There are different hard and soft skills needed to perform well in any profession. Soft skills can be transferable from industry to industry. However, some soft skills are more useful in certain settings than others. In the healthcare field, there are a number of soft skills necessary to be successful in 2022. Look for these top soft skills in your healthcare candidates.
Hard Skills vs. Soft Skills
Hard skills are technical, teachable skills that can usually be measured. In the healthcare industry, these skills are typically achieved through certification and a learned curriculum. For a nurse, this includes tasks like checking a patient’s vital signs, starting IVs, administering medications, among other duties.
Soft skills, on the other hand, can be harder to identify, but they are equally as important. They are skills that cannot be taught but come more naturally to the employee. This includes things like compassion and work ethic. In the healthcare field, there are a few soft skills employers should look for.
Communication
Individuals working in the healthcare field often need to communicate with various different kinds of people throughout their workdays. They will need to communicate with coworkers throughout their shift, relaying patient information. Healthcare professionals also need to be able to effectively communicate important information to patients themselves.
Compassion and Patience
When it comes to struggling with health problems or facing a difficult diagnosis, it is important to be able to act with compassion and patience. For this reason, these are two soft skills every professional in the healthcare industry should have.
Flexibility
Workers in the healthcare field need to be adaptable too. Policies change frequently and work schedules are changed. Healthcare workers may even find that they are required to work with a different team from time to time. So, flexibility is key.
Emotional Stability
Emotional stability is another must-have soft skill for healthcare workers. Again, they may be dealing with people during a sensitive time in their life and they’ll be handling sensitive information. To do this, you need to be emotionally stable.
Sense of Ethics
Healthcare workers also need a strong sense of ethics. You don’t want someone on your team that may break ethical boundaries and potentially put someone’s life at risk. Getting a sense of the candidate's ethics before they join your team is a good practice.
Teamwork
No one working in healthcare will be working alone. Being comfortable with working on a team is a must. They will often need to communicate with other healthcare workers on the job about patient status, medication, and other important information. Being able to work together is key.
Time Management
Jobs in healthcare are usually fast-paced and require long hours. Time management and organizing your daily tasks are key to being successful in the typical work environment.
Working with a staffing agency like Timpl can help you identify healthcare professionals that meet your business’s needs. We will verify their work history, skills, and certifications. Then, once that is complete, we will take the time to ensure they will be a good fit for your organization. Get to know more about our staffing services and how we can assist you.