Tag Archives: health care

Transitioning From RN to NP

Posted on by

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:

 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.

COVID-19 and the Future of Healthcare

Posted on by

 

Healthcare organizations continuously adopt new technologies and modify practices on their own. But in spite of the industry’s initiatives, no medical facility could have predicted the impact of COVID-19 and what it would reveal about the current state of medicine. While it’s unclear when the pandemic will ultimately pass, let’s take a look at how it might influence healthcare in the near future and far down the line.

Patients Leveraging Telemedicine

Social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home mandates will eventually lift, but telemedicine is predicted to remain as an empowering healthcare tool — especially for patients in rural areas with limited healthcare access. Although telehealth technology existed long before the onset of COVID-19, it’s expected that patients will leverage this healthcare tool more than ever as a result of the pandemic. For primary care specifically, telemedicine can virtually eliminate the need for most in-person visits through remote doctor access and prescription refills.

Facilities Prioritizing Preparation

Pandemic preparedness can take many forms — each of which requires preemptive planning. To prepare for the possibility of another pandemic, every healthcare facility should first start by mobilizing a task force dedicated to organizing and allocating resources. These types of preparedness committees must include disaster coordinators along with select members from each facility department. Similarly, hospitals and private practices may improve their pandemic preparedness by forming or joining coalitions to widen the scope of planning.

Employers Accommodating Professionals  

Growing the healthcare workforce has long been a priority for individual practices and healthcare groups. However, COVID-19 presents many organizations with the challenge of instead maintaining their workforce. As clinical workers face a higher risk of infection, healthcare facilities face a higher rate of turnover. Therefore, during and after the pandemic, it’s predicted that healthcare facilities will begin to offer more flexible solutions, amenities, and benefits to retain and protect medical staff, such as:

  • Access to new childcare programs
  • Improved training processes and practices
  • Medical daycare for family members

Your Long-Term Healthcare Partner

Change is imminent in the healthcare industry, which is why the team of healthcare recruiters at HealthCare Support wants now more than ever to make a difference. Our experienced staff is dedicated to closing talent gaps and filling voids across hospital networks and individual organizations. To learn more about our services, contact us today at 407-478-0332.

Are You Engaged at Work?

Posted on by

This info graphic explains some great ways you can ensure you are remaining engaged at work. With 2/3 of the American working population disengaged we couldn’t help but share some tips!

statistics: CBS News

Interview Preparation: Pharmacy Technician

Posted on by

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019 there were 417,860 open Pharmacy Technicians positions. Pharmacy Technicians prepare medications with the help of a pharmacist, whether that be counting out, labeling, recording, and measuring the correct medication for each patient. Pharmacy Technician positions are one of the most common positions we staff here at HealthCare Support so trust us when we say we can help! Prepare for these questions and you’re sure to crush your interview!

Why do you want to become a Pharmacy Technician?

With this question, they are generally trying to figure out if you are passionate about the role. Think this one through because you don’t want to say what everyone else is saying. Be memorable by coming up with an original and meaningful answer.

Why do you want this job?

Don’t be one of those people that answer this question with “Because I need money” or “Because it pays well”. Explain how your past jobs relate to this role, why you would want to work for this specific company, and what you can do to positively impact the company.

Why do you want to work for this company?

Start first by telling them why you picked the pharmaceutical industry and then narrow it down to why you chose that certain company in the pharmaceutical industry. Your knowledge of the company will show here so make sure you study everything about it – from what they do, to who the CEO is, and what awards they’ve won. Try to know as much as possible about the company – this will also show how interested and passionate you are about securing this role.

How do you deal with difficult customers?

The hiring managers want to know that they can trust you to deal with customers appropriately and calmly, especially being in the pharmaceutical industry. You will get a lot of unhappy customers complaining about why their insurance doesn’t cover certain prescriptions, so prepare to share an example of how you have diffused a situation in the past.

Can you work well in a fast-paced environment?

Working in pharmaceuticals is always going to be busy and fast-paced. Hiring managers want to know if you can work under pressure with certain deadlines and if you have the attitude and strive to get certain tasks done.

What do you think the most important quality of a Pharmacy Technician is?

Be honest with this question. Come up with a good quality and then relate it back to you. For example, being compassionate is a very important quality to have, especially working in the healthcare industry. Then explain why you are a very compassionate person.

What is your greatest weakness?

This question is asked in almost every single interview. Some cringe-worthy examples are, “I work too hard,” “I care too much,” etc.  Come up with something original, and put a positive to spin on it.

Congratulations on being asked to come in for an interview– you’re going to do great, just remember to just be yourself! If you’re still on the hunt for your dream job, check out our current openings here.

cover photo 

Technology is Taking Over

Posted on by

It’s 2019. We all saw it coming: Technology is taking over. Everywhere we look people have their noses buried in their smart phones, tablets, and computers. It’s crazy to think how far we’ve come, and all the things people had to do without technology. Remember when you had to mail a letter if you wanted to reach someone? Or how about going to the library if you didn’t know something? Technology has made some major differences to improve the world, but there’s a lot of controversy whether technology actually made the world a better place. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Should the cons not be overlooked? Tell us what you think:

Pros

  • Internet and Accuracy

    Don’t know the answer to a question? You are now a few clicks away from knowing the answer through Google. Need to add things up and document numbers? You’ve got everything you need on your computer with Excel and the Calculator app. The internet and programs, like Microsoft Office, are there to fix your human errors.

  • Time Saver

    Having a computer allows you to do many things at once. You can schedule appointments, email people, and perform other tedious tasks in minutes. If you share projects with your coworkers, all files can be saved in one place for people to access. Therefore, making everything you do more efficient and productive.

  • Green Planet

    Tree huggers unite! Technology allows us to be paperless. We don’t have to use a single sheet of paper while we’re writing novels, figuring out mathematical equations, or spelling things. Saving paper saves trees and saving trees saves the planet.

  • Communication

    Using direct messaging apps such as Skype, Slack, GroupMe, and IM, you can ask quick questions or message someone without writing an email or leaving your desk. For more polished business to business communications, just compose an email. You never have to pick up the phone again!

  • Working from Home

    Your employees don’t need to be in the office to work anymore. Save overhead and allow your employees to work remotely using their own laptops and WiFi.

Cons

  • Slackers

    Americans waste almost two hours a day on things other than their responsibilities. What are they doing? They’re checking their social media or texting their friends. Technology can be a big distraction in the workplace causing some employees to be less productive.

  • Communication (again?)

    Yes, communication in the office is compromised because instead of talking in person, we talk over text and emails. Many things can be lost in translation.

  • Money, Money, Money

    Technology is expensive! If your smartphone breaks, it could be up to $300 to get it fixed. Need to restore your laptop’s hard drive? Computers are even more expensive to repair.

  • Automatic

    Everything works by itself now and this makes people lazy at work. Some basic skills go to waste, such as tracking inventory. Automated messages get frustrating when you’re trying to call an operator for customer service but get stuck with a robotic voice that can never understand you.

In a world where technology is everywhere you turn, we understand the importance of one on one conversations with our candidates. At HealthCare Support, our candidates have essential conversations with their recruiter throughout the hiring process.

Interested? Apply Here!

How Companies Win the Talent Tug-Of-War

Posted on by

It’s a job seeker market now! There are now more job openings in the United States than unemployed workers to fill them. This is the first time this has happened since the government started tracking jobs in 2000. So, our question is, how do we get the unemployed to pick your company over the others? Let’s get to know the three different kinds of candidates.

  1. Future Champs:

    They have the devotion and love for the job and the company, but don’t have the right experience and knowledge. More times than others, companies don’t have the time nor the effort to put into teaching these new hires.

  2. Indifferent Einstein’s:

    The brilliant ones that have the right experience, but lack passion and dedication to the company and their position. These employees usually leave soon after they’ve been hired.

  3. All-Stars:

    Candidates who have the right experience along with the right passion and enthusiasm for the role. Best of both worlds! These are the people you absolutely want to hire, which makes them extremely difficult to find.

Now that we know the different types of candidates, how do you win over the All-stars?

  • Be Flexible and Move Quick

    If you found an All-Star for the position, stop wasting time choosing and extend an offer. All-Stars will probably have many other options to consider. Act accordingly so they don’t have time to consider these other options. Keep the second interviews and deliberation to a minimum.

  • Referral Incentive

    Almost everyone talks about working with their friends, yet no one does anything about it. Come up with a referral incentive so your employees will want to recruit their friends. Most employees are conscious that this reflects themselves and will not offer just anyone. Also, your employees will be excited to get to work with their friends and you will have workers that want to be at work. It’s a win-win.

  • Employee Benefits

    The best thing to hear at an interview are all the unique benefits of working there. Some ideas are costume contests, Jean Fridays, annual team-bonding trips, having a pet-friendly office, or having company event tickets. Get creative and make them irresistible.

  • Open hours

    Everyone enjoys their free time. Be open to workers creating their own work schedules. Whether its 7:30-4:30, 8-5, 9-6, they are all working the same amount of time and getting their work done. Work from home days never hurt anybody either!

  • Talent Costs

    If you want to hire the All-Stars, they’re going to assume they are worth more than others. Make sure your salaries are competitive to skip out on losing them to a position paying a dollar more. When it comes down to it, it’s not that much of a difference.

  • Fans Always Welcome

    If your company is more consumer based, hire people that are already fans. That way, you hire someone who is passionate about the company and their job from the start.

  • Networking!

    Networking is great for candidates, but it’s also great for hiring managers. It allows you to build relationships with candidates before they even considering working for your company. It’s also a great way to meet applicants you wouldn’t have originally gone for. You never know, someone might surprise you!

Are Your Employees ‘Office Slackers’?

Posted on by

We’ve all done it. Whether it’s constantly checking your phone, spacing out, or talking to your coworkers, we’ve all slacked. Americans spend almost two hours a day doing something other than their actual work. This means that companies waste an average of $759 billion on unfinished tasks.

Why do employees slack off? It’s a mixture between employees feeling like they are getting underpaid, employees not having enough to do, distracting and talkative coworkers, and the “I’ll do it tomorrow” attitude. Almost half of this wasted time is due to workers checking their cell phones and a third is socializing. And above all, one percent of this wasted time are employees applying for other jobs. So how can we fix this?

Employers, here are some tips to keep your employees productive:

Create a beneficial ambiance

    1. People feel more connected to nature when there are live plants around the office. Some results show that people with plants on their desks tend to be happier than those who don’t.
    2. Try and work with the sunlight. Make use of the windows or go for more sun-like light bulbs.
    3. It’s always nice to walk into work and have it smell nice in the office. Go buy candles or wall plug-ins. If it’s the season, buy seasonal smelling candles. It will give your workers a sense of home and comfort.
    4. Cater food in the office. Food powers the brain and it keep your em
    5. ployees focused and productive. Also, who doesn’t like free food?

Promote a more personable workplace

    1. Try to know your employees on a first name basis. It’s more comfortable for them when their boss knows their name.
    2. Join the company’s clubs and organizations. People will connect more when you share common interests– such as sports, book clubs, movies, and video games.
    3. Ask your employees about their lives outside of work, like how their families are. Hold the door open for them and give them a little smile. Any of these can create a more pleasing vibe and will make them feel more at ease.

Make your employees feel appreciated

    1. People like going into work when they feel they’re doing a nice job. Praise them as much as possible and try not to let anything good go unnoticed. Thank your employees if they do something for you.
    2. Don’t get emotional. It’s hard enough when employees know they did something wrong. Handle negative situations calmly. You hired bright employees and you know this because you wouldn’t have hired them if you thought otherwise.

Something so little, like a small smile or a compliment on someone’s hair might turn around their day for the better. You never know the kind of impact you’ll have on your employees, so remain positive and pleasant every chance you get.