Three Ways to Stay Fully Staffed During the Summer as a Medical Facility

May 24th, 2016

As the Spring weather continues to improve, thoughts increasingly turn to Summer and vacation time. At this time of the year, keeping a full staff becomes a challenge for managers in many industries, and the world of healthcare is no different. Maintaining a proper level of patient care remains the highest priority.

With that in mind, here are a few ideas for maintaining your medical office or hospital staffing levels during the summertime when everyone’s thoughts turn to vacation and the beach. Let’s take a closer look.

Require an Early Deadline for Vacation Requests

Make sure you require an early deadline from your employees for submitting vacation requests. This rule should apply throughout the year, but it is especially important for both summertime and the end of the year Holiday season. Consider a deadline of at least one month before the actual period in question for any time off longer than two days.

Instituting this policy gives you enough lead time to stagger your shift schedule to ensure the quality of patient care doesn’t degrade. If necessary, consider moving employees onto different shifts on a temporary basis to better handle the load.

Cross Train your Medical Employees

Consider cross-training your medical team so they are more familiar with tasks not normally part of their daily routine. Try to accomplish this during the parts of the year when few employees are out on vacation. Focus on techniques and technologies used by only a small portion of your team.

Ensure there are trained back-ups for any significant function at your firm — the same rule applies for clerical duties. This allows your medical office to maintain a high level of service when multiple workers are taking time off simultaneously.

Consider adding Temporary Employees

Adding some temporary medical employees is another great way to ensure your office maintains a high-efficiency level during the summer holiday season. Talk with your medical staffing agency partner for a list of well-qualified candidates interested in a temporary position. This also provides a great way to test out a candidate before potentially offering them a permanent position.

When searching for healthcare employment agency partner, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s leading medical staffing agencies, we provide fully-vetted candidates interested in either temporary or permanent work. Make it a point to contact us at your earliest convenience.

Is your Medical Unit Using These Mobile Apps?

May 17th, 2016

The pace of technology innovation continues unabated in the medical industry. Over the past few years, hospitals and medical offices are increasingly leveraging mobile apps to improve efficiency and ultimately provide better patient care. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with some of the leading medical apps is a smart thing for your nursing career.

Here are some of the top mobile apps currently helping nurses do a better job. Consider downloading one or all of them to your Android smartphone or tablet.

Staying Organized with Google Calendar

While Google Calendar isn’t a medical app per se, it offers nurses the means to organize both their work and personal lives. It helps you keep track of your scheduled shifts, and its reminder feature ensures you won’t miss any important events. Best of all, this Android app is free at the Google Play store.

A Dictionary of Nursing Terms in your Pocket

Medical Terminologies provides you with a collection of definitions used in the healthcare industry. This dictionary data is stored on your mobile device, so you won’t need a wireless connection to access the information. The app is free, but additional definitions are available as an in-app purchase.

WebMD’s Mobile App

Medscape is a free mobile app offered by WebMD. This app is a must, covering the latest in healthcare news and drug information, along with a host of accredited CE courses. It might become the most popular medical app on your smartphone.

A Calendar App specifically for Nurses

If Google Calendar doesn’t meet your needs, consider downloading Nurse’s Aid. This free app provides short-term scheduling features, and is perfect for keeping you organized throughout your daily shift.

Helping you Study for the NCLEX-RN Exam

If the NCLEX-RN exam is on your schedule, consider purchasing the NCLEX RN Mastery app. Don’t let its $29.99 price scare you away, as the app’s collection of practice questions and timed quizzes helps ensure you pass the exam. Maybe you can be reimbursed for the app cost?

The Nurse’s Drug Handbook at your Fingertips

Essentially a mobile version of the paper edition, the Nurse’s Drug Handbook app puts all that valuable pharmaceutical information on your smartphone or tablet. Its $24.99 yearly price is steep, but the easy search functionality saves you time when it matters.

Many of these same apps are available for the iOS platform, so search the iTunes App Store if you are an iPhone or iPad owner.

If you need additional insights on developing your nursing career, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. One of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help you grow as a professional. Contact us today!

Feel in over Your Head in the Medical Field?

May 10th, 2016

In many cases, professionals are judged by how well they react to adversity instead of their performance during the more halcyon times. This same rule applies to your personal life as well as your medical career. Anytime you begin to feel overwhelmed, it is important to take a deep breath and analyze the situation before taking any ill-considered action or even giving up.

Since simply flying off the handle when circumstances become too difficult is never a good tactic, here are a few ideas for responding smartly to those kinds of situations.

Let the Left Side of your Brain take Over

Acting in a rational manner is vital when confronted with a stressful situation. On the other hand, becoming too emotional could lead to a bad decision, which is a never a good thing when working in a hospital or medical office. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts and formulate a plan of action.

The left side of your brain is more logical compared to the right side. Don’t feel overwhelmed, and instead, rely on your training and experience to formulate a plan of action to properly handle the situation. Once again, deep breaths and positive thoughts help this process by lessening your stress level — it will all work out for the best.

Don’t try and handle Everything by Yourself

When dealing with a medical emergency or any situation beyond your skill set, don’t feel like you need to solve the issue on your own. Remember, you are just one member of a talented healthcare team and one or more of your coworkers can offer insight and advice to help handle the problem. The worst thing you can do is panic while subsequently making a mistake without seeking input from others.

This is an example of a circumstance where you can’t let pride or fear keep you from asking for help from someone else. Patient care needs to be the overriding concern in the medical industry. It is important to keep this golden rule in mind whenever you feel you are unable to handle a situation properly. Seek help if you feel you are in over your head.

If you are looking for the means to supercharge your healthcare industry career, contact the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s leading medical staffing agencies, we provide the insight to take your professional life to its highest level. Contact our medical staffing professionals at your earliest convenience.

Building an All-Star Medical Unit — How to find (and hire) the Best Candidates

May 3rd, 2016

Any business is only as good as its employees, and this time-honored saying definitely holds true in the medical industry. Providing quality patient care and ultimately enjoying success becomes more difficult without a great team at your medical office. Your organization needs to find, hire, and retain the top talent to truly succeed.

Building a winning team in the medical industry takes a plan and some effort. Let’s take a closer look at some ideas to get you started.

Make your Medical Company the Place Everyone wants to Work

Developing a positive and nurturing company culture plays a big role when trying to attract superior talent in the medical industry. Ensure your employees maintain a work/life balance by offering generous time-off and other perks. Reward them with good salaries, tuition reimbursement, and quality insurance.

Publicize your great company culture both online and in print publications. Offer a bonus to your current employees for referrals of great candidates. Sponsor local charity events and encourage your staff to take part. These all play a role in making your company the place to be for medical professionals.

Visit Local Nursing Schools

Finding great talent as their careers are just beginning also is a factor in building a top-notch medical team. Maintain a presence at the nursing schools in your area. You benefit from publicizing your company at the school, while you also gain access to the brightest minds early in their medical career.

The Latest Technology and Interesting Work

Don’t skimp when it comes to giving your staff access to state of the art technology. This helps to ensure you retain your best talent. A good supply of interesting project work focused on improving patient care also contributes to a high rate of retention.

A Partnership with Medical Staffing Agency

Partnering with a top notch local staffing agency in the healthcare industry is another important part of building the best possible team at your office. The best employment agencies maintain a robust supply of quality candidates, so your firm doesn’t get bogged down in a time-consuming hiring process. You are able to focus on providing superior patient care while knowing your employment needs are being handled by industry experts who understand your company’s vision.

When searching for a staffing agency partner, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s leading medical employment agencies, we can help build an all-star medical unit at your office. Meet with us at your earliest convenience and contact our staffing experts today.

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