How Hospitals Can Improve Their Patients’ Care Experience

As competition among health care providers intensifies, they are under pressure to deliver a high-quality, cost-effective and pleasant consumer experience.

from H&HN

Sweeping changes to the health care landscape are motivating providers to prioritize the patient as a customer. For many, there is a desire to expand capacity to meet the evolving health needs of patient populations. At the same time, new entrants, such as urgent care centers and drugstores that provide health services, are creating new kinds of competition — and raising the bar for customer service in health care. Furthermore, technology is transforming how customers make buying decisions and purchase goods and services. Consumers want convenience, quality and speed, whether at the coffee shop or the doctor’s office.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Is America Still Facing A Nursing Shortage?

Unfortunately so. Due to many important factors, the demand for nurses is rising at a staggering rate.

from Scrubs

Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about America’s nursing shortage. This national shortage of nurses has resulted from a number of factors, including limited availability in medical schools, a shortage of qualified nursing school instructors, and fierce job competition within the nursing industry. With all of the healthcare and education reform that has taken place during recent years, shouldn’t this problem be resolved by now? Unfortunately, this is not the case. America’s demand for nurses is becoming more critical than ever.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

When Changing Nurse Jobs Means Changing Specialties

When changing nurse jobs means changing specialties, nurses should know that they are not limited by what they currently do any more than doctors are.

There are times when a nurse reaches a point in life when she/he realizes that the work she/he is doing is not as fulfilling as it once was, if it was ever fulfilling at all. It is not that the nurse does not enjoy nursing; it is just that there is a burning desire to transition from a current position into a new one in an entirely different specialty. When changing nurse jobs means changing specialties, nurses should know that they are not limited by what they currently do any more than doctors are.

As one example, you may be a nurse who has spent the better part of your career working in the oncology department at your local hospital. It certainly has been rewarding and challenging. However, after 15 years, you are starting to realize that your heart is really in public health. Don’t worry; you can make the transition. You can go from oncology to public health, from pediatrics to emergency room medicine, or even from clinical practice to nursing education.

Easy Steps to Making the Transition

We do not mean to suggest there is a one-size-fits-all, step-by-step process that every nurse can use when switching specialties. Nevertheless, there are certain guidelines that apply in almost every case. So, keep the following in mind when changing nurse jobs means changing specialties:

  • Assess Yourself Honestly – Switching specialties is no minor undertaking. Before you go down that road, honestly assess yourself and your situation. Ask yourself questions about why you want to switch, what it is you are truly passionate about, and whether or not your desire to switch is really just a means of escaping a situation you do not like. Honest questions and honest answers should give you some much-needed clarity.
  • Research Your Options – Transitioning from one specialty to another does not necessarily mean you will only have one option within your new chosen specialty. There may be multiple options. For example, transitioning into pediatrics may include options at the local hospital, a group family practice, or even the neighborhood nursery school. Find out what is out there so that you can fine-tune your goals.
  • Consider More Education – Depending on what you want to transition to, you may need additional education. Consider this carefully. If additional education is required, you will have to decide whether to continue working while you are learning or become a full-time student in order to finish as quickly as possible.
  • Consider Volunteering – There may be opportunities for you to gain valuable experience by way of volunteer work involving your new chosen specialty. Never underestimate the power of volunteering. It is an excellent way to learn, gain experience, and network with people who might be important to know.
  • Seize the Opportunity – If you have a desire to transition to a new specialty, it is wise to seize the opportunity now. Just so long as your self-assessment provides the right answers to your questions, there is no point in putting off beginning the transition process. Remember, putting something off until tomorrow is a great way to never get it done.

For some people, changing nurse jobs is nothing more than leaving one facility for an identical job at another. For other nurses, it means a complete change of specialties. We hope any decision you make to change jobs is one guided by knowledge, experience, and wisdom gleaned from others. The combination of a wise choice and the right kind of planning can make it possible for you to add an entirely new and exciting dimension to your career.


Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Majority of Americans Have High Praise for Their Providers, Survey Finds

Over 80% of Americans have high praise for their providers, even as reported rates of physician burnout and other frustrations continue to rise.

from Becker’s Hospital Review

Of Americans who have seen a healthcare provider in the last year, 87 percent say they felt they were carefully listened to while 84 percent said they felt that their physician truly cared about their health and well being. Only 23 percent of patients reported feeling rushed and only 15 said they were confused about the instructions they received for treatments or at-home care.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Physicians to Congress: Continue Funding Loan Repayment Program

The NHSC program was launched in 1972 and has grown steadily in recent decades, but its funding was extended for only two years in 2015.

from AAFP

The National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program helps fully trained family physicians pay off qualifying educational loans in exchange for service in a designated health professional shortage area. The program also offers scholarships and monthly living stipends to medical students committed to providing primary care in underserved communities. Annual funding is set at $310 million, but it will expire on Sept. 30 without congressional action.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Three Ways Nurse Practitioners Are Transforming Healthcare Delivery from Hospital to Home

Here are three reasons why hospitals are turning to NPs and improving patient care in the process.

from Becker’s Hospital Review

Hospitals have employed nurse practitioners for decades, but only recently have they begun to capitalize on NPs’ potential.Changes in NP licensure laws, a swiftly aging patient population and increasing pressures from Medicare to focus on care quality has elevated the profile of NPs as key players in a new age of cost-conscious, quality hospital care. Here are three reasons why hospitals are turning to NPs and improving patient care in the process.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Expanding the Role of PAs in the Treatment of Severe and Persistent Mental Illness

Patients with severe and persistent mental illness often face limited access to psychiatric and primary care—PAs could change that.

from JAAPA

Among mental health teams that care for patients with severe and persistent mental illness, a growing concern is patients’ limited access to psychiatric support. One contributing factor is a shortage of psychiatrists, especially in community-based and outpatient settings. Physician assistants historically have been used in settings with physician shortages.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

86% of Americans: Healthcare Workers Should Discuss Clinical Trials

While the pharma industry spends upwards of $2B on patient recruitment every year, a recent survey found half of respondents were not aware of clinical trials.

from Research!America

The results of a new public opinion survey conducted by Research!America sheds light on the perception Americans have of clinical trials and may hold the key to the patient recruitment problem. The survey found 86 percent of Americans felt their healthcare professionals should discuss clinical trials with patients diagnosed with a disease, and that those discussions should be part of their standard of care.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

After 15 Years of Failure, What Can Pharma Offer Alzheimer’s Patients?

The most recent new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease was approved by European regulators in May 2002, with the US FDA following suit the next year.

from The Pharma Letter

As patients, physicians and pharma firms digest the latest research, presented at last week’s Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), what can the pharmaceutical industry offer the estimated 50 million people living with this most burdensome of conditions?

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Technology-Based Rehabilitation to Improve Communication after Acquired Brain Injury

The utilization of technology has allowed for several advances in aphasia rehabilitation for individuals with acquired brain injury.

from Frontiers in Neuroscience

The utilization of technology has allowed for several advances in aphasia rehabilitation for individuals with acquired brain injury. Thirty-one previous studies that provide technology-based language or language and cognitive rehabilitation are examined in terms of the domains addressed, the types of treatments that were provided, details about the methods and the results, including which types of outcomes are reported. From this, we address questions about how different aspects of the delivery of treatment can influence rehabilitation outcomes, such as whether the treatment was standardized or tailored, whether the participants were prescribed homework or not, and whether intensity was varied. Results differed by these aspects of treatment delivery but ultimately the studies demonstrated consistent improvement on various outcome measures. With these aspects of technology-based treatment in mind, the ultimate goal of personalized rehabilitation is discussed.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.