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Key Tips to Landing Top Respiratory Therapists in a Competitive Market

July 23, 2020 by Lacey Walters

The Coronavirus pandemic has expanded the demand for Respiratory Therapists and other qualified medical professionals in the United States and globally. The number of Respiratory Therapists is disproportionately low compared to the 18 million healthcare professionals nationwide. According to projections by The Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be an annual average of less than 140,000 Respiratory Therapists between 2018 – 2028. This only represents .78% of total employees in the healthcare field. With the incidences of respiratory conditions rising worldwide, the demand for skilled RTs has become more challenging than ever.

Respiratory Therapist Stat
Respiratory Therapists represent just .78% of total employees in the healthcare field. *The Bureau of Labor Statistics

Despite the talent shortage in this market, Blue Signal has maintained a strong track record of delivering quality clinical and non-clinical healthcare staffing in a short timeframe. We have placed many Certified and Registered Respiratory Therapists nationwide and specialize in meeting the demand of clients quickly and effectively.

Through trial and error, our Blue Signal Healthcare Recruiters have come up with these 4 simple tips to land your next qualified respiratory therapist during the pandemic.

 

1. Understand Your Respiratory Therapist Hiring Needs

Respiratory Therapists (RT) are trained in cardio-pulmonary medicine to help those with asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and most recently, COVID-19. With the rapid spread of COVID cases throughout the US, finding qualified medical professionals is more important than ever.

Types of RTs include Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRTs) and Certified Respiratory Therapists (CRTs). While an RRT demands a higher level of qualification and education, both kinds of Respiratory Therapists are qualified to perform medical services to help those with acute and chronic dysfunction of the cardiopulmonary system. Before starting your search, make sure you know which type of RT your open job requires, and remember the RT talent shortage to consider if offering additional flexibility on your job description requirements is a possibility.

 

2. Provide Environmental Transparency Upfront

Respiratory Therapists are playing a critical role in keeping the COVID outbreak under control. Travel and contract work amidst the high demand for Respiratory Therapists has resulted in many RTs risking their own health for job security.  When bringing on new therapists to your facility, candidates should be made aware right away of your organization’s PPE policies and if they will be exposed to confirmed COVID cases involving risky treatments and procedures.  This can help assure the potential RT that you have their best interests in mind and are dedicated to their wellness and safety.

 

3. Offer Continued Training & Education

As Respiratory Therapists do their best to keep COVID-19 patients alive, the public’s attention has shifted toward healthcare. Many RTs are being recognized as the unsung heroes of the pandemic and are inspiring more students to enter the field. RTs can specialize in several types of therapy including emergency, geriatric, adult, pediatric, and sleep care - so there are many academic roads students can pursue. Offering specialized training and continued educational opportunities to advance the skillsets of your CRTs and RRTs will appeal to potential recruits and set you apart in this extremely competitive marketplace. The increased public attention around RTs has helped educate patients that their knowledge goes beyond ventilators, and we have already seen an increase in awareness to the profession. As the search continues for the next generation of Respiratory Therapists, this increased awareness of the field has already supported our candidate pipeline growth.

 

4. Utilize A Recruiter

If you are a hospital or healthcare facility struggling to find qualified Respiratory Therapists, you are not alone. With COVID cases on the rise, it may be difficult to set aside time to comb through hundreds of applicants to find the right fit; this is where a recruiter can help! Let us recruiters do the hard work for you: reviewing applications, having initial phone screens, doing background checks, and touching base with references. Working with a recruiter can save you time, increase productivity and efficiency, provide access to passive talent, and help you get back to the work that matters most - saving lives.

Blue Signal recruiters are with you every step of the way, going the extra mile to ensure our clients can find the critical fit for their healthcare facility. Our COVID-19 Critical Infrastructure Response Team specializes in Medical Devices, Healthcare & Hospitals, Telehealth, Lab Diagnostics, Biotechnology, Business Operations, and more.

Whether your team is overworked, under-staffed, or has gotten sick – take care of the ones that need your attention most and let us handle your coverage needs.

If you are in need of hiring support or know someone else that is, please call us today at (480) 939-3200!

 

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Career Advice, Healthcare Jobs, Healthcare Staffing, Recruiter Tips Tagged With: Covid-19, CRT, Doctor, Healthcare, Hospital, Medical Professional, Medical Staffing

Nursing Q&A – Stay Informed, Stay Safe

May 14, 2020 by Lacey Walters

Today’s news is flooded with material designed to keep consumers informed about the current health crisis due to COVID-19. Nurses and medical professionals around the world are risking their lives to ensure that people are staying safe and healthy. Many friends and family members have sacrificed so much to keep the world protected; this nurses’ week Blue Signal sought to provide the public with accurate and authentic information, right from the source.

Nurse A - Registered Nurse, Arizona

Nurse B - Infection Control Nurse, Nevada

How has your role and everyday tasks been impacted since COVID-19 began?

Nurse A: “The way we carry out doing our everyday tasks has changed but I still have my same job title.”

Nurse B: “Work has been multiplied by 3, high stress.”

Are you working directly with anyone exposed to COVID-19? If so, what processes are you implementing personally to reduce risk to yourself and your family?

Nurse A: “I work in an emergency room so I see a lot of patients coming in for different reasons. Most of our patients testing positive for COVID are asymptomatic and being swabbed for different purposes (we swab everyone before scheduling for surgery for example). 

We are trying our best to adhere to contact and contact-droplet precautions for every patient we see (I.e. wearing masks - the one surgical mask that our hospital provides us with per day, whenever we perform any kind of patient care). When coming in contact with any suspected COVID patients, we use specially fitted masks that airborne pathogens cannot get through known as N-95 masks, as well as gowns to protect our clothing from the virus. The only other thing I’ve personally been doing is changing out my ‘dirty’ scrubs before leaving work.”

Nurse B: “Yes, and I am practicing meticulous hygiene by wearing my mask, wiping down everything with the disinfectant wipes, and changing my scrubs out when I get done with work.”

Can you paint a picture of what you're seeing across the country as critical care nurses deal with the pandemic? Are nurses seeing shortages of ventilators and PPE?

Nurse A: “Arizona specifically hasn’t declared a critical shortage of supplies, however, NY and other hot spots are having to implement algorithms to determine which patients' ventilators are rationed out to based on a sort of mortality/morbidity score.”

Nurse B: “Nurses are seeing an extreme shortage of PPE. There were not enough supplies for this pandemic, so the nation wasn’t prepared.

A lot of nurses are being put in extremely high-risk situations even just working at the hospital because they don’t have enough PPE to do the correct job donning and doffing.”

What are some ways that communities can support nurses/medical staff?

Nurse A: “Communities can support nurses and all hospital personnel by either doing their part by staying at home or complying with social distance/mask standards.”

Nurse B: “[Communities can support us by] putting out more coverage for the community on what is really going on during the COVID crises. The shortage of PPE is all covered up.”

What are some positive things that could come out of this situation?

Nurse A: “Positives may arise from this situation outside of the healthcare field, like the differences we are seeing in the environment and how non-medical employees are demonstrating to businesses that it isn’t necessary to physically ‘go to work’ to be productive.”

Nurse B: “This situation could teach us how to react when we have our next pandemic. There will be one. We’ll be much better prepared. And thinking outside the box when there are not enough gowns, gloves, masks... 

What can we do to take care of patients but still halfway protect ourselves?”

Is your hospital/facility currently fully staffed for nurses, aides, and other workers?

Nurse A: “Our hospitals in Arizona are overstaffed for the most part as censuses are down due to fear of hospitals right now. It has been a challenge for hospitals to determine what the best course of action is - whether they take employee benefits away or start furloughing employees to be able to stay financially above water.”

Nurse B: “Yes. Because of COVID, we had to stop doing surgeries except for emergency surgeries, so we have fewer patients because of that, and because we only have COVID patients and extremely ill people. The minute we start doing elective surgeries again, we’re going to be short-staffed.”

What is one thing you would like the world to know to feel more informed about the current healthcare crisis? 

Nurse A: “It is not a hoax nor a plandemic. The people the public call heroes don’t want this title. We just want to spend time with our families and loved ones without the stigma of being in close proximity to COVID like a front-line healthcare worker. 

Some of my coworkers are not seeing their children due to fear of transmitting this virus. We want this over more than anyone but protesting and returning to normal life too soon is like taking antibiotics (ABX) and just stopping when you feel better vs. when the infection is wiped out. 

We advise our patients to finish their course of ABX because if they do not, the infection is prone to getting worse and stronger since now it is antibiotic-resistant and that’s our biggest fear in regard to opening businesses up.”

Nurse B: “For years, we have been teaching that hand hygiene transmits most of the organisms and we have educated on that – wash your hands, wash your hands. And it took COVID to prove the point. We’ve been telling people to do this for years, but they need to know how important this is.”

What is the most fulfilling aspect of your job? 

Nurse B: “Interacting with patients.”

Nurses and medical professionals everywhere are speaking out to keep the greater population informed and safe. Armed with the right information, the bravery and determination shown by our healthcare workers can inspire people to join the field and promote change in future reformations. 

To all of the nurses of the world: thank you for working around the clock to fight this global pandemic. It is clear that this battle is far from over. our compassion, bravery, and hard work are not unnoticed. 

Looking for ways to help? Thank the healthcare heroes around you, many of whom do not want the title, but certainly have earned it. And do your part to reduce the spread by staying home, being prepared, and washing your hands.

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Healthcare Jobs, Healthcare Staffing, Uncategorized Tagged With: EssentialWorkers, Healthcare, Information, NursesWeek

Top 3 Healthcare Hiring Trends for 2020

February 25, 2020 by Lacey Walters

The healthcare industry is continuously evolving and with it, hiring needs must adjust as well. Three areas we’re watching closely are revenue cycle management, behavioral health, and Medicare/Medicaid as they pertain to addiction treatment in 2020. While not immediately evident, these areas directly impact job market needs. Let’s take a closer look at these trends for 2020 and how healthcare practices can best prepare for changes to come.

Revenue Cycle Management

Hospitals saw an increase in revenue by year-end 2019, and that’s a trend that’s predicted to continue. With stiff competition for jobs in this area, healthcare systems are looking for qualified candidates with a particular skill set. While the traditional STEM background isn’t vital to revenue related jobs, healthcare employers do have specific criteria. The ability to handle revenue functions and calculations in an organized manner, paired with the willingness to learn, are key. On top of that, they also need degrees in a related field such as healthcare management or administration.

Behavioral Health

The need for qualified professionals in the behavioral health space has never been higher. According to HealthScape, “Nearly one in five American adults lives with a behavioral health condition and nearly half of those with a mental illness have two or more disorders.” This paired with a shift in how mental illness is perceived, thanks largely to millennials who are helping to destigmatize mental health conditions, presents a need for comprehensive treatments and skilled providers.

Like revenue cycle management, this is a highly competitive market that requires trained professionals who have a real desire to improve people’s lives and overall well-being. Some of the highest areas of growth include Psychiatry, Mental Health Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, and Certified Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors. 

Medicare and Medicaid To Cover Addiction Treatment in 2020

Another development in the healthcare space came January 1, 2020, when The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services started coverage of opioid treatment programs. These services will include medication, counseling, drug testing, individual and group therapy. Since passing the bill, commercial carriers are starting to follow suit. This is a win for combating the opioid crisis which continues to wreak havoc nationwide. As more people are now able to afford treatment, there is an ever-increased need for healthcare professionals in this area of healthcare. 

Behavioral health and the fields that fall under its umbrella will continue to change and grow as needs arise and laws evolve. If you are a healthcare provider challenged with finding the top talent to close the gap between needs and skills, Blue Signal is a strong resource to consider. With tenured recruiters who specialize specifically in this space, we have the experience and relationships to find the best talent for your growing healthcare hiring needs.

Filed Under: Blog Posts, Career Advice, Healthcare Jobs, Healthcare Staffing Tagged With: 2020 healthcare trends, healthcare recruiting, hireblue

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