What Are the Best Upskilling Opportunities in Healthcare? Blog | What Are the Best Upskilling Opportunities in Healthcare?
Healthcare 06/14/21

What Are the Best Upskilling Opportunities in Healthcare?

As the overall population continues to age and the scope of health issues and diseases evolves and changes, the healthcare industry is struggling to meet patient needs with qualified professionals. Growing demand and an increasing shortage of talent exists in just about every level of healthcare today. As a result, all professionals are encouraged to upskill to reach a higher level of training and education in order to take on additional responsibilities.

According to consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, upskilling is a priority for healthcare organizations “from the back office to the front lines and all the way up to the C-suite.”

The following are some of the best upskilling opportunities available to healthcare workers today. Taking advantage of these opportunities may include self-study efforts, employer-sponsored courses, online classes, certificate programs, or professional development sessions within industry associations.

Additional Medical Training

Commonly known as “working at the top of your degree,” the idea that all healthcare workers should maximize their training and education in practice is a common one. That means each healthcare professional should be completing the most difficult tasks they are trained to do, shifting any lower-level tasks to the professionals with less training.

For example, a registered nurse who has bachelor’s or master’s degree may want to upskill to become a doctor of nursing practice, which can be done online around an existing work schedule. Many other medical courses are available online that allow nurses to specialize even further.

Medical assistants are another group of healthcare professionals taking on more basic nursing responsibilities, especially when it comes to education and training. As an important member of a primary care team, medical assistants can often spend more time with patients on wellness, dietary education, and disease management. By shifting these tasks from a nurse to a medical assistant, costs are reduced while quality is improved. Many certificate programs are available to facilitate this upskilling trend.

Keeping Up With Technology

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in healthcare today. Implementing telehealth systems, managing electronic medical records, using remote monitoring technologies, and understanding complex data analysis are all evolving and rapidly changing.

Healthcare professionals who have an interest in this area may upskill to deliver greater value to their organizations in implementing and managing these technological tools. After all, technology can complete a significant amount of the low-level, high-volume transactional work in the industry faster and more accurately than humans. This, in turn, encourages people to find more fulfilling, less monotonous healthcare work that cannot be completed effectively by computers.

Technology training is widely available. Some vendors may provide this training to healthcare organizations purchasing their solutions. Learning about artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics can be a valuable skill for employees to have. 

Community and Home-Based Services

Many opportunities exist today in supporting the health of individuals within a community or family while minimizing conventional medical interventions or hospital stays wherever possible.

For example, social determinants such as education, income and access to basic things like food and shelter often affect the health of individuals. According to the American College of Physicians, these social determinants can cost more than $300 billion annually in terms of health issues.

Community health workers (CHW), who don’t usually have a medical degree of any kind, now work with healthcare providers to take care of these social issues. For example, CHWs might help a patient shop for healthy foods or access public transportation and social services. Some CHWs may upskill to become more of an expert in particular population groups such as with pregnant mothers or the elderly.

Similar to CHWs, home health aides can help patients who are homebound manage things like cooking, cleaning, errands, and hygiene. Home healthcare nurses can often provide much less expensive care, particularly after a surgery or hospital stay, for patients as well. According to Home Health Care News, home health care saves more than $7,000 per patient over hospitalization after emergency room visits.

Upskilling in these areas means that these healthcare workers who already have relationships with patients who trust them can deliver an even higher level of care.

Upskilling in Pharmacies

Some of the shift to providing healthcare education and services is also moving from provider offices to pharmacies. Many minor ailments can be adequately addressed by your neighborhood pharmacists, who can also provide support for managing chronic health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

Opportunities with the profession itself exist, such as upskilling to become a clinical pharmacist, who is then certified to provide comprehensive medication management (CMM). These trained individuals can handle more complex cases and can spend more time with patients in answering questions and reviewing drug interactions.

Get Adequate Malpractice Insurance

Regardless of what level of healthcare you work in, it’s important to check in with your professional liability provider to make sure you have all the coverage you need. NOW Insurance offers comprehensive coverage of telehealth services at the same levels as in-person visits. We deliver affordable and simple insurance quickly to healthcare practitioners and allied health workers. We also offer general liability as an addition to professional liability for private practices and other medical facilities. Get an immediate quote from our quick and easy online application today.

Blog

Tips for protecting yourself and your business.

Consultants

Are You Putting Yourself at Risk as a Freelancer Without Insurance?

Consultants

10 Things to Avoid When Looking for Liability Insurance Online

Mental Health

10 Ways Mental Health Can Affect Relationships: What Marriage Counselors Should Know

Consultants

What Is Typically Covered by Freelance Insurance?

News

Video Interview with Phil Cabaud and Celent Analyst, Andrew Schwartz

News

NOW Insurance Wins Celent Model Insurer for Customer Experience Transformation

Cyber

6 Reasons Medical Professionals Need to Understand Cyber Liability

Consultants

Quitting Your Day Job? 5 Things You Need as a Freelancer or Consultant

Consultants

Are You a Freelance Consultant? You May Be Unknowingly at Risk

Nurses

Continuing Education Round-up for Nurse Practitioners

Mental Health

6 Major Mental Health Challenges for Today’s Students

Nurses

In-Demand Nurse Practitioner Specialties for 2022

Mental Health

Why Home Health Care Can Have a Positive Impact on Mental Health

Consultants

Consultant Insurance: What Kind of Consultants Should Get Coverage?

Mental Health

Why Clinical Counselors Need to Care for Their Own Mental Health, Too

Nurses

Celebrating Nurse Practitioner Week: Nov. 7-13

Consultants

Insurance for Freelancers: 7 Reasons Not to Risk Going Without Coverage

Lab Technician

Four Ways to Reduce Risk for Medical Labs in COVID Era

Healthcare

Malpractice Insurance FAQs: What Is a “Retro Date”?

Pharmacy

Why You Should #ThankAPharmacist This Month

Mental Health

Why School Counselors Should Consider Malpractice Insurance

Consultants

Pros and Cons of Working from Home in 2021

Insurance Basics

Am I Legally Required to Get Small Business Insurance?

Occupational Therapy

Liability Risks for Occupational Therapists

Insurance Basics

What Are the Exclusions on a General Liability Insurance Policy?

Nurses

Nurse Liability Insurance: 7 Reasons to Get a Policy Even If Your Workplace Is Covered

Lab Technician

Four Common Mistakes Lab Techs Make

Pharmacy

Upskilling and Reskilling in Pharmacy

Insurance Basics

How Can I Reduce My Professional Liability Insurance Cost?

Healthcare

Is Administrative Staff Covered by Medical Malpractice Insurance?

Mental Health

What Can Happen if a Clinical Counselor Doesn’t Carry Malpractice Insurance?

Mental Health

Mental Health Technicians Are More Important Than Ever in 2021

Mental Health

Why Every Counselor Should Have Malpractice Insurance (Even If You’re Just Starting Out)

Consultants

Five Reasons Why Marketing Consultants Need Insurance

Speech Therapist

Speech Therapist Insurance: What Do You Need to Cover?

Insurance Basics

General Liability and Workers’ Comp: What’s the difference?

Event Planning

What You Need to Know About Planning Your Comeback Event

Event Planning

Top Tech Tools for Hosting a Hybrid Event

Mental Health

Are You at Risk? Four Potential Liabilities When You’re an Uninsured Drug Counselor

Consultants

Consulting in the Tech Field? This is the Insurance Coverage You Need

Event Planning

How to Use Virtual Reality for Your Hybrid Event

News

Bold Penguin and NOW Insurance Partner to Make Professional Liability Insurance Easier to Quote and Bind

News

Matt Higgins Joins NOW Insurance as Executive VP of Engineering

Event Planning

Planning a Conference? You Need Event Insurance

Consultants

Five Steps to Buying Consultant Business Insurance

Nurses

Nursing Board Discipline: Know the Process

Event Planning

Eight Things Commonly Forgotten by Event Planners

Event Planning

Hybrid Events Are the New Norm – What Should Event Planners Know?

General

How Much Is Professional Liability Insurance? 6 Factors That Affect Price

Mental Health

Providing Peace of Mind: Insurance for Mental Health Workers

Mental Health

7 Reasons Rehabilitation Counselors Should Get Malpractice Insurance

Pharmacy

Pharmacy Technician: What’s Next?

Consultants

Common Mistakes When Starting a Consulting Business

Mental Health

8 Reasons a Family Counselor Should Be Insured

Mental Health

Professional Liability Insurance for Mental Health Technicians: What Does It Cover?

News

NOW Insurance Partners with Hiscox on Medical Malpractice Insurance

Healthcare

What to Know About Multi-State Healthcare Licensure

Healthcare

6 Risks of Being a Substance Abuse Counselor Without Malpractice Insurance

Healthcare

What Are the Best Upskilling Opportunities in Healthcare?

Healthcare

How Virtual Care Expands Access to Specialists

General

Thinking of Becoming a Therapist? 5 Things to Know

Healthcare

Do School Counselors Need Their Own Insurance Policy?

Healthcare

5 Rewards of Being a Mental Health Technician

Home Health

What are Key Compliance Issues in Home Healthcare?

Home Health

The Home Hospital: What Is It and How Will It Affect Future Care?

Healthcare

What Challenges Should School Counselors Expect as Schools Reopen?

Pharmacy

Sharing the Workload: Questions You Can Ask Your Pharmacist Instead of Your Doctor

Healthcare

5 Situations Where Testing Labs May Be Legally at Risk

Healthcare

Do Marriage Counselors Need Professional Liability Insurance?

Healthcare

8 Malpractice Insurance Terms Every Medical Professional Should Know

Healthcare

Social Worker Insurance: Do I Need My Own Coverage?

Mental Health

Pandemic Pressures Drive Increased Need for Mental Health Technicians

Nurses

Celebrate National Student Nurse Day on May 8

Nurses

National Nurses Week: Celebrate May 6-12

Healthcare

Why Nursing Students Need their Own Professional Liability Policy

Home Health

How to Find Affordable Professional Liability Insurance for Home Health Providers

Healthcare

5 Benefits to a Career as a Pharmacy Technician

Healthcare

How Digital Pharmacies Will Change the Industry

Healthcare

How to Become A Pharmacy Technician

Healthcare

Supporting Providers in the Age of Telehealth

Healthcare

12 Keys to Finding the Best Physical Therapist Insurance

Healthcare

When Are Lab Technicians Liable? Five Reasons to Carry Professional Liability Insurance

Healthcare

What Is and Isn’t Covered by Malpractice Insurance?

Healthcare

Why COVID Testing Labs Should Carry General Liability Insurance

Healthcare

Do Occupational Therapists Need Malpractice Insurance?

Healthcare

Can Lab Technicians Be Sued for Malpractice?

Cyber

5 Reasons Cyber Security Insurance Is Becoming More Important Than Ever

Healthcare

What Sort of Insurance Will Cover Physical Therapists?

Cyber

Helping Hesitant Patients Embrace Telehealth

Cyber

Why COVID Testing Labs Should Have Cyber Security Insurance in Case of a Data Breach

Nurses

GI Nurses and Associates Week: Highlight A GI Nurse Hero March 21-27

Nurses

What Malpractice Risks Do GI Nurses Face?

Nurses

What Kind of Nurse Should You Be? Check Out the Growing Field of Gastroenterology

Healthcare

6 Risks Lab Technicians Face Without Professional Liability Insurance

Healthcare

Do Contact Tracers Need to Protect Themselves with Professional Liability Insurance?

Cyber

Telehealth Rules Relaxed During Pandemic

Cyber

Telehealth is More Than Just Video Appointments

Healthcare

Pharmacists: Which Specialty Is Right for You?

Healthcare

Sued for Malpractice: A Guide for Nurses and NPs

Healthcare

A Guide to Medical Director Insurance and the Costs

Healthcare

2021 Trends to Look for in Occupational Therapy

Healthcare

Become a COVID-19 Contact Tracer

Healthcare

How Much Does Physician Assistant Malpractice Insurance Cost?

Healthcare

Lab Technicians: Is a Travel Job Right for You?

Home Health

Why Your Agency Needs Home Healthcare Insurance

Lab Technician

Covering Covid-19: Is Your Medical Laboratory at Risk?

Healthcare

A Complete Guide to Insurance for Physical Therapists

Healthcare

The Costs of Medical Staffing Agency Insurance

Home Health

Why Start a Non-medical Home Care Business

Healthcare

IV Nurse Day: Celebrate Jan 25

Healthcare

How to Become an IV Nurse

Healthcare

Charting by Exception: Errors by Omission or The Efficient New Norm?

Healthcare

Are You a Culturally Competent Nurse?

Healthcare

Risks of Abbreviations in Nurse Charting

Home Health

A Guide to Starting a Home Healthcare Business

Nurses

Nurses and The Good Samaritan Law

Cyber

Cyber Liability and HIPAA Compliance

Cyber

Why Hackers Love Healthcare Data

Cyber

Ransomware Rampant in Among Small Businesses

Cyber

What is the cost of a data breach?

General

NOW Insurance closes $2.5 million seed round, enhances AI-enabled platform

Cyber

Cost of a HIPAA Violation

Cyber

How to Create a Small Business Cyber Security Plan

Cyber

Small Business and Cloud Storage: Is Your Data Secure?

Cyber

Social Engineering: 7 Common Red Flags

Event Planning

Getting Liability Insurance for Events

Event Planning

Starting an Event Planning Business: A to Z

Event Planning

How Much Does Event Planning Insurance Cost?

Event Planning

Insurance for Event Planners: What You Need to Know

Event Planning

What’s Included in Event Planning Insurance Coverage?

Insurance Basics

What Can a Tax Preparer Be Held Liable For?

Insurance Basics

Tax Preparer Insurance 101

Medical Staffing

4 Nurse Staffing Issues to Avoid

General

What You Need to Know to Be a Tax Preparer

Insurance Basics

Insurance for Bookkeepers: A Complete Guide

Medical Staffing

How to Start a Nurse Staffing Agency

Insurance Basics

What is Liability Insurance for Bookkeepers?

General

How to Build Customer Relations in Your Business

Medical Staffing

A Guide to Medical Staffing Insurance

General

Developing an Effective Risk Management Plan

Insurance Basics

All You Need to Know About Therapist Insurance

Mental Health

What is Malpractice Insurance for Counselors?

Mental Health

Benefits of Therapist Liability Insurance

Insurance Basics

What’s the Average Counselor Malpractice Insurance Cost?

Insurance Basics

Risk and Hazards of Being a Massage Therapist

Insurance Basics

Do Nutritionists Need Insurance?

Insurance Basics

What’s Included In Massage Insurance Coverage?

Insurance Basics

Everything You Need to Know About Malpractice Insurance Coverage For Nutritionists

Insurance Basics

Do Massage Centers Need Insurance?

Insurance Basics

How Much Does Nutritionist Insurance Cost?

Insurance Basics

Insurance Plans For Nutritionists: Everything You Need to Know

Insurance Basics

Massage Therapy Insurance: A Beginner’s Guide

General

Coronavirus Outbreak: 3 Tips to Keep Your Healthcare Business Safe

General

Company Working From Home? Stay Safe of Cyber Attacks

Insurance Basics

Business Interruption Insurance and Coronavirus

General

4 Best Practices for Medical Workers During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Insurance Basics

Inside the Hacker’s Mind – Social Engineering

Insurance Basics

Do Consultants Need Insurance?

Insurance Basics

Fitness Center & Gym Insurance: A Beginner’s Guide

General

Should Your Company Work From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Insurance Basics

Why Your Business Needs Wellness and Fitness Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide

Insurance Basics

What Is the Cost of Gym Insurance?

Insurance Basics

What Insurance Do Consultants Need?

Consultants

How Much Is Insurance For a Consultant?

Consultants

Benefits of Consulting Insurance Coverage

Healthcare

Pay as You Go Insurance for Healthcare Professionals

General

You Have Your Physician Assistant’s License: Now What?

Healthcare

Why Are You Still Buying Occurrence Malpractice Coverage?

Healthcare

What Does Malpractice Insurance Cost?

General

Physician Assistant Malpractice Coverage: A Practical Guide

Nurses

Do Student Nurses Need Malpractice Insurance?

Nurses

Ouch, You Hurt Me! Do Nurse Practitioners Need Their Own Malpractice Policy?

Nurses

What Type of Insurance Do Nurses Need?

Insurance Basics

Understanding Insurance Terms: Back to Basics

General

What Does Professional Liability Insurance Cover?

General

Types of Insurance Available for Small Business Owners

General

Potential Small Business Risks

General

General Liability Insurance: How to Keep your Business Protected

General

Choosing a Business Insurance Provider: Everything You Need to Know

General

Business Insurance Plans – Do I Need One?

General

Benefits of Professional Liability Insurance

General

What Is the Average Cost of Errors and Omissions Insurance?

General

What Is Cyber Liability Insurance?

General

What Does Errors and Omissions Insurance Cover?

Cyber

Cyber Insurance 101: Why You Need It

Cyber

What Does a Cyber Liability Policy Cover?

General

Errors and Omissions Coverage: What Is It & How Does it Work?

Cyber

What Is the Average Cost of Cyber Liability Insurance?

General

Who Needs Errors and Omissions Coverage?