthcare Facility Engineering Technicians

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify the technical skills that are necessary for competency as a facility engineering technician (FET) in the healthcare built environment. The Delphi method was used to draw upon the knowledge and experience of healthcare facility engineering managers and technicians to identify and prioritize baseline technical skills, as well as to identify proficiency levels for the skills. A total of 73 skills were identified as necessary for healthcare FET baseline competency including areas of wood, plastic, and composite; flooring; doors; plaster and gypsum board; mechanical support; fire support; plumbing; electrical; and safety and compliance. Of these 73 skills, 35 were deemed key with strong agreement consensus. Successfully recruiting, training, and maintaining a competent FET workforce is essential but challenging for healthcare organizations, in part because of the lack of formal education programs and an unclear path of entry into the profession. The results of this research are valuable in that they can be used to develop training for the healthcare FET workforce. Trainers can use the findings of this research when developing curriculum and determining which skills to emphasize. Healthcare organizations can use the findings to assess current capabilities across staff, to determine whether there are gaps in needed skills and to begin developing strategic programs in response to the challenges of attracting and retaining competent FETs. This research suggests other types of jobs need to be examined to move toward developing a more complete understanding of the skills and capabilities necessary for the spectrum of the facility engineering workforce (from technical to managerial) to address attrition, recruitment, retention, and succession challenges.