Using a Personal Blog to snag a Medical Job

August 28th, 2015

One great way to position yourself as an expert in the healthcare industry is by publishing your own medical articles. You don’t necessarily need to be a Hemingway-level writer, as the ability to clearly communicate concepts and ideas is the essential requirement. You are able to publish your insights on your own blog or even on social media sites, like LinkedIn.

Once you grow your readership, post your availability for a position in the medical field, and watch companies fight over your services. Interested? Let’s see how to make it happen!

Hone your Writing Skills

Before setting up a blog, write a few articles about industry topics of interest to you. Have some friends proofread them for grammar and overall readability. When you are ready to publish your blog, it helps to have a small portfolio of articles for its “grand opening.”

Choose a Blogging Platform

WordPress is the most popular blogging platform. If you know how to use Microsoft Word or similar word processor, you won’t have a problem publishing with WordPress. You are able to host a blog for free on WordPress.com, or if you want to pay for your own domain name and website, the WordPress software installs easily; giving you more control over features, layout, and even advertising revenue.

If you enjoy a large professional network on LinkedIn, publishing your articles there is another option, especially if you want to be noticed in the medical industry. Sharing your own blog articles on the site is a must if you decide on using WordPress or another blogging platform.

Promote your Blog

Once you are publishing blog posts, be sure to promote your activities on medical industry specific websites and social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Learn how to intelligently use hashtags, SEO, and other social promotion techniques to help your articles get noticed.

When it comes time to look for a new position in the healthcare industry, post your availability on your blog and make sure to put the blog’s URL on your résumé and cover letter template. Now interested medical companies are able to learn more about your skills by reading your articles and other posts.

If you need additional insight on finding a great job in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. One of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help further your career. Schedule a meeting with us today!

How To Help Your Nurses Reach A Higher Level Of Clinical Expertise

August 21st, 2015

Considering the increasing complexity of the medical industry — advancements in technology and patient care being two obvious examples — hospitals and doctors offices want nurses with a higher level of clinical expertise. Clinical ladder programs are helping nurses improve their skills by becoming more involved in aspects of healthcare normally reserved for those professionals in a leadership role.

These types of programs are a great way to improve the quality of care at your medical establishment. Let’s take a closer look at some ideas to make clinical ladder programs successful and how they help nurses — and their employers — advance the practice of healthcare.

Let your Nurses run Educational In-Service Programs

If any of your nurses recently received relevant training, have them host an in-service program where they present that material to the rest of your staff. The other nurses benefit from exposure to the content, while the presenting nurse gains additional experience in public speaking and preparing the course material.

Make it a point to hold these in-services regularly, while letting any interested nurse present their own topic of interest. This is great way to improve the overall knowledge base at your hospital or office.

Encourage your Staff to acquire Certifications

Achieving a national certification in a specialty helps a nurse’s career as well as the level of patient care your team provides. This also nicely ties into previous point about in-service programs. Encourage recently certified nurses to mentor their coworkers and host in-services so all your staff are also able to earn certifications.

Project Improvement Initiatives are a Plus

Continuous process improvement is a goal of nearly all companies in the business world. The medical industry should be no different. Create a quarterly project improvement initiative at your medical establishment and let your nursing staff play a key role in its development, implementation, and after the fact analysis.

Creating a clinical ladder program and leveraging these three ideas as part of the program helps your nurses do a better job, and more importantly, patient care improves as a result.

If your medical organization needs additional insight on building a winning team focused on quality patient care, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top healthcare staffing agencies, we offer the vetted candidates able to contribute to your team. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience.

Tips on Building a Safe Patient Handling Program

August 14th, 2015

Patient care needs to be the prime focus of nearly all healthcare or medical organizations. Many hospitals, doctors’ offices, and urgent care facilities develop Safe Patient Handling programs (SPH) to facilitate the safe transportation of patients within a hospital or even as they are admitted and discharged. Your medical organization’s frontline workers need the right training and equipment to help ensure patient safety — as well as their own — whenever patients must be moved during their treatment.

Patient care and your own workers’ well-being benefit from a thorough safe patient handling program. With that in mind, here are a few tips for building a SPH program at your healthcare organization.

Start Off the Process with a Gap Analysis

Before determining what items need to be part of a SPH program, your organization needs to analyze the current patient handling situation compared to the ideal. This is called a Gap analysis, a widely used business planning tool, and it helps your team build a roadmap for how to develop and implement your own SPH procedures.

This Gap analysis identifies any weaknesses in your current approach, and when combined with input from your current staff, helps determine the steps to fix any issues as part of the new program.

The Right SPH Training and Equipment are a Must

Once you and your team develop the new SPH program, it is important for your staff to receive the right amount of training to ensure its proper implementation. Tailor training programs to the specific medical professionals involved with patient interaction. For example, a physical therapist has different training needs when compared to a nurse.

The right equipment needed for safe patient transportation and handling is another vital part of any SPH program. Once again, proper training programs on using this equipment need to be emphasized. Consider making a certification test on this equipment a part of your SPH program.

Proper development and implementation of a SPH program ensures patient safety remains paramount at your medical organization. Additionally, your own employees’ safety also benefits from the use of SPH procedures.

If your healthcare company needs additional insight or a supply of excellent candidates, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical staffing agencies, we can help ensure your overall success. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience.

Five Tips for Networking as a Medical Professional

August 7th, 2015

The healthcare industry is no different from any other business sector: in order to succeed in your career, professional networking is a must. A robust network makes it easier to find a new position when it comes time to look for another job. It may even offer you the chance to position yourself as a thought leader in your field.

Here are five tips for growing your own professional network in the medical industry.

A LinkedIn Account is a Professional Requirement

LinkedIn is a great place for medical professionals to network online. Create a profile if you haven’t yet, and make sure you keep it up to date — consider the profile to be an online version of your résumé. Make it a point to connect with other professionals in your area and endorse their abilities, in the hope they return the favor.

Post Industry-related Articles on LinkedIn

Staying active on LinkedIn helps you get noticed by other professionals in the medical industry. If you write well, leverage this skill to author industry-related articles on your account, as this positions yourself as a thought leader. Even if your writing skill suffers, posting other industry news also serves to grow your network.

Don’t forget to connect on Other Social Networks

While LinkedIn is the preeminent social network for professionals, don’t forget to also leverage Twitter and Facebook. Remember to use the privacy settings to segregate your professional and personal activity — especially on Facebook. Either way, use common sense when posting any material your work-related contacts may deem unprofessional.

Attend Medical Industry Seminars and Conventions

Any local healthcare industry seminars and conventions offer you a great chance to meet your colleagues in person. Make sure to bring a copious amount of business cards when attending. If you are confident in your medical industry knowledge, consider speaking at one of these events — the advantages to your career are great!

A Healthcare Recruiter is a Valuable Member of your Network

A recruiter from a leading medical staffing agency in your area needs to be an important part of your professional network. One who understands the local market and the industry as a whole definitely helps to keep your career on an upward trend.

When searching for a top notch healthcare employment agency, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. One of the top medical staffing agencies in country, we can help take your career to the next level. Schedule some time with us today!

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