What are Recruiters looking for in Nursing Candidates?

October 31st, 2016

Whether you are fresh out of school or an experienced medical professional, it helps to understand what skills recruiters and hiring managers are hoping to find among potential nursing employees. Armed with this knowledge, you are able to tailor your candidacy — including your résumé and cover letter — to ensure a chance at an interview. If you decide to work with a medical staffing agency, their recruiters can prepare you for a successful job search process.

With a great new medical industry job in mind, here are the things recruiters want to see in a nursing candidate. Good luck in your efforts!

In-demand Technical Nursing Skills

There’s no denying the impact made by technology in the healthcare industry. Because of this, recruiters remain on the prowl for nursing candidates comfortable with computers as well as a whole host of specialized medical equipment, including dialysis machines. Familiarity with electronic medial records (EMR) software and quality assurance programs is another important ability for nurses.

Consider becoming certified in any of these technical nursing skills to add some heft to your résumé. Showing practical application of these abilities in a cover letter or during an interview definitely increases your chances at a job offer.

Soft Skills are also Important

Softer skills are also vital in the world of nursing. An empathic nature is a must; arguably being the most important trait for any nurse to possess. Leadership ability, especially with experienced nurses, also holds weight with many healthcare recruiters and hiring managers.

Bilingualism continues to grow in importance, and can be a requirement in certain areas of the country. Consider taking a language course to improve this part of your skill set. If interested in relocation, this ability simply gives you more options for potential employers.

Being Flexible is a Plus

Flexibility is important for all nursing candidates, but especially so if you are fresh out of school. Many hospitals or medical offices typically want nurses who are willing to work different shifts as well as regular weekend schedules. Once again, being open in this regard simply shows you are willing to help a potential employer.

Hopefully, these insights into what nursing recruiters hope to find in a candidate helps your job search end up successful.

When you need additional advice on looking for employment in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we can help take your career to the next level. Connect with us at your earliest convenience.

Incorporating Ethics into a Medical Employee Manual

October 17th, 2016

There’s no denying the importance of ethics for any healthcare professional. Empathy and an ethical nature rank as two of the most necessary traits for those working in the medical industry. Even when boasting a staff made up of moral and right-minded people, ethics-related policies still need to be formally defined in any healthcare establishment’s employee manual — for both legal and patient care considerations.

With creating a living document covering all relevant topics in mind, here are some ideas on how to best incorporate a code of ethics in your medical organization’s employee manual.

The Nursing Code of Ethics is a Good Start

The American Nursing Association publishes its own Nursing Code of Ethics, which serves nicely as a starting point for any medical employee manual’s ethics section. All nurses are expected to follow the ANA code in their daily work routine. Encouraging the other medical professionals at your office to do the same by including the Code in your organization’s employee manual emphasizes the importance of ethical behavior.

Consider incorporating some of the Code’s content into your job descriptions as well. Other nursing organizations publish their own ethical codes which may offer additional insights relevant to your employees.

Your Employees are Accountable for their Own Ethical Behavior

Stress the accountability each employee holds for their own behavior — both actions and words. This needs to be clearly stated in the manual, either at the front of the manual itself or in the ethics section. Additionally, any discipline policies need to be explicitly defined, so everyone knows the consequences for unethical conduct.

Formalized Definitions are a Must

Make sure your manual offers a section that formally defines any terms referenced throughout the text, including the ethics section. This helps lessen any confusion when an ethical — or legal — issue arises. Place the section in the manual’s appendix for easy access.

Leverage Ongoing Education on Ethics

Simply putting an ethics section in your employee manual isn’t enough to ensure ethical behavior in your medical office — a point echoed by Martha Turner, assistant director of ANA’s Center for Ethics and Human Rights. “Ethics, like most other disciplines, must be learned. Ethics is not intuitive or just ‘being good,” said Turner. As such, providing an ethics training program nicely compliments the contents of any employee manual.

When you need further insights on managing your medical office, talk to the knowledgeable team at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s top healthcare staffing agencies, we offer great candidates able to contribute to your team. Schedule some time with us soon!

The Best Job Search Apps for Physicians

October 12th, 2016

The influence of mobile technology upon the business world — including the medical industry — continues unabated. A variety of apps for both the iOS and Android platforms are used for a wide range of clinical purposes. Enterprising doctors and other medical personnel are even able to leverage mobile apps as help when searching for a new position.

If you are a physician considering a job change, or are merely interested in what opportunities exist in today’s market, check out this list of the best job search apps for physicians. Hopefully, a great new position lurks only a screen tap away!

The New England Journal of Medicine Career Center

As one of the most respected names in the healthcare industry, it stands to reason the New England Journal of Medicine would offer one of the top job search apps for doctors. The NEJM Career Center provides a host of interesting features, including a facility for physicians to upload their résumé to the app. This lets them apply for available positions with a simple tap of the screen.

You are also able to be notified when new job postings appear, including emailing your account about any positions of interest.

American Academy of Family Physicians

The American Academy of Family Physicians is an app developed by PDA Verticals Corporation. It provides a convenient link to a list of current job openings all over the country. A collection of peer-reviewed medical articles, the latest industry news, and healthcare blog postings round out this app’s feature set.

Find Temporary Physician Work with Locum Jobs

Locum Leaders offers a mobile app aimed at the locum tenens job market. Called Locum Jobs, the app was developed by Run Mobile LLC. Physicians looking for temporary work can upload their CV and easily apply for positions, as well as share the job postings with other parties.

HealthcareJobsite.com

Offered by Beyond.com, HealthcareJobsite.com is an app and companion website aimed at the job market for the entire healthcare industry. As such, doctors, nurses, and other interested medical professionals should check it out. This app allows users to link their social media accounts, which allows them to see open positions wherever their social network connections are located.

While mobile apps sometimes make finding an open medical position easier, there is no substitute for the human touch provided by an experienced recruiter. As one of the top staffing agencies in the healthcare industry, Pinnacle Workforce can take your career to the next level. Connect with us as soon as possible.

What to look for in Entry-Level Medical Candidates

September 26th, 2016

Finding talented new medical employees remains the lifeblood for most companies in the healthcare industry. The hiring process can be difficult, however, especially considering the costs incurred and the time spent. Making the wrong decision on a candidate requires your firm to repeat the entire process — expenses included!

In short, an informed choice is a necessity when considering entry-level medical candidates. Here are a few ideas on what to look for in potential employees new to the healthcare industry. Good luck during your hiring process!

Internships to go along with a Medical Degree

Sure, a great performance at school hints at the possibility of a talented medical professional in the future, but check a candidate’s résumé to see if they held an internship in additional to their schoolwork. Spending time as an intern gives a recent graduate the exposure to real world situations in a hospital or medical office that could prove invaluable when on the job.

Sharon Roth Maguire MS, RN, GNP-BC, the Chief Clinical Quality Officer at Brightstar Care commented on the importance of an internship for recent nursing graduates. “Internships of significance — more than just a ‘clinical rotation’ — during their education experience can help demonstrate that they have had practical experience. Working as a nursing/personal care assistant during summer or semester breaks is also helpful,” said Roth Maguire.

In-Demand Skills in the Medical Industry

The best medical candidates offer potential employers a myriad of skills to go along with the healthcare knowledge they learned in school. Empathy goes without saying, especially concerning nursing candidates. The ability to use specialized medical technology also helps, which is another good reason to look for candidates with internship experience.

Bilingualism can be important, depending on the region of your medical establishment. Critical thinking, computer skills, and leadership potential are all attributes to look for in new medical candidates.

Professionalism in Emerging Medical Candidates

Candidates displaying professionalism as their career is starting out are definitely worthy of your notice. Look for a polished résumé, a well-written cover letter, as well as an exemplary interview performance. A sense that they are team-player is also important, considering the collaborative nature of most hospitals and medical offices.

Hopefully, these few ideas offer some insights when you are in the market for an entry-level medical professional.

When searching for the best new talent in the medical industry, look no further than Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we offer great candidates able to make a positive difference at your organization. Schedule some time with us at your earliest convenience.

The Importance of Diversity in a Medical Staff

September 19th, 2016

Workplace diversity is vital in many business sectors, but it remains especially so in the medical industry. Considering the importance of providing quality healthcare to the public — including racial and ethnic minorities — employing a diverse medical staff helps to ensure everyone gets equal access to medical services. Medical colleges also need to step up their efforts at fostering a diverse student population to ensure healthcare providers enjoy a robust supply of quality workers.

Let’s look more closely at some of the reasons a diverse medical staff is a must at your healthcare organization.

The Healthcare Industry must keep up with Changing Demographics

A 2004 study by the Sullivan Commission commented on the importance of the healthcare industry matching the demographic makeup of the public they serve. The overall health of the nation simply depends on it. “The fact that the nation’s health professions have not kept pace with changing demographics may be an even greater cause of disparities in health access and outcomes than the persistent lack of health insurance for tens of millions of Americans,” reported the Commission.

One of the entities hoping to change things when it comes to a diverse medical workforce, the Healthcare Professionals for Diversity (HPD) Coalition is made up of over 50 different organizations hoping to foster the growth of minorities in both medical educational institutions and the profession itself. The Coalition’s main goal is to promote diversity across the entire medical community.

Why Diversity matters in the Healthcare Industry

The Chief Diversity Officer of the American Association of Medical Colleges, one of the leading organizations in the HPD, Dr. Marc Divet commented on the importance of a diverse workforce in the American medical world. Obviously, this diversity begins at the nation’s medical colleges. “This is a defining moment for health and wellness in America. The combined forces of health reform, demographic shifts, continued economic woes and the projected worsening of physician shortages portend major upheaval for the health care enterprise in the near future,” said Dr. Divet.

Expanding healthcare access to the underserved, including better treatment services in these regions of great need, is only one of the main reasons to increase diversity across the medical landscape. Ultimately, providing equitable medical care to everyone, irrespective of race or ethnicity, remains an achievable goal. Promoting diversity at both the educational and professional levels will help it be reached.

When you need further insights on the medical industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce, as one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we provide great candidates able to make a positive difference in your medical office or hospital. Contact us at your earliest convenience.

Connection Etiquette on LinkedIn

September 12th, 2016

As the preeminent social network for professionals, a LinkedIn profile is a must for anyone working in the medical industry. Your profile essentially serves as an online version of your résumé, plus you gain the additional benefits of networking with others working in healthcare and publishing content with an eye towards becoming a thought leader in your field. However, you still need to follow a certain etiquette when connecting with others on LinkedIn.

With building a robust professional network in mind, here are a few ideas for connection etiquette on LinkedIn. The benefits of online networking for your medical career are immense. Good luck!

When sending a Connection Request — Personalize It!

It’s important to personalize every cover letter you send when looking for a new job. In the same manner, make sure you personalize each connection request on LinkedIn, especially if you don’t know the person. Using the default message is simply poor form!

The same rule applies when asking for a recommendation from one of your connections. Make the effort to personalize it while keeping these requests to those you know.

A Professional Profile Photo is a Must

Having a professional looking profile photo is essentially a requirement on LinkedIn. Don’t bother to send any connection requests — even to your coworkers — until you’ve uploaded a photo.

Regularly Interact with your LinkedIn Network

Your LinkedIn professional network needs to be nurtured to be ultimately successful for your career. Make it a point to like other posts by your connections while including meaningful comments when appropriate. Additionally, be sure to endorse the abilities of those in your network; in most cases they will return the favor.

Don’t hide your Connection List

Some LinkedIn users restrict others from seeing their list of connections. In a sense, this defeats the purpose of being on a professional social network in the first place. Parsing through the connections of others in your network is a great way to find new contacts; allow others the same courtesy by never hiding your connections.

Never Spam your LinkedIn Network

Don’t use LinkedIn as a repository for spammy content. Keep your posts to a minimum of one per day. Sharing personally authored content is great for your LinkedIn wall, but tread lightly when posting this material in a Group.

If you need any further advice for leveraging social networking to help your medical career, talk to the insightful recruiters at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top staffing agencies in the healthcare industry, we can help you reach new plateaus. Contact us as soon as possible!

Avoid Compassion Fatigue Before it Takes a Toll

September 7th, 2016

While an empathic nature is a vital trait for all nurses to possess, you need to tread carefully when it comes to caring for your patients and their families. Simply put, too much time spent handling the needs of others can lead to a condition known as compassion fatigue. This kind of stress adversely affects your productivity, job satisfaction, as well as your emotional and physical health.

Don’t let compassion fatigue result in a negative impact to your nursing career. Here are a few tips aimed at dealing with this important issue facing the nursing industry today.

Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue

The symptoms of compassion fatigue are similar to other work-related stress disorders. Emotional issues include mood swings, anxiety, and depression, which combine with physical ailments like fatigue, muscle tension, and chest discomfort. You may begin to take more sick days, in addition to feeling less empathic towards the patients in your care.

If these symptoms tend to be chronic, especially combined with a loss of empathy, talk to your supervisor about potentially undergoing an assessment for compassion fatigue. It is important to handle this issue before it adversely impacts patient care and your career.

Steps to Assess and Manage Compassion Fatigue

If a formal assessment reveals you are suffering from compassion fatigue, your employer will likely make available a variety of resources to address your problem. In many cases, talking about your problems with a trained counselor is a great first step in developing an action plan to manage the stress and fatigue. This plan generally includes classwork focused on managing daily stress and fostering a better work-life balance, which helps to mitigate the adversity caused by compassion fatigue.

Other steps to handle nursing stress include reducing the number of overtime hours you have to work, a change in assignments, and possibly even scheduling you on a different shift. Having a mentor at your medical establishment to turn to for advice or simply to listen to your problems also helps immensely in managing the adverse effects of compassion fatigue.

Smart medical organizations are able to prevent compassion fatigue from taking hold in the first place by providing many of these same resources — especially the classwork and mentorship.

If you need additional insights on a rewarding career in nursing, talk to the knowledgeable team at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s leading medical staffing agencies, we can help you in a myriad of ways. Contact our staffing experts as soon as possible!

Three Signs of a Great Medical Recruiter

August 22nd, 2016

When it comes time to look for a new job in the medical industry, working with a talented and experienced recruiter familiar with the world of healthcare is a smart call. The best recruiters know who is hiring as well as the hot skills currently in demand. Assisting you in putting together a résumé and helping prepare you for interviews are two other ways they make your job search a successful one.

Partnering with a great medical recruiter can be an important part of your career growth. Here are three attributes worth noting when in the market for someone to help with your job search efforts.

They Are Connected with the Local and Regional Medical Industry

The best medical recruiters maintain connections with those in the field on both a local and regional basis. This ensures they understand the cultures of the medical offices and hospitals in your area. Once they get to know you better, they will be able to place you at an establishment where you’d make a good fit.

At the same time, they also know what skills and abilities are currently in demand in the medical industry. This helps you decide on where to focus your training to ensure your career prospects stay bright in the future.

Following-Up is Important

Recruiters must regularly follow-up with both the candidates they are presenting and the medical companies looking for new talent. When you are waiting to hear back about a potential interview with the healthcare company of your dreams, it helps to be working with a recruiter who keeps you in the loop. You need to be aware of the current status of your recruiter’s efforts throughout the job search process.

Takes the Time to Understand you as a Medical Professional

When first meeting with a medical recruiter, pay attention to how closely they interview you. They need to fully understand your professional and educational background as well as what skills and abilities you bring to the table for a potential employer. You should treat this meeting as essentially a two-way interview.

Ensure the recruiter takes detailed notes during your discussion. Hopefully, their staffing agency has you fill out an application so all your skills and other professional abilities are searchable in a database. This makes it easier to match you with an employer looking for someone with your skill set.

When you are in the market for a medical recruiter, be sure to talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top healthcare staffing agencies in the country, we can help take your career to its highest level yet. Make it a point to contact us as soon as possible.

Three Tips for conducting Mid-year Reviews

June 27th, 2016

It is important to keep your staff in the loop regarding their performance and progress towards reaching any personal goals as well as those of your medical office. Giving employee reviews only on an annual basis isn’t sufficient for this purpose. Mid-year reviews provide another chance to give valuable feedback to ensure your team stays on the right track throughout the year.

Here are three tips for conducting mid-year reviews. Hopefully, they help your team meet or exceed your hopes for a top notch healthcare establishment. Let’s check them out.

Keep your Top Performers Engaged for the Entire Year

The shining stars in your office need to be constantly challenged to maintain their high-performance levels. When a mid-year review identifies someone who exceeded the goals you set for them, up the ante by giving them a variety of new stretch assignments to put them on a path to career advancement.

This helps keeps the employee in question properly engaged, so they won’t become bored and lose interest in their daily duties. When uninspired, they may look elsewhere for a more challenging position. This is a case where mid-year reviews help in employee retention.

Tailor Improvement Plans for any Problem Employees

On the other hand, mid-year performance reviews help to single out any staff members struggling to pull their weight in the office. This gives you a chance to develop a plan of action to get that employee on the right track before the end of the year. Try to set reachable goals for the next six months, so the worker gains confidence.

If you wait until an end of year review to help get workers back on track, it allows too much time for problems to fester, which may adversely impact employee morale in the office.

Use the Opportunity for a Meaningful Manager-Employee Conversation

Mid-year reviews provide a great opportunity to meet one-on-one with your entire staff. Encourage your employees to speak frankly about their own performance in addition to giving their opinions on the office as a whole. Make it a point to listen attentively to any new ideas to improve the efficiency of your operations.

In short, leverage the mid-year review to keep your medical office on a path towards continuous improvement.

When you need additional insights on teambuilding in the healthcare industry, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s leading medical staffing agencies, we offer the great candidates able to make valued contribution to your staff. Contact our staffing experts today.

Three Summer Teambuilding Exercises for a Medical Staff

June 20th, 2016

Developing teamwork at the office plays a big role in optimizing your operational efficiency. This is especially important in the healthcare industry where patient care is the prime directive. Trying to keep a group of disparate personalities focused on a common goal can be difficult at times.

Summertime gives managers the chance to leverage the good weather for a variety of teambuilding exercises. With a smooth running medical office staff in mind, here are three activities to help your employees truly become a team.

Spend a Day Outdoors doing Activities requiring Teamwork

The summer season allows for a variety of outdoor tasks sure to help build camaraderie amongst your staff. If a body of water is convenient to your office, a lesson in operating a sailboat is one example of a fun activity requiring everyone to work together. Simply spending some time in the woods on a hiking trip lets everyone get a chance to recharge in a natural setting.

A variety of corporate or business retreats typically offers more formal team building exercises suitable for a medical office staff. Research any options nearby to see if something makes sense for your team. At the minimum, a picnic with everyone’s families is something simple to generate goodwill between your team members.

A Volunteer Outing is a Great Idea

A group outing spent volunteering at a local soup kitchen or even Habitat for Humanity is worthy of consideration. Empathy is vital in the medical industry, and an exercise like this develops teamwork while also helping individual employees build their empathic character. A little extra publicity for your medical office never hurts as well.

Professional Development Seminars and Motivational Speakers

Holding a professional development seminar for your medical office staff makes sense at any time of the year, and summertime is no exception. Scheduling a motivational speaker specializing in building teamwork is another great idea. Consider hosting the speaker at an outdoor event in a local park to combine team building with a day spent in nature.

Holding teambuilding exercises based on any one (or even all three!) of these suggestions will help get your staff working together better than ever before. Don’t let the summer pass without giving these ideas a shot!

When you need additional insight on developing a top-notch medical team, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s leading healthcare staffing agencies, we offer great candidates able to add value to your staff. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience.

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