As the battle for the top candidates in the medical industry gets fierce, one hospital is using a unique perk to ensure their staffing needs are met. A Florida-based hospital actually sold off some of their land to a developer to build an apartment complex. The developer agreed to offer special three-month leases to employees of the hospital before opening rentals to the general public, and once all units are filled, hospital workers get placed on the top of the waiting list if desired.

Of course, not all hospitals or medical offices enjoy the luxury of extra land for a housing project, but let’s look more closely at the issue to see if your organization needs to up its game when engaged in the hiring process.

A Useful Perk for attracting Out of State Job Candidates

This Florida hospital felt that convenient housing located close to their facility offered a great perk for out of state recruits interested in relocating to the area for a new job. This makes a lot of sense for the hospital, as the central Florida area is known for poor commutes and the high cost of apartment rentals. This gives them a unique advantage when competing against the other medical establishments in the area for top candidates currently living in another region.

Smart candidates who research a location before considering a move for work are probably aware of the area’s strengths and weaknesses, so medical firms sometimes must offer innovative perks to lure the top talent.

Affordable Housing only one Piece of this Hospital’s Strategy

This new apartment complex, located five minutes away from the medical facility, is part of the hospital’s “health village” concept which hopes to include retail and dining establishments, a parking garage, and a fitness facility with a pool. The hospital’s effort to attract the top medical industry talent provides a good example for medical firms across the country.

If your healthcare organization is looking to improve its hiring efforts, then be sure to talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we offer the business insight and quality candidates to help ensure your company’s success. Schedule some time with us today!

There’s no denying the importance of technology within the healthcare industry. It is vital that nurses and other medical professionals stay up to speed with the latest IT innovations related to their job.

If you work in the nursing profession, honing your information technology skills are an important part of a successful career. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some IT skills all nurses need to possess in their tool box.

Experience with a Variety of Records Systems is a Must

As the medical industry continues in its migration towards 100 percent usage of electronic record keeping, it is important that nurses become well-versed in the variety of record systems used in the industry. This also includes the data analysis and reporting techniques helping to derive relevant and actionable information from stored patient data.

The Growing Importance of Nursing Informatics

The added emphasis on the development of information technology skills in nursing has led to a new career specialization called nursing informatics. As hinted at in its name, nursing informatics is a hybrid discipline, combining skills from both nursing and information technology. Although the American Nursing Association first defined the term in 1992, this area of nursing has seen rapid growth over the last 10 years.

The development of IT systems related to clinical documentation, electronic medical records (EMR), and electronic health records (EHR) is a major area of responsibility of informatics nurses. If you are an experienced nurse with an affinity for computers and IT, consider moving into a nursing informatics role in the future.

Integration of Medical Records Systems remains Vital

One of the ways IT-savvy nurses can make a valuable difference in today’s healthcare industry is by helping to understand the challenges involved with integrating data records between the variety of EMR and EHR systems currently in use. Understanding how data is organized is a great skill to help with this process.

If you are interested in supercharging your nursing career by emphasizing on information technology, talk to the industry experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we understand how IT makes a difference in the field and can help ensure you have the right skills to succeed. Meet with us at your earliest convenience.

When summer hits, you may feel the temptation to slack off a bit and take a vacation from school, work, and even the job hunt. In spite of those feelings, summer can be the best time to find a perfect medical job that will carry you into the fall and even into a promising future. The summer job market is full of opportunities as companies have settled into their routine and know their staffing needs in a clear way. Current teams have identified their strengths and the gaps are obvious so the job search can be in favor of the candidates during the summer searching times. If you are on the market for a new job, consider putting in applications before the rush of summer but even if you missed that time frame, it’s never too late to send out your resume to companies or even to work with a staffing agency to find a perfect new position.

What to Look for in a New Job?

The summer may be warm but the job market in some cities is even warmer. Not only can you find a job that meets your salary expectations but also one where you can make a difference in the life of your patients. A summer medical job can have various components, making it an ideal position for those who are qualified. Here are some things to look for in a summer job:

1. Consistency. When you need steady work, a staffing firm may have just the right positions for you. You won’t need to keep applying to new jobs as you will be in their system and as summer medical jobs become available, they can present you to the potential employers.
2. Flexibility. With summer jobs often comes the ability to have a more flexible schedule. As patients take vacations, days off, and even spend time away from their homes, you may have the ability to work with other patients or to even have downtime for yourself.
3. Location. Have you ever considered taking medical jobs that require travel? A perk of the traveling medical jobs is you will have chance to see various parts of the country. It can be a fun way to sightsee while earning a living at the same time. You could have an adventure each and every summer with a new medical job that requires travel to provide care.
4. Permanent. Some of the summer jobs turn into full-time jobs after the three months and you could start the fall season with a permanent medical job. For those who may just be starting out in the medical field, a summer medical job is a smart way to learn, work with professionals, and work with real patients.

Your summer medical job can be the launching pad for a new career or even as a way to get your “foot in the door” at a new facility while still maintaining a steady job. While others are on vacation, take some time in the summer to further your education and apply for summer medical jobs that will take your career to the next level.

Working in the healthcare industry is a daily challenge for those in leadership positions, HR managers, and even for the employees. It is a high stress environment where teams are constantly on the move and regulations can change overnight so it is crucial for employees to feel support and value on a daily basis. Not only are employees pushed to their limits physically and emotionally in the course of one shift, they are sometimes forced to work overtime to compensate for facilities being short-staffed. Healthcare providers have to think clearly for hours on end and still have empathy, with every patient. Your team is responsible for the lives of their patients and that is a great deal of responsibility to put on them. It is important to keep your teams motivated and focused so they are able to perform at the high levels necessary. These boosters should become part of your routine so the valuable team members you have in place will have reason to stay and continue to create a top-notch facility.

What can you do for your Team?
Day in and day out, your team members arrive at work and give 100%. Yes, they are paid for their work but it’s no secret most healthcare workers will go above and beyond what is expected of them on a daily basis to meet the needs of their patients. This can mean staying a bit later to make sure a scared patient falls asleep or making sure a child is able to see their parents before bedtime. Each and every day, these are the people who do positive acts for the world and many times they are under high levels of stress both professionally and personally. Leadership and the HR departments of any healthcare facility can help alleviate some of the stress by creating a focus on several aspects that have proven valuable to medical staff.

• Open communication. When employees feel as though they can talk to their superiors, other team members, and lateral departments, there is a lessened chance of miscommunication and issues that develop into major problems. Good communication is the key to any and all successful relationships and an open dialogue between employer and employees will benefit everyone.
• Team building. You don’t need to force everyone to participate in an obstacle course or something extreme to build a cohesive team. Team building exercises can be something as simple as encouraging employees to eat lunch together or celebrate birthdays as a group. By making everyone on the team feel value, you are building a team.
• Strong Leadership. An important aspect of healthcare performance is maintaining the hierarchy of seniority and those in leadership staying in charge of each shift. Clear leaders within the departments will keep the status quo and that is essential for success in this industry. When there is not a clear leader for each area, chaos will ensue and nothing will get done efficiently, which can lead to even more stress for your teams.

Working in the healthcare industry can be difficult yet extremely rewarding and for those who have made it their career, a boost from the management and HR departments can be just what they need to continue providing quality care to each and every patient.

Certain generations come with stereotypical characteristics and misconceptions. The Millennials are one of the most misunderstood generations in the workforce today. They are categorized as lazy, entitled, and even media-obsessed but in reality, they are ambitious and want to leave a positive mark on the world. Millennials care about their work environment and making friends at work is important to them. Certain perks at work have a higher priority to this generation than to others. In the past, pay and benefits were the cornerstone for happy team members but this group prefers to enjoy their work and to be recognized for what they do.

Characteristics of Millennials
Is your organization interviewing and hiring Millennials? In order to understand the candidates and what they bring to your company, you should take the time to understand their viewpoints and their ideas.

• They want to be part of a company, embrace the culture, and understand what makes it work. They may ask questions about the break room, lunchtime, and the social perks of the workplace; it’s not because they are selfish but rather this is an important factor.
• This is an educated group of candidates. Many have some form of higher education and may even strive to complete more within the next several years.
• Personal development is a factor in the final decision regarding the job acceptance.
• They would prefer social media freedom, device flexibility, and work mobility over a higher salary. While this seems strange to the older generations who will work overtime to obtain more pay and the culture isn’t an issue, this is a necessary element to the hiring package for a millennial.
• Recognition is important to these team members. They prefer to be praised in public rather than to be given a performance review at the end of a quarter. It is also important to have open lines of communication with your team either by email, text, or even a quick online chat hangout.
• You don’t need to hand out large rewards to Millennials. A simple lunch, afternoon off, or even the ability to come in late after a big project is completed, will be motivation for them and convey your appreciation.
• Millennials are ambitious and want to achieve personal success. Their own goals are something they work towards. Not only in their personal lives but also at work.

There are some companies who shy away from hiring this generation but without good cause. You can hire Millennials and have confidence in their ability to perform the functions you require and more. This generation doesn’t shy away from sharing their life with those at work and forming close bonds. Their desire to build morale and a team spirit can create a strong cornerstone for your company.

If you have further questions contact expert medical and healthcare recruiters Pinnacle Workforce today!