Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of three articles focused on medical assistant recruitment and retention.
Healthcare employers are squeezed for well-trained allied health professionals, especially qualified medical assistants. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts that the medical assistant (MA) profession will grow at a rate of 16% over the next ten years. Finding solutions for staffing shortages in a market projected for growth does not happen overnight, as certification programs take time.
In the meantime, existing allied health professionals and medical assistants are stretched thin. According to AMN Healthcare's 2021 Healthcare Trends Survey Report, burnout is a significant barrier to healthcare professionals regarding continued engagement, retention, and recruitment.
Bridging the Employment Gap
Healthcare recruiters are developing innovative ways to attract, train, and retain essential healthcare workers. Examples include:
- Advertising increased pay, improved benefits, and various financial incentives.
- Offering registered apprenticeships that empower students to get quickly trained and earn while they learn.
- Encouraging upskilling opportunities and career ladder programs to help improve job satisfaction among new and existing workers.
Ready to Partner?
Retention rates matter! NHA is ready to partner with you to address your medical assistant staffing needs.
- Access our How to Win the Recruitment and Retention Battle for Medical Assistants webinar on-demand that specifically tackles questions employers often ask, including:
- Where do we go to recruit top MA talent?
- Should we create an internal hiring pipeline or compete in the open market?
- Should we grow our own talent with an apprenticeship program?
- Check out MA SkillsBuilder™: Clinical. NHAs experiential training tool is made up of 12 modules to help learners master a range of clinical competencies and will:
- Aid in student retention through engagement
- Prepare students for externship and employment through proven skills competency
- Provide employers with job-ready candidates
