The Penn Foster Blog

At the 92nd annual Western Veterinary Conference, a record number of veterinary professionals met in Las Vegas, Nevada to focus on growth and knowledge. Over the course of the conference, one thing became clear - many practices are struggling with the same issues: a crowded market and difficulty attracting new talent and clients. For practice managers, who are often held directly responsible for the success or failure of a clinic, finding a solution to improve retention rates, while also increasing practice revenue is a must. The key? Effective marketing.

Training veterinary technicians should be a top priority for your veterinary clinic or hospital. With the right training, they can improve efficiency, elevate patient care, and help create strong relationships between clients and the practice. Dr. Jim Hurrell, Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician Program Director Emeritus, suggests five best practices for training your staff.

It’s a well-known fact in the healthcare industry that few hospitals have all the medical assistants they need to meet staffing demands. The industry is changing, and recruitment and training haven’t caught up yet to new expectations. However, for hospitals to remain viable, they must embrace the rise of the medical assistant role.

The demand for CNAs is rising and nursing facilities are feeling the pinch. Around the country, nursing facilities are facing the need to turn away patients - not because they don't have to space to accommodate them, but because they don't have enough Certified Nursing Assistants on staff to see to the care of another person. This scenario is all too common in nursing facilities across the country. As the demand for CNAs skyrockets, healthcare organizations struggle to recruit and retain enough staff to meet patient needs. Responsible nursing facilities would rather leave beds empty than risk their reputations and patient health by compromising patient care.

There’s no doubt that declining retention rates plague the healthcare industry. Turnover rates have risen year after year across all positions, hitting a high of 19.1% in 2018 according to a 2019 National Healthcare Retention Report. High-stress roles and the 24/7 nature of the industry make employee burnout not only likely, but difficult to prevent. And with the demand for competent workers only increasing over time, the struggle to fill positions with employees who will stay is putting even more stress on those workers who do, compelling hiring managers to find any means possible to close the gap.

At VMX 2020, one of the world’s leading veterinary conferences, over 17,000 industry leaders and professionals gathered to engage in immersive workshops and continuing education opportunities, sharing thoughts, practices, and guidelines for improving quality patient care. Throughout the event, one trend became increasingly clear: the health and wellness of dedicated veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants is crucial to ensuring employee retention and practice growth.

Amidst the hype and fear-mongering over automation in the workplace, insightful business leaders are realizing something important: strategic digital upskilling can turn the robotic boogeyman into a workforce asset. With the right training and development, automation can help workers achieve more and engage more. As we stand on the brink of a new decade, automation-supported workforces promise to help us reach new heights of productivity and profitability. Workforce automation has been on the horizon for years. You’ve heard the projections: Robots will make humans obsolete. Workforces will be decimated by new technology. Millions will lose their jobs. As we step into 2020, you may be wondering if this is the decade when the takeover happens.

During Learn Launch 2020, there was a trend in sessions whose titles used the term “future” in some capacity. That’s unsurprising considering as people and leaders we’re always preparing for what’s next, but something an audience member said woke me up. She said, essentially, that we have to stop talking about the “future of work” because it gives us permission to assume we have time to change.

If you’re wondering how to recruit healthcare workers, you’re not alone. For almost three decades, hospitals and other healthcare facilities have struggled to fill open positions. The problem is likely to get even worse, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 14% growth in the healthcare industry, with the addition of 2.4 million new jobs by 2026. While good compensation and strong traditional benefits packages certainly have a role to play, healthcare employers can do more to stand out in the lean healthcare talent marketplace. Most importantly, don’t focus exclusively on attracting new employees. Implement policies, cultures, and training programs that support your existing talent pool. Here are our best tips for attracting and retaining healthcare employees based on real-world experience from our education partners.

In today’s tight labor market, workforce development programs have become a hot topic for employers. Businesses across all industries are finding that workforce development is no longer just a nice thing to have, it’s a pressing concern that must be addressed so employers can keep positions filled and employees satisfied in their jobs. You may not have a workforce development plan at all. Or your existing program may not be robust enough to succeed in a rapidly changing business environment. Either way, you have questions. What is a workforce development program? How do I create one that works for my business? Where can I turn for help?