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.

Keeping the team at your medical office focused on providing quality patient care becomes a challenge when they are unhappy. Absenteeism and tardiness begins to increase which puts extra strain on your other employees just trying to put in a good day’s work. Additionally, it’s hard for a dissatisfied staff member to show the empathy necessary in the healthcare industry.

Knowing the signs that your staff is growing frustrated as soon as possible is important so you can deal with any issues before they become contagious. Here are three things to watch for to ensure your medical office continues to run smoothly.

Arriving Late and Leaving Early

If you are noticing more employees arriving a little late for their shift in addition to leaving a bit early, this is a possible sign of their unhappiness. Make it point to hold a private chat with the person to find out if their problem is in their personal life or possibly at the office. If the tardiness issue is office-wide, a meeting with the entire team is likely a good idea at this point.

Survey your staff to see if there are any things you and your management can do if the chronic lateness is due to office-related issues. Stress the importance of providing quality patient care when encouraging your team to be sure to arrive on time.

A Lack of Cooperation and Teamwork

Working together as a team is vital in any industry, but it is especially important in the world of healthcare. Be on the lookout for incidents where your employees display a lack of teamwork or conflict. Emphasize the importance of communication and collaboration to ensure your office operates on an efficient basis.

Failure to show Empathy

Empathy is arguably the most important trait for anyone working in the healthcare industry. When you see your staff not giving the right attention to their patients’ needs, it is a potential sign of professional unhappiness. Pay particular attention to any examples of your staff disparaging or making fun of those under their care.

Ultimately, keeping the communication channels open between you and your staff is vital when handling unhappiness at your medical office. Don’t let any problems evolve into something worse.

When you need additional insights on how to keep your medical office running efficiently, talk to the knowledgeable professionals at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s top healthcare staffing agencies, we also provide a robust supply of great candidates able to make a difference for your company. Meet with us at your earliest convenience.

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.

Even in a medical career filled with progressively greater professional accomplishments, you may have been fired from a previous position. This fact needn’t dissuade you from trying to better yourself by finding a new job with another company. There remains a lot of turnover in the healthcare industry and most companies won’t disqualify a candidate for a misstep earlier in their career.

The important thing is to properly address a previous firing during the job interview. This post offers a few tips on how best to answer when asked about a dismissal in your work history.

Prepare and Practice your Answer before the Interview

Probably the most important tip is to be sure you prepare your answer to this question beforehand. About the worst thing you can do is fumble over your answer while seeming unsure on how to respond. This comes off as being less than honest, which may end up disqualifying your candidacy.

Answering in a forthright, honest manner is vital. Practice the question with a friend or even your recruiter to ensure your interview performance — especially when it comes to this question — is top notch.

An Honest Answer without Blaming Others is the Best Route

A truthful answer, when asked about a previous firing, is always the best approach. Speak about the incident in a straightforward way with a clear voice while making natural eye contact with the interviewer. Never lie or try to hide the real reason for your firing behind falsehoods and half-truths.

Don’t try to make excuses or blame others for the situation leading to your firing. This also puts you in a bad light which may adversely affect your chances at a job offer more than the firing itself. It is important to frame the issue in an objective manner.

Show you’ve grown because of your Firing

Take the opportunity to display how you’ve learned from being fired and that you’ve grown in your career as a result. This gives your potential new employer some reassurances you would be a good choice for a job offer. If this is your first round of interviews after being fired, describe how you won’t make a new company feel sorry for giving you a second chance.

If you need additional insight on how to handle a previous firing in a job search, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the country’s top medical staffing agencies, our recruiters know the healthcare industry inside and out and can help you and your career. Contact us at your earliest convenience.

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.

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!

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.