In this podcast series, the AHA checks in with its Associates to learn how they are supporting members and leveraging the AHA Associate Program to stay connected with members and help them achieve their goals and objectives.
Author Archives: Zach Kohlmeier
Healthcare Support Receives Great Recruiters Certification for 2023
MAITLAND, Fla. – May 17, 2023 – HealthCare Support (HCS), an Ingenovis Health company and leading provider of healthcare workforce solutions, has been recognized as Great Recruiters (GR) Certified 2023 by Great Recruiters, the leading experience management platform for the recruiting and staffing sector. HCS recruiters received an overall rating of 4.87 – exceeding the GR requirement of 4.6, further highlighting the organization’s superior processes in offering best-in-class experiences for candidates, clients and placed talent.
“HCS continuously strives to outpace the industry standard for innovation, success and satisfaction across this highly competitive labor force landscape,” said Chris Abel, HCS President. “This certification is a reflection of the organization’s tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to delivering excellence in healthcare, and we are honored to have earned this distinction.”
To be considered as GR Certified 2023, recruiting firms must meet a set of criteria, including regularly soliciting feedback from jobs-seekers and placed talent, achieving an average Great Recruiters rating of 4.6 or higher and having at least 33% of an agency’s recruiting team achieve Great Recruiter certification. Qualifying organizations must also be proven to incorporate feedback into business processes, and display reviews and ratings.
“Last year saw major game changes in recruiting and staffing, not the least of which is the growing impact of candidate and client experience on agency success,” said Adam Conrad, Great Recruiters CXO. “Our 2023 GR Certified staffing firms don’t just talk about creating great experiences—they actually do it. These winners truly are the future of the recruiting and staffing industry.”
Ranked among the Largest Healthcare Staffing Firms in the US (Staffing Industry Analysts 2015-2022), HCS is one of seven category-leading companies in the Ingenovis Health portfolio. It offers diverse services for clients and provides clinical and non-clinical opportunities for experienced nurses and allied healthcare professionals. Through its superior service to clients and candidates, HCS further contributes to Ingenovis’ ecosystem of opportunities and supports the company’s purpose of building a home for healthcare talent.
To learn more, visit ingenovishealth.com.
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About HealthCare Support
An Ingenovis Health company, HealthCare Support has led the way as one of the country’s top healthcare employment partners for more than 20 years. Providing medical workforce support across a wide range of acute and non-acute settings, the organization offers scalable employment solutions that meet the needs of the complex healthcare industry. The organization is headquartered in Maitland, FL. Visit healthcaresupport.com for more information.
About Ingenovis Health
Ingenovis Health is an ingenious new force in healthcare, combining the power of industry-leading workforce solutions providers and a technology-forward approach to advance the delivery of critical healthcare clinicians to systems nationwide. Brands in the portfolio include Trustaff Travel Nurses, Fastaff Travel Nursing, HealthCare Support, U.S. Nursing Corporation, VISTA Staffing Solutions, Springboard Healthcare and CardioSolution. For more information, visit ingenovishealth.com.
Transitioning From RN to NP
Change is something you’ve learned to work well with as a registered nurse (RN). However, transitioning to a new role as nurse practitioner (NP) is a change big enough to challenge even the most seasoned nursing professionals. Below are some insider tips that will help you better prepare for and breeze through your transformation from RN to NP.
How to Prepare for the RN to NP Transition
From new obligations to a new professional network, so many aspects of your professional life are going to change on your journey to becoming an NP. To prepare ahead of time, take a look at some of the tasks you’ll be taking on:
- Working within the scope of what patients can afford and what their insurance will cover
- Diagnosing illnesses, creating treatment plans, educating patients
- Delegating responsibilities to other employees
- Creating a brand-new network of peers and growing your connections
How to Step Into Your New Career
Just like your first weeks and months as an RN, the beginning of your career as an NP will not be without challenges. If you’re feeling nervous, overwhelmed, or a little lost at any point in your transition, refer to the following tips:
- Overcome the fear of asking questions. Patient health and safety always comes first, so don’t be afraid to speak up if you have any hesitancy or confusion about a particular task or topic.
- Keep a record of the answers you receive when you do ask for advice. This will help you avoid needing to ask the same questions twice.
- Find a mentor. While you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your coworkers and fellow NPs about patient-related inquiries, having a go-to mentor can be helpful for your deeper career questions.
- Listen to podcasts. If you’re struggling to keep up with medical literature, podcasts are a go-to source of information that you can absorb while on the go.
How to Find the Right Healthcare Job Opportunities for You
Whether you’re currently transitioning from RN to NP or are thinking about making a major change in your career, the healthcare recruiters at HealthCare Support are here to assist you every step of the way. We’ll alert you with job opportunities that match your goals and keep you updated throughout the application and hiring process. To learn more on how we find jobs and help healthcare professionals like you find success, contact HealthCare Support today at 407-478-0332.
Addressing Personal & Professional Burnout
Are you experiencing personal or professional burnout? Feeling like your best isn’t good enough? Are you unengaged and wondering what happened to that loving feeling? Have you ever heard the saying, “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results?” Well, it’s time to do something differently and address the root of the problem.
What you’re doing isn’t working (for you anymore) and it could be for a range of reasons. Maybe you’re tired, overworked, disinterested or feel like you’re stuck in a rut. You’ve hit the feeling of disappointment and it’s time to evaluate your options.
If you’re tired of the same ole’ thing, or feeling like each day is Groundhog Day; effort alone will not be the solution to your problem. You’ll need to pair effort with strategy. Discover what is really making you feel this way. If it’s the morning hustle of getting yourself and the kids ready, fed and dropped off to school on-time; find out exactly what your stressors are in the process. Are you not giving yourself enough time? Are there things that can be done the night before to make your life easier? Take charge by optimizing your routine and allowing time for the unexpected.
If your burnout stems from work, is it that you’ve become disinterested? Maybe each day has become repetitive and you’re in need of some excitement to reengage. Maybe you’re under-challenged in your role at work and boredom is prompting these feelings. Take control of your future and set up a meeting with your manager to explore how you can take on new challenging projects. A slight shift to your priorities or assisting a new team in your down time could be an easy solution. You might even stumble into a new opportunity that you weren’t aware existed. Do what you can to make your job grow with you.
When you feel the angst of burnout, push through and find solutions to your problems. Stagnancy will not save or excite you. Once you’ve come out on the other side you’ll see firsthand how perseverance has made you stronger and more in control of your happiness.
The Ins & Outs of a Medical Office Assistant
What Does a Medical Office Assistant Do?
Regardless of location, size, or specialty, every medical office needs a medical office assistant — and most often, they need more than just one. Despite the already large and consistently growing need for medical office assistants, there’s still some confusion about what these professionals do on a day-to-day basis. Let’s take a closer look at the everyday role of a medical office assistant.
What Is a Medical Office Assistant?
The first person to greet a patient when they enter a medical facility, such as a clinic or private practice, is almost always a medical office assistant. Sometimes referred to as medical office specialists, medical administrative assistants, or patient coordinators, medical office assistants essentially perform the tasks needed to keep a healthcare center functioning effectively. Helping to deliver the best healthcare experience possible, these professionals may handle everything from administrative assignments to clinical ones.
What Does It Take to Become One?
Multitasking abilities, strong organizational skills, exceptional communication, and attention to detail are all essential to a succeeding as a medical office assistant. These professionals must be up to date on the latest record-keeping technologies and able to quickly and accurately input information. While many locations only require medical office assistants to have earned a high-school diploma, certain facilities may require them to obtain CMAA certifications or RMA registrations.
What Are Their Day-to-Day Responsibilities?
Medical office assistants wear multiple hats. While their responsibilities will vary depending on which type of medical center they work at, there are some job functions that remain the same just about everywhere.
Once a patient arrives, for example, medical office assistants may help by:
- Helping them check in
- Taking vitals
- Measuring height and weight
- Recording contact details and medical history information
- Escorting them to the examination room
In between assisting patients, medical office assistants perform a range of tasks, such as:
- Cleaning and sanitizing equipment
- Cleaning and sanitizing examination areas
- Scanning files and transcribing records
- Scheduling appointments
- Billing patients and accepting payments
- Receiving and sorting inventory, mail, etc.
- Responding to emails
Starting Your Career as a Medical Office Assistant
The role played by medical office assistants is critical to healthcare facilities small and large. If you’re interested in becoming one and connecting to the clinics, hospitals, or other medical offices with opportunities that match your professional goals, join the HealthCare Support talent network. Our healthcare recruiters will help you put together a professional resume, find relevant job postings, and ace interviews. To take the next step in your healthcare career, contact HealthCare Support today at 407-478-0332.
4 Tips for Finding and Hiring Top Healthcare Talent
Finding and hiring top healthcare talent is your main priority — and your biggest challenge. Here are four tips to help you overcome healthcare recruiting hurdles and fill every opening at your facility with the right candidates.
Work on Your Job Descriptions
Job descriptions aren’t just a place to list the must-have qualifications you want to see in applicants. If you truly want to appeal to top talent, start looking at these descriptions as an opportunity to make your healthcare facility stand out. On top of detailing the experience, skills, and education a candidate must possess, explain some of the perks they’ll access when working for your medical center, such as:
- Insurance benefits
- Flexible scheduling
- Paid time off
- Retirement planning
Find the Right Place to Post Jobs
Pay careful attention to the job boards you use, because the places you post your job openings matter just as much as the effort you put into writing the descriptions for them. Along with the popular job search engines that any company can access, consider posting on websites exclusive to the healthcare industry. This will guarantee that your listings appear in front of even more clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals.
Nurture Your Company Culture
If your facility struggles with employee attrition, you’ll have a hard time not only finding top talent but also retaining it. To make your medical center stand out to well-qualified applicants, establish and nurture a company culture that they’d want to be a part of. You can start by surveying your current staff, getting an idea of where your facility excels and where it could improve, and implementing actionable changes as soon as possible.
Partner With a Healthcare Recruiter
Finding top healthcare talent is a multi-layer process. Without the time and resources available to put in extra effort every step of the way, your healthcare facility will have a much harder time attracting the best candidates. That’s why more and more medical centers are partnering with healthcare recruiters that know where to find the perfect fit — every time.
At HealthCare Support, we specialize in placing healthcare professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles across all 50 states. From administrative openings to executive-level positions, our healthcare recruiters quickly and effectively find, screen, and recommend top talent. And once we find the perfect match to fill your position, we continue to monitor their progress and offer continual support. To learn more about our search process, contact HealthCare Support today at 407-478-0332.
The Role of Social Media in Healthcare Recruiting
Social media is no longer a place reserved exclusively for personal photos and social updates; it’s now a digital platform for building networks and sharing information. That’s why more and more healthcare recruiters are leveraging these channels to search for job-seeking medical professionals. Let’s take a closer look at the role of social media in healthcare recruiting to understand how these digital networks can connect your medical facility with the right candidates.
Sharing Job Postings
Healthcare recruiters use websites like LinkedIn and Facebook to share job postings, which makes it easier for your private practice, clinic, or hospital to be seen by even more candidates. As they track down the right professionals to fill one position, for example, recruiters can post your other openings in healthcare groups or related online communities filled with qualified professionals.
Promoting Specific Positions
When there’s a shortage at your facility, social media is the perfect tool to turn to. Healthcare recruiters can put extra focus on specific positions by posting them more frequently and sharing them in more online spaces. And to reduce traffic from unqualified professionals, recruiters can list key details of a job position — such as location, work hours, and years of experience required — right within the text of a social media post. This tactic will make your job listings better stand out to skilled, relevant, and interested candidates.
Quickly Scanning Candidates
Social media websites assist recruiters in discovering more candidates than ever — faster than ever. Websites like LinkedIn allow users to share resumes, portfolios, and certifications right on their profiles. This makes it easy for recruiters to search through an applicant’s work history and education to quickly decide whether they’re fit to work at your facility. Furthermore, by filtering through social media channels to target applicants based on location, language, experience, and more, healthcare recruiters are less likely to waste time screening and interviewing the wrong candidates.
Social, Savvy Healthcare Recruiters
At HealthCare Support (HSS), we use the best job boards and the latest social media channels to track down healthcare professionals with the education and experience to match your jobs. Once we connect with candidates, we then use a multi-level screening process and conduct personalized skills assessment tests to decide which recommendations are best to run by your healthcare facility. To learn more about our team of healthcare recruiters and how we can use social media to staff your medical center, contact us today at 407-478-0332.
Telemedicine: The New Face of Healthcare
For a long time, the normal way to access healthcare required scheduling time off, commuting to a healthcare facility, and sitting in a waiting room. Now, thanks to telemedicine, patients can not only speak with healthcare professionals, but also access care, ask questions, and receive advice remotely. Telemedicine serves more purpose to more patients than ever, but just like traditional in-office healthcare, it, too, comes with unique advantages, opportunities, and challenges.
Quality Healthcare, Anywhere
While telehealth had been steadily rising over the past few years, the COVID-19 health crisis drove record numbers of patients to start leveraging remote healthcare services in 2020. Even after the threat of COVID-19 subsides, it’s predicted that a lot of patents will continue to consult physicians via phone or video chat because of benefits including:
- Quality care — An increasing number of patients using telehealth services are satisfied and continue to use such services as a mode of care.
- Lower costs — Remote visits with a physician can alleviate the expenses of commuting and missing work, and they can even help lower the number of costly ER visits.
- Greater access — Patients without personal modes of transportation or accessibility issues don’t have to travel to receive telehealth services.
Out-of-Office Healthcare Issues
Telehealth is a more convenient and cost-effective alternative for many, but it isn’t free of flaws. For example, not all healthcare insurance plans even cover telemedicine services, which can make it difficult for some patients to visit a physician remotely. In addition, without a physical examination, physicians may easily overlook troublesome symptoms that might be easy to identify in person.
Remote Job Opportunities
The benefits of telehealth are seemingly endless for patients. However, this remote mode of care also presents new opportunities for workers in the healthcare field. Many physicians and other clinical practitioners now offer telemedicine service in tandem with standard, in-office care options. And as telehealth becomes more prominent in existing clinical positions, it also establishes demand for brand-new ones. For example, a surge in telehealth-exclusive medical facilities has led to the creation of fully remote physician and nurse practitioner positions.
Start Your Career in Telemedicine
Whether you’re looking to branch out into new roles in telehealth or are trying to start your career in telemedicine, you’ll have access to interview prep and industry connections when you partner with the healthcare recruiters at HealthCare Support. Join our Talent Network and our team of recruiters will find openings to match your interests, desired location, experience, and education. To get started, contact us today at 407-478-0332.
Overcoming Workplace Negativity
When a problem happens in your workplace do you find yourself complaining about the issue or looking for solutions? If your answer is to complain and grumble, you’ll probably find and connect with others doing the same thing. There is an age old saying, “your vibe attracts your tribe,” which means the energy you put out is the energy you will receive from others. Before long, one negative attitude can spread to an entire department and all hope of problem-solving will be lost. To help lose your negative mindset in your workplace, next time there is a problem avoid complaining and approach the issue in a helpful manner with constructive feedback.
Be sure to present your opinion to the appropriate channel. Complaining to a coworker who has no ability to implement change may just spread more negativity surrounding the problem. Find out who is best to receive this information without stepping on any toes in the process.
Remember that your feedback should be constructive. Instead of complaining about the issue, you should state the problem and a solution to it. If possible, test drive your solution to make sure there is actually a better way of doing it. Often times work tasks can be tedious making those who do them feel there must be a better way, however that is not always the case and what may seem like a serious issue to you may be less of one to person hearing your concerns.
If you’ve identified the right person and constructive feedback doesn’t get the ball rolling for a solution to your problem, know when to give up. Persistence, itself is a good thing as long as you know how to use it. Once you’ve hit a brick wall in solving your problem, persistence turns bad and will lead you and your constructive criticism sounding like the Negative Nancy complainer you were avoiding all along.
How to List Your Nursing Credentials
Your nursing credentials sum up your education, active licensure, certifications, and greatest professional achievements. Whether you’re filling out a job application or signing a legal document, you’ll need to pay careful attention to how you write them. Here are some tips to help you list your nursing credentials correctly.
Listing Your Nursing Credentials
As a nursing professional, your credentials should appear in the following order:
- Highest earned degree (including doctoral degrees, master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and associate degrees)
- Licensure (including RN and LPN)
- State designations or requirements (including APRN, NP, and CNS)
- National certifications (including RN-BC and FNP-BC)
- Achievements and awards (such as FAAN)
- Other recognitions or certifications
Your highest earned degree comes first in your list of credentials for multiple reasons: Your degree doesn’t require renewal, and it is the least likely of all your credentials to change. Of course, you may continue your education in the future — replacing what you originally listed with the most recent, highest earned degree. Because licensure is necessary to practice nursing and may or may not be renewed, it is always listed second in your line of credentials.
State designations and national certifications follow licensure because these, too, are required for practice and will expire without continued education. Finally, achievements, awards, and other recognitions are left last on your line of credentials. These additional honors aren’t required to practice nursing, but they are still significant to your professional experience and can help you stand out as a competitive nursing candidate.
Once you have finished listing your credentials complete your resume with your experience listed from your most recent position. There is typically no reason to list any employment that surpasses the last 10 years.
Nursing Credentials Q&A
Below are some of the most common questions that nursing professionals have about their credentials:
- What should I do if I’m unsure how to list my specific degree or state licensure? Consult your state board of nursing for accurate listing information.
- Am I required to list certain credentials? You should always list the credentials necessary for your profession in your state when signing legal documents.
- What if I have more than one degree? List your education in order from the highest to lowest level or simply list your highest earned degree.
- What if I have multiple nursing credentials? While you aren’t required to list multiple nursing credentials in any specific order, it may be useful to list them from most recently acquired to first acquired or in order of relevance to a specific job if you are applying for one.
Nursing Tips, Tricks, and Preparation
Are you a recent nursing graduate applying for jobs or an experienced nursing professional that’s ready to hop back on the job market? If so, you’ll not only need to get your credentials in order, but also have an interview-ready resume and virtually unlimited access to relevant job postings. That’s where HealthCare Support comes in. Our team of healthcare recruiters will help you find jobs, prepare for interviews, and settle into your new position. To learn more, contact HealthCare Support today at 407-478-0332.