Training Strategies to Bridge Our Healthcare Talent Gap

Employees continue to leave their healthcare positions – from doctors to nurses to workers in support roles who make care possible -- exacerbating workforce gaps that can often be difficult and costly to fill.

While there’s been much public discussion about recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals, more attention is needed to identify ways to specifically hire and engage support workers. When healthcare organizations are willing to invest in their employees’ learning and development, it can also help them attract and retain talent in a competitive market.

Sustainable Employee Retention Relies On Robust Learning and Development

More than one-third (37.27%) of healthcare staffing ng in Florida is comprised of workers in support roles. At its recent eighth annual Spark Summit in Tampa, Florida, Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) and its healthcare employer partners came together to focus on critical workforce issues, including hiring and retention of employees in support roles. Programs to reskill and upskill staff take expertise and resources in training, credentialing, and coaching. Working as a team, UMA and its partners addressed various strategies that UMA employer partners can use to promote the professional development of their employees.

• 37.27% of healthcare staffing in Florida is comprised of workers in support roles

If employees don’t have a chance to practice and apply all their knowledge regularly, they will have a harder time retaining the information and keeping those skills sharp. “Upskilling” prepares employees to perform better within their current role or an elevated related role, boosting retention and inspiring greater employee loyalty. Not all employees are self-motivated, and they may not know where to look for opportunities to build practical and essential power skills. Engage employees in support roles frequently to identify good candidates for upskilling.

“Reskilling” involves training team members with skills to do a different job that the organization needs. Coursework on communication skills and critical thinking; healthcare industry knowledge, including HIPAA compliance and medical terminology; and a balance of technical and power skills prepare these candidates for work and life. Reskilling can help these team members increase their confidence while creating opportunities for valued employees to take on new roles and functions.

Selecting The Right Educational Institution Or Training Partner

Training is an investment and, for many, requires time out of an already busy schedule. Therefore, finding the right training partner is critical. Look for an organization with a reputation of past performance accomplishing their employer partners’ goals and supporting their success. A training partner should be a value-driven collaborator who is interested in building a long-lasting relationship.

An adaptable approach and customized learning must be part of the training partner offerings, including accommodating your organization’s schedule rotations and providing wrap-around support so learners have the academic, technical, and certification support and encouragement needed for achievement.

Many organizations are finding they must rapidly develop a more agile workforce that possesses a balance of tactical skills and power skills that allow individuals to lead competently with care for success in Florida’s transforming healthcare market.

The First Four Steps for Success

• Map out short-and long-term staffing goals.
• Determine potential in the internal talent pool to complement external talent resources.
• Identify alternate skills and roles within the internal talent pool. Adapt to do other key roles that are in need with additional training.
• Build a supportive work culture where all employees have knowledge of and access to opportunities for training, transfers, and advancement through career pathing.

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