Lancaster Physician Spring 2021 - 30

L A N C A S T E R M E D I C A L S O C I E T Y.O R G

Perspectives

or diploma degrees who wish to pursue a
bachelor's in nursing degree can qualify for
full financial support, as can nurses seeking
graduate education toward nurse practitioner
or other advanced practice roles.
" Nurses are encouraged to obtain their
specialty certifications because it leads to
improved patient outcomes, and we provide
a variety of reimbursement and pre-payment
programs, " Batory said. " As you advance in
your nursing profession, we offer a variety
of advanced-practice and leadership development programs. "
WellSpan works with its nurses to determine where their talents and skills are best
suited, Batory said. This assures they are
positioned to achieve the highest possible
level of success.
" At WellSpan Health we have created a
culture that supports nursing through professional development, autonomous nursing
practice, and shared decision making at the
system, entity, and unit levels, " Batory said.
" WellSpan Health's mission to work as one
to improve health through exceptional care
for all, lifelong wellness, and health communities is what it means to be a WellSpan
Health nurse. "
While nurses are always in demand, there
also is a need for workers in respiratory and
lab positions, according to Batory. He said
WellSpan's employment needs are similar to
those of comparable health care systems across
the country, and that the system routinely
tries new ways to connect with and build
relationships with candidates.
" We are in the early stages of redesigning
our recruitment experience from the candidate's perspective to ensure we connect with
and meet the expectations of the best members
of healthcare's future workforce, " Batory said.
WellSpan also seeks to support health
care students by offering use of its facilities
as clinical rotation sites and extending
financial assistance.
" We maintain long-standing partnerships
with regional colleges and universities while

fostering new opportunities with other higher
learning centers to help grow our team and
strengthen our ties to our communities, "
said Batory.
While WellSpan is not immune to the
challenges of health care staffing, it is proactive and has made great strides in recruiting
and retaining employees. The system, Batory
said, will continue in those practices to assure
staffing remains at desired levels in the future.
UPMC Pinnacle
Workers to fill positions
within the area of nursing
will remain in demand as
the health care industry
continues to grow, predicted
Shayla Thompson, manager
shayla
thompson
of recruitment at UPMC
Pinnacle. And expansion in health care technology is likely to increase worker demand
in that area, as well.
" It's an exciting time in health care, "
Thompson said. " It's one of the biggest sectors
of employment there is. "
Thompson said there will be a need for
both registered nurses and nursing support
positions, medical assistants, medical technologists, respiratory technicians, and surgical
technicians. To assure UPMC will be able to
fill those positions, staff works with schools to
reach young people and help them understand
options for jobs in health care and how to
prepare for them.
" The shortages move in rotations so we're
always anticipating where and when they will
occur and working proactively to avoid them, "
Thompson said. " We have continued to build
relationships with schools and programs to
help encourage students to consider the many
opportunities in health care. "
The health care system also partners with
local colleges to institute programs in the areas
in which UPMC experiences the greatest need
for workers. And, according to Thompson,
UPMC offers benefits such as tuition reimbursement for employees who wish to extend
or continue their educations.

LANCASTER

PHYSICIAN

For those without advanced degrees,
Thompson recommended looking into
positions such as a patient care technician
or nursing assistant. In an outpatient setting,
the position of patient services representative
may require only a high school diploma.
Once employed in an entry level position,
employees often consider continuing their
educations to achieve a higher-level position.
Anyone interested in a career in health care
should be prepared to complete any education and training required, recommended
Thompson, and should be aware that changes
in health care occur quickly in areas ranging
from technology to practice methods.
" It's important that an individual is
prepared and comfortable with change, "
Thompson said.
Because there is broad diversity among
patients and health care workers, someone
interested in entering the field should be comfortable working with a range of individuals.
" You cannot predict who your patients will
be, " Thompson said.
Also important for health care workers is
an open mind, a characteristic that increases
the flexibility needed for a quick moving,
changing environment.
Sources:
CompHealth Blog, written by James Gunter; Feb. 7,
2020. Accessed at https://comphealth.com/resources/
highest-demand-healthcare-workers.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, " Healthcare Occupations. " Accessed at www.bls.
gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm.

https://www.comphealth.com/resources/highest-demand-healthcare-workers https://www.comphealth.com/resources/highest-demand-healthcare-workers http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/home.htm

Lancaster Physician Spring 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lancaster Physician Spring 2021