The medical sector is important. But in today’s world, it is front-and-center in a way that many people never imagined was possible, thanks to COVID-19.
People in the sector, therefore, are under unprecedented pressure to perform. But they also have an opportunity to develop new skills. Patients need them more than ever.
In this post, we take a look at some of the training medics and other healthcare professionals can use to advance their careers. Check out these ideas.
Protect Patients From Disease
Thanks to vaccinations, sanitation, and antibiotics, infectious diseases were on the retreat for much of the twentieth century. But in the 21st century, global connectedness, animal meat production, and the failure of antibiotics mean that we’re entering a new age of plagues. COVID-19 is the first to hit the world hard, but it certainly won’t be the last.
Medics, therefore, need to develop infectious disease control skills to prevent already-sick patients from getting even worse. They need to understand the proper use of PPE and how to wash their hands effectively.
Run A Blood Test
As the population ages, it is also going to become more important to run regular blood tests for patients. Medics will need to track various biomarkers to keep tabs on the disease.
Taking blood and carrying out tests, though, is a skill and, according to PhlebotomyU, requires substantial training. Thus if you are in a medical career and want to learn a new skill, being able to conduct a blood test is essential. And it’ll help your patients.
Work Flexibly
Medical professionals increasingly require the ability to work flexibly, no matter what the situation throws at them. We’ve already seen this during various pandemics and wars throughout history. But such skills remain relevant today.
Being flexible is all about doing things that make it easier for clinics to adapt to changing times. Following protocols is good to a point, but there can come a time when it adversely affects the patient experience and you just need to get the job done.
Translate Complex Information
Historically, doctors retained a kind of lexical barrier between themselves and their patients. People would go to the doctor, describe their issues, and then wait for the physician to provide them with the correct medication.
Thanks to the internet, patient welfare standards, and data protection, that old divide is breaking down. Now physicians are expected to communicate valuable information to their patients about their condition as part of their role. Not doing so is viewed as a kind of negligence.
The problem, though, is that doctors learn medicine in terms of technical language. It is often hard for them to translate ideas into the common tongue in a way their patients will understand.
Part of the skill of being a modern doctor, therefore, is being able to tell a patient about their medical condition in a way that makes sense. Giving a medical school definition of the problem at hand is unhelpful, to say the least.