Other Causes and Solutions for the Growing Healthcare Skills Gap

As discussed in prior blog posts, the growing healthcare skills gap has many variables to take into consideration. Some which I have not discussed yet are:

• Aging Population and Increased Demand for Care
• Aging Workforce
• Geographic Disparities
• Challenges with Insurance Reimbursements

On top of the topics mentioned earlier:

• Inadequate Training and Education Opportunities
• Burnout and Job Dissatisfaction
• Strains from the COVID Pandemic

With so many variables at play, it is no wonder this gap is growing at a very quick rate. Therefore, further emphasizing the importance on SOLUTIONS and solutions implemented QUICKLY. 

At Leading Intravenous Education & Wellness, our contribution to the solution is focused on the Enhanced Training and Education Program. We are currently reaching out to as many larger facilities that we can potentially partner with or assist in bridging this gap and making a larger impact! I believe the fastest way to scale education is going to be through the use of technology - fortunately technology can reach just about anyone at anytime all over the world. Therefore, with the creation of high quality educational and training content, we can at least ensure the consistency and baseline education for all healthcare professionals. 

The use of technology can allow us to cover the infrastructure. Then we can utilize our educators to reinforce these skills in-person, without having to spend as much time going over the basics. This will free up our educators and trainers to be able to focus more on the details and the nitty gritty aspects of skills that most healthcare professionals need in order to be truly successful. 

But other solutions include:

• Investment in Workforce Retention - which I believe having exceptional training and education is ALSO a good way to invest in retention, because if staff members feel adequately trained, then they will ideally be more comfortable in their jobs. And being more comfortable in their jobs will inherently increase retention.
• Increased Use of Telemedicine and AI - this can help expedite services and take some of the load off of our providers. 
• Public and Private Partnerships - creating more partnerships, in my opinion, is like everyone reaching out for another's hand. We are all in it together, and the more that we join hands and help one another - the faster we can move! Like the famous quote -"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - Unknown.
• Diverse Recruitment Strategies - the more we can get creative and reach more areas of our population to encourage them pursue careers in the healthcare, the better off everyone will be. 

Therefore, although we have many variables against us, we also have many options for solutions! Which I am sure many entities are working hard on these solutions already. If you are one of those people and currently reading this blog - please reach out to me via the contact page! I would love to collaborate with anyone or any facility who may see it fit!