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!

How to Start a Mentoring Program for Your Nurses

October 16th, 2015

When it comes to sharing valuable information in any industry — healthcare being no exception — an official mentoring program works wonders. It allows the transfer of knowledge from your most experienced workers to those first entering the field. When it comes to newer technology, sometimes this flow of information even gets reversed from younger nurses to your older staff.

Mentoring programs definitely help to close any skills gap at your healthcare organization. Let’s take a closer look at what it takes to begin a mentoring program for your nurses.

Encourage Senior Nurses to serve as Mentors

First off, gauge the interest your senior nursing professionals hold for serving as mentors in your organization’s program. Encourage participation by explaining to them how a mentorship program improves the level of patient care across your entire staff. Remind your veteran nurses that serving as mentors bodes well for their chances at advancing in their own careers.

Once you have a pool of nurses willing to be mentors, make sure they are able to cover a good cross-section of the nursing disciplines typically used in your medical office or hospital. Providing a high standard of patient care is your ultimate goal.

Organize and Schedule Mentorship Activities

It is important to fully organize the mentorship program. Schedule times convenient to both the mentors and those being mentored that won’t conflict with their regular work schedule. Consider making mentoring sessions a lunchtime activity to encourage higher participation.

Track attendance at each session, leveraging the use of a spreadsheet or simple database for reporting purposes. This lets you compare the performance of your junior nurses against the mentoring they’ve received. Improving the efficacy of your mentoring program is something worth aiming for.

Publicize the Mentoring Program Internally

Once everything is in place for the mentoring program, it is important to publicize its availability and remind your newer nurses that their participation in the program is encouraged, especially on sessions covering their areas of weakness. Either one-to-one sessions or one mentor working with multiple nurses are possible, although in the latter case, ensure mentors are able to use AV equipment, like projectors, for the best possible session quality.

Your new mentoring program will soon improve the quality of your nursing staff, while developing a sense of camaraderie and teamwork.

When your organization needs additional insight on building a top notch nursing team, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the top medical staffing agencies in the country, we offer the quality candidates able to make a positive impact on your healthcare company. Talk with us as soon as possible!

© Year Pinnacle Workforce. All Rights Reserved. Site Credits.