You’re thinking about switching jobs, and you’d like to pursue a role in the medical profession. So, do you have what it takes? Here are 5 transferrable skills that can assist your career change to healthcare.
Transferrable Skills for Healthcare Careers
Communication Skills
In almost every healthcare career, you’ll constantly interact with people. Therefore, any experience in customer-facing roles will prove to be beneficial. Useful communication skills include:
- Verbal Communication
Verbal communication allows you to inform, instruct and comfort patients and their families. You’ll need to use the right phrases and the right tone to successfully deliver your message. - Listening
To understand the needs of your patients, you must be an expert listener. Additionally, it’s critical for healthcare professionals to listen to one another so they can coordinate patient care. - Picking Up Non-Verbal Cues
Sometimes patients won’t say what they mean. Understanding nonverbal cues help you provide optimal care. For instance, let’s say a patient won’t make eye contact when you ask if they are taking their medication. This probably means you should have a more serious conversation. - Written Communication
Charts and notes allow medical professionals to provide consistent care even when they don’t directly interact with one another. This requires you to both effectively compose and interpret written messages. - Giving Directions
Patients and their families need to know how to handle different situations ranging from changing bandages to identifying emergencies. Therefore, you must be able to give clear and concise directions. Often, this involves a combination of all the communication skills listed above.
Stress Management
Healthcare situations can be chaotic, and sometimes everything seems to go wrong at once. However, successful medical professionals know how to keep their cool. Experiences in other high-pressure industries, like fast food and retail, transfer well. If you’ve worked in any of these environments, you already have practice managing your emotions, prioritizing tasks, and remaining calm.
Teamwork
Healthcare professionals seldom work in isolation. Usually, patients receive care from several doctors and nurses. Plus, facilities also rely on office workers, janitors and other support staff. Therefore, you’ll need to build relationships (even with people you may not like) to optimize patient care. Once again, any involvement in teamwork settings, such as warehouses and offices, transfer well.
A Commitment to Learning
Medical knowledge constantly changes. Plus, most healthcare professionals need to complete continuing education credits to maintain their certification. A genuine interest in your field, as well as the motivation to learn, are both helpful.
Attention to Detail
In healthcare, a single mistake can be the difference between life and death. Therefore, you must follow orders exactly, double-check charts, and catch and correct mistakes. Since numerous industries ranging from manufacturing to retail require attention to detail, you may have more experience than you realize.
Are You Ready to Make Your Career Change to Healthcare?
BOS Medical Staffing is hiring for medical positions throughout the greater Atlanta area. We’re currently looking for CNAs, LPNs, RNs, and more. Browse all our available openings and start planning your transfer to healthcare today!
