Good communication is perhaps more important in healthcare than in any other field. Quality care only happens when providers, clinicians and pharmacies all communicate clearly and effectively with the patient, with other healthcare providers and, most importantly, within their own teams.

Pharmacy technicians are an indispensable part of the pharmacy team. Without them, pharmacists would be overwhelmed and business would slow to a crawl. An overworked pharmacist is not only more likely to get burned out, but also to commit medication errors that can put patients at serious risk.

In the era of COVID-19, virtual events and conferences are supporting health educators, encouraging them to keep learning and adapting to our current normal.  The 2020 Career Education Colleges and Universities Virtual Convention offered an opportunity to grow from each other’s experience, as well as that of industry experts. Among the highlights, two informative panel discussions led by the CECU President and CEO Steve Gunderson explored the future of postsecondary career education and what work may look like post-pandemic.

Here are three overarching conference themes

• Stackable programs and credentials
• Strengthening school and employer relationships
• Accessibility and flexibility

Controlled substance abuse is an ongoing challenge for medical professionals. The opioid crisis has lasted for well over a decade with no end in sight, and even when it’s eventually brought under control, other controlled substances will still have recreational appeal.

While the medical and science community continues to deepen its understanding of the novel coronavirus, the most effective prevention strategies are in the hands of patients. Washing hands, social distancing, wearing a mask in public, disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces, and reviewing personal risk are all behaviors that can help reduce patients' risk of COVID-19.

“I’m no good with numbers.”

“I’m more of a language person.”

“Math just never clicked for me.”

As an educator, you’ve no doubt heard some variation of these from learners throughout your career. You might think of them as excuses; after all, nobody is born knowing how to do math. Some people pick it up more quickly than others, but with a bit of practice anyone can learn, right?

Some healthcare employers now prioritize soft skills as more essential traits for new hires to have than clinical knowledge or technical skills.

Are the healthcare workers in your training program prepared to leverage interpersonal skills in the medical field for the best patient outcomes? The line between soft skills versus hard skills in healthcare is blurry, and some employers are putting more emphasis on the soft skills during the interview process.

Electronic health records (EHRs) gained widespread use in the mid-2000s, when the HITECH Act gave providers a financial incentive to switch from paper charts. Now, EHRs are ubiquitous in healthcare; a report from January 2020 found that 95% of hospitals use EHR technology.

As the demand for EHR technology has increased, so has the supply: in 2017, there were more than 1,100 EHR systems available to providers. No two EHRs are exactly alike, and each system has its own processes and quirks that staff need to master. Today, we’re going to examine the most common EHR mistakes your staff is probably making—and how they impact your bottom line.

Organizations in every industry, including healthcare, now recognize the importance of building essential soft skills in their employees to harness the broader business benefits. Commonly referred to as “people” skills, essential skills or interpersonal skills, soft skills and attributes are just as critical to success. In fact, ten of the sixteen ‘crucial proficiencies in the 21st century’ identified by the World Economic Forum are non-technical.

To help you have a better understanding of the true impact of soft skills in healthcare, we’re sharing research on some of the most important soft skills that healthcare workers need to master.

If you’re an allied health educator concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, you’re not the only one.

According to a survey by the Strada Education Network, a majority of employees in the education industry believe that the pandemic will affect them personally for six months or more. Higher education has been hit hard by COVID-19, including allied health education. Postsecondary educators and students are worried, and many allied health educators are concerned that over 350,000 fewer students renewing their FAFSA for the 2020-21 cycle points to trouble ahead.

For current NHA certification holders, log into your NHA account and complete the CE activity associated with this article.