Author: vitawerks

First impressions are everything in the healthcare industry. A successful job interview can mean the difference between a secured gig and a few extra months of job hunting. Interviews allow hospitals to get a feel of what motivates you, what your skills are, and whether or not you are a perfect fit for their culture and mission statement. There is no silver bullet approach to interviews that will work all the time, of course. Different facilities look for different traits and qualities from their healthcare workers. But with the right attitude, mindset, and general approach, you can drastically improve your chances of succeeding in the interview process.

Do your research

What are the facility’s core values? What will your role entail, and what are they looking for from their interviewees? To find out, you want to do your share of thorough research. Look at the job listing, their website, and even a few articles about the facility. This will give you a grasp of what they are looking for, their reputation around your area, and you can tailor your interview approach to that. When you are asked a question or tested on the knowledge of the facility, you can show them that you did not just apply indiscriminately. You are invested in this opportunity and you want to see it through.

Prepare yourself for questions asked

Different facilities will ask different questions, this much is guaranteed. However, there are a number of recurring questions you can expect to find, in a variety of forms. These include, but are not limited to:

What motivates you as an HCP?

Facilities want to know what drives their staff. They want to make sure they are enlisting driven, top quality professionals who are determined to provide the best healthcare possible. They do not want mercenaries who are simply in the industry because of the paycheck. When you answer this question, be as honest as you can possibly be. Draw from your past experiences, and share why HCP work means so much to you on a personal level.

Example:

For most of my life, I have looked up to nurses. My mom was a doctor, and my dad was a physician, so I grew up in that environment. Their passion for saving others, and their commitment to their jobs never ceased to amaze me. I want to help others in the same way and to the best of my capacity, as a nurse. I want to contribute to my community and save the lives of patients in need.

Why did you apply with us?

For this question and many others, you want to do your research. Facilities do not want stock answers that are generally applicable in most contexts. They want HCPs who are invested in contributing to their facility. Qualified professionals who align with a hospital’s workplace culture or attitude may be prioritized, over professionals who are marginally more experienced or credentialled. Read on a hospital’s core value, mission and vision and approach. Share why you would be a perfect fit for them, and how your qualities align with their goals.

Example:

I feel like I have a lot to contribute to this facility’s team oriented culture. I like collaborating with fellow HCPs and building chemistry as a team, to provide even better healthcare services. I practice accountability and responsibility wherever I go. I know my actions will reflect on my facility, and I carry myself accordingly. Eventually, I want to grow into the kind of worker that can lead by example and lift up everyone around them. I personally think that the values and approach of this facility perfectly align with my own.

Can you work well with others? 

Healthcare is an incredibly team-oriented industry. You  will be asked to collaborate with a diverse group of healthcare professionals with different backgrounds and areas of expertise. The success of a team is the success of the facility. You can have as many technical skills and certifications as humanly possible, but without the capacity to work with others you are essentially unmarketable. Talk about why you work well in a team setting. Highlight your interpersonal skills and pass successes. This includes communication, active listening and more.

Example:

As a HCP, communication is extremely important to me. I like making sure that everyone in my unit is on the same page, at all times. I was once working with a patient, and he had telltale signs of anxiety. He was looking down, not maintaining eye contact, and biting his nails. With this in mind, I did my best to ensure a safe and welcoming environment. It took time, but eventually I was able to reach a breakthrough. Whether it was with patients or fellow HCPS, I strongly believe in taking time to build that rapport.

Dress nicely

Your outfit will leave the first impression with your potential employers. You want to dress in a professional and clean manner, to show any prospective facilities that you value their time and are serious about applying for their opening. An understated, but sleek business casual look or totally professional business attire will do. When in doubt, a matching dark suit with a light dress shirt will always work.

Avoid overly gaudy or intricately patterned outfits, accessories, or anything that will show off tattoos. Whether fair or not, facilities will interpret this as a “rowdy, unprofessional” look. Make sure your entire outfit, from your shirt to your shoes, is not creased or overly wrinkled. Finally, a clean shaven look with a neat hairstyle is a must. In any industry this will work, but especially in the case of HCP work. Facilities want HCPs who buy into a culture of professionalism, in every aspect.

Approach with the right attitude

Half the battle is mental, with interviews. You can prepare perfectly and say all the right things ,but your body language will betray your inner thoughts. You want to project the right attitude, and enter each interview relaxed yet quietly confident. Show your prospective facilities a willingness to learn, and a collected demeanor. Avoid stumbling over your words, and be sure to maintain eye contact and good posture. These may seem like little touches, but the small things eventually add up.

Post-pandemic facilities are still wrestling with nationwide HCP shortages. With no end in sight, various hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities are struggling with the consequences. Short staffing will cripple the industry if facility managers are not willing to adapt to the times. With the right strategic approach, however, this is still very much possible.

How Do Shortages Cripple Facilities?

Initially, the downsides to the HCP shortages are rather obvious. With fewer people on hand, facilities end up spreading their remaining staff across a large pool of patients and responsibilities. This means the HCPs that choose to stay now have to handle unsustainably brutal and lengthy shifts while handling a workload that should be spread between multiple HCPs. This leaves them stressed, fatigued, and potentially burned out, which increases turnover dramatically.

If left unchecked, the turnover will only cripple operations worse. The remaining HCPs will get more and more stressed, and the quality of care will plummet as a result. The patients, the facilities, and the HCPs themselves will suffer greatly as a result. HCPs must work stressed and burned out, facilities will have their reputations tarnished, and patients will be provided increasingly worse healthcare.

Can the Shortage Damage a Facility’s Bottom Line?

A number of ripple effects spring from this. Appropriate staffing levels are connected with profitability. If there are enough HCP staff on hand, then the quality of care is better, which means facilities earn more as a result. This makes sense, as HCPs are less burdened with tasks and responsibilities, and can focus their energies on their regular duties and only a handful of patients. When a facility’s staffing levels are less adequate and the care quality takes a hit, your profitability will ultimately plummet over the long run. Less and fewer people will admit themselves to your facility, because of the negative reputation that it has generated.

What Can Be Done to Address These Problems?

Staffing solutions have developed at a rapid pace, during the pandemic. Facilities get on board experienced professional HCPs to weather the storm and keep staffing shortages level. Though a short-term solution, this allows them to survive surges in demand or bide their time, before their newly hired HCPs are prepared to contribute in a meaningful capacity. In particular, the VitaWerks app empowers facilities with the ability to bring in the best HCPs in their area, as soon as possible. Healthcare managers can browse through a curated list of the finest RNs, LPNs/LVNs, and CNAs around. All their credentials, qualifications, and past work experience is available to see, at the click of a button. Find the best HCPs for your facility in no time, with the VitaWerks app

HCPs get their shoes dirty all the time. In the middle of a shift, it can get exposed to all kinds of fluids and substances. Footwear does not come cheap, and you want to make your nursing shoes last as long as possible. Before they end up filthy and unusable, keep your work shoes clean with these foolproof tips and tricks.

Check Material

Not all cleaning methods are compatible with every material. You may be able to throw some nursing shoes into the washing machine, but others will just get damaged. Find out what your shoes are made of before you proceed with cleaning them.

Throw Them in the Washing Machine

If your shoes are made of non-leather material like synthetic nursing shoes, then you can throw them into the washing machine. This also works for thin fabric shoes and thin leather uppers. At all costs, you want to avoid putting in clog-type shoes. They are often too heavy and can damage washing machines as a result.

Air-Dry Your Washed Shoes

After you wash your shoes, avoid putting them in the dryer. This will inevitably damage both the machine and your shoes. Depending on the material, your shoes may end up shrinking or the soles will get destroyed by the constant banging around the dryer’s interior. Instead, air-dry them in a well-ventilated area and/or in front of the fan. This ensures clean, dry and undamaged nursing shoes.

Disinfect Your Shoes

If you are using heavy leather shoes or you wanna avoid using the washing machine too much, you can simply disinfect your shoes. This can be done with a spray mixture of cold water and vinegar or simple disinfectant wipes. The latter is quick and convenient, but it may damage leather over a period of time. In that case, you want to moisturize your shoes before wiping them down. The water and vinegar mixture may seem crude, but it is a sustainable and quick way of keeping your shoes clean.

Whether you are picking up travel nurse contracts or taking a vacation, HCPs have a load of opportunities to travel. With the Nurse Licensure Compact expanding by the day, they enjoy more job opportunities than ever before. Provided they have licensure in one of the 42 NLC states, they can practice freely within these territories without applying for new licensure. It is an exciting time to travel as a nurse, but you still want to err on the side of caution. Going to a new location is exciting, but you want to stay secure at all times. Consider these travel safety tips, before you plan your next flight or book your next travel nurse contract.

Do Research Beforehand

You want to get a good grasp of where you will be staying. In addition to tourist destinations and eateries, look up public transportation options. Would it be better to stick to a rented vehicle, or is commuting a safe and viable option? Finding the right answer may save you some money, in the long term. More importantly, you want to look into the crime rates of the surrounding areas. If you cannot avoid passing through certain zones or streets, you will at least be able to go through them with extra caution.

Come Well Prepared

As much as possible, you want to avoid conflict whenever it arises. If you have no choice, you at least want the option to fight back and protect yourself. Just be sure to check if pepper spray is legal wherever you are travelling. If it is, then this is a portable and convenient mode of self-defence. In case you wound yourself after an encounter (or from a mere accident), you also want a first aid kit on hand.

Bring Copies of Important Documentation

Carrying all your personal documents can be a pain. You want to avoid bringing them out as much as possible, but you are regularly asked to present them when travelling. Losing these items can be a costly mistake that can throw a massive wrench in your plans. To avoid this, you want to make photocopies of your documents. You can bring them out instead of your documents, in some cases. More importantly, they can provide temporary identification in case you lose the main documents. This includes but is not limited to, your passport, social security card, birth certificate, nursing credentials and more.

Keep Your Family Informed

It is important to keep your friends and family informed about where you are, and when you are traveling. This not only assures them that you are safe and sound, but this also provides emergency contacts in case something unexpected happens. Keep their contact information in your phone, and update them whenever you are departing or when you have arrived at your destination. Keep in regular contact with them too, if you can. Contacting them every day or every other day is a great way to maintain your connections while reassuring them, with regards to your safety.

Stay Aware at All Times

This may seem like simple advice, but it can be a lifesaver. It is all too easy to get preoccupied with your phone or whatever you are listening to on your earbuds, while you are out and about. In reality, you want to be aware at all times, especially while you are in unfamiliar territory. Not only can you take in the new surroundings, but this avoids potential run-ins or bumps that can lead to an unfortunate escalation. As much as possible, avoid walking by yourself at night at all costs as well. If you must, ask a security guard to walk with you to your vehicle at a late hour.

HCP work can be brutal at times. Healthcare workers often end up too tired to do anything, after particularly long shifts. That just makes hobbies all the more valuable. Having a skill or a pastime to focus on lets you keep your mind off of work while staying sharp and engaged. When you do come back to your shift, you return refreshed and ready to take on the challenges for the day. There is no wrong way to approach this, but we have listed a handful of hobbies that we know many HCPs would enjoy.

Crocheting

When you crochet, you are making garments or fabrics with just yarn and a special needle and hook. You can make a surprising number of things through crocheting, such as (but not limited to) pot-holders, yarn dolls, mini baskets, beanies and much more. Though initially daunting, crocheting is a great hobby for any HCP to pick up. It allows for self-expression, reduces stress, and increases memory retention. It is also a great way to join groups of fellow crocheting enthusiasts and expand your social circle as a result.

Writing

Sometimes, you want to sit down and express your inner thoughts. Writing provides an outlet for HCPs who have something to say about their lives, line of work, or any subject they can conceive. You can create poems, essays, or even whole books if you are ambitious enough. It could be about HCP work or something completely different like entertainment or history. You can even start writing blogs to publish on your LinkedIn, Tumblr, Medium, or other site of choice. Just remember that you are not starting every project in the pursuit of “making it” or “hitting it big.” The act of writing itself has value as a creative outlet and productive hobby.

Art

This encompasses painting, drawing, and even digital art. Many people who start out late in life are understandably put off by the idea of drawing. There is a lot to learn, and it can be easy to feel helpless or lost. Luckily, there are a number of guides and tutorials available online. More importantly, you can only improve as an artist by doing. Drawing personal pieces for yourself, embracing progress when you notice it, and taking things one step at a time can be an immensely rewarding process for any HCP.

Web Design

Websites are a powerful tool. A good website is the perfect way to promote your brand and project a desired image. Whether you are working for yourself or a company, the skills are in high demand. Picking up web design may prove useful if you want to promote or push your own products. Failing that, it can just be a fun learning experience as you create websites for yourself or your friends. There are a number of tutorials available online, from free YouTube lessons to paid lectures from services like Skillshare.

Cooking

Cooking can be a tiring enterprise, but it is equal parts fun and useful. When you cook your own meals, you have full control over the culinary experience and you usually save money as well. If you are really determined and you have a freezer, you can even pre-prepare freezer-friendly meals like tomato sauce or dumplings for the whole week. Similar to art, it can even provide a space for self-expression and experimentation, although there is absolutely nothing wrong with sticking to traditional recipes.

Casually accepting every travel nurse contract sent your way is not sustainable. In all travel nurse positions, from RN, to LPN, to CNA, these HCPs lay everything on the line like everyone else. It only makes sense that they deserve to be paid what they are worth. Travel nurse salaries in the US may be competitive with full-time gigs, but that does not mean you can stay complacent.

No matter the travel nurse contract length, you want to peel through the layers and discover the truth on your terms. In this article, we will show you how you can negotiate with your agencies and find out your true value. With these travel nurse tips, you will be able to secure the best deals with the best travel nurse agencies in your area.

Look into the Agency’s True Pay Rate

Nursing agencies already have signed agreements with facilities regarding how much an agent is paid. While this amount is fixed, the agency disperses that amount between your travel nurse salary per hour, benefits, travel reimbursements and the agency’s own commission.

Nurses are often given a “blended” amount, which takes your hourly rate, and includes reimbursements and benefits. Benefits and reimbursements take away from your hourly rate, so this is not an accurate picture of your effective pay.

Before you even accept a travel nurse LPN job, you want to figure out the true pay rate. Compare and contrast different contracts, to figure out the travel nurse salary average. By knowing the median, you gain a clear picture of what is being offered, which can help you make an informed business decision.

Always Talk Travel Reimbursement

Naturally, travel nursing comes with its fair share of travel-related expenses. This is why many nursing agencies offer reimbursement for these costs. When you are negotiating your contract, travel nurses want to take a closer look at the terms of reimbursement. Figure out what costs will be covered and how reimbursement is calculated.

For example: some agencies will reimburse you based on miles traveled, while others just provide you with a set relocation stipend. If the cost of travel exceeds reimbursement, you want to bring this up before you sign anything. Keep in mind that these stipends are also travel nurse tax-free when you have to calculate your taxes.

Discuss Additional Reimbursement

Some agencies provide reimbursements not tied to your travel nurse income. This includes free housing, public transportation, child care and work-related supplies. Within reason, you want to make sure that your agency is covering as many travel expenses as they can.

Select agencies can even provide travel nurse health insurance, which is not always provided. If this matters to you, review each contract to make sure that this is provided, and to what extent.

Ask about additional reimbursements or benefits. You also want to inquire about specific terms and whether or not they are tied to the pay rate.