The healthcare industry is crumbling and perhaps education is the glue that could put it back together. Far too often do healthcare leaders put continuous education for its employees on the backburner. Just because doctors and clinicians get a job does not mean they have nothing else to learn and practice. Prioritizing education on every level not only ensures that the healthcare industry is investing in knowledge workers, but ensures that they are investing in the health of its patients. By not implementing training and education programs, the industry is putting peoples’ lives at risk.
One of the biggest examples of how the healthcare industry is crumbling is due to the lack of nurse educators throughout the system. It’s important to think about how education is necessary on multiple levels. Not only is it important in the hospital system to keep employees in the loop on new advancement, but it’s vital for nursing students to get the training they need in order to even make it to the hospitals.
“Investing in education helps the healthcare industry on every level. Right now there is currently a lack of qualified educators to help get people through nursing school. If there is no one to teach, then how will they graduate and get jobs within the industry? This lack of education creates a chain reaction because if there are no nurses graduating, then there will be more staffing issues, which ultimately puts patients’ health at risk,” says DoorSpace CEO Sarah M. Worthy.
Education and profitability are not mutually exclusive. There is a common misconception that investing in education and training programs will cost the industry and arm and leg. Healthcare leaders fail to realize that there is an immediate return on investment when education and training is prioritized. The more doctors and nurses get trained the better they can take care of patients and establish a sense of trust.
“Hospitals should realize the value of education and how it will help their operations move more smoothly on every level. It’s not wasted resources, because helping nurses learn and get through their schooling, creates an automatic return on investment,” Worthy says.
If frontline workers are only getting the bare minimum of training, they are putting patients’ health at risk. The healthcare system is constantly having to adapt to societal and technological changes, and employees have to keep up, but they shouldn’t have to do it all on their own. Even though the healthcare industry is busy 24/7, making sure that employees are up-to-date on procedures and medicine in general is not a waste of time.
Prioritizing education also helps with turnover and issues relating to burnout. Healthcare employees are far too often feeling like they have no chance for upward mobility. Why is that? Because they are bogged down with administrative tasks instead of taking care of patients. If the healthcare system is going to put their employees to work, they might as well use that time to give them the training and education they need to be successful. This will help employees feel like their time is valued and will overall create a higher level of employee satisfaction. This will in turn reduce burnout and lower turnover rates.
The problem right now is how healthcare systems are allotting time. There is no reason for employees to be worrying about paperwork, when they could be doing something more constructive like learning new procedure techniques, or completing courses to further their skills. The healthcare system needs to realign its values to be more people focused, and that all starts with prioritizing education.
The longer frontline workers go without advanced education and training, the more peoples’ lives are put at risk. Education is not a waste of time or money and can positively impact both the finances of the industry and the well-being of its employees. Education is the future, and it’s time to invest in it now.