From the time you get into nursing school to when you are working in a healthcare facility, the role of the nurse is explained pretty black and white. Get your degree, work in a hospital setting for a few years to get experience, move to another hospital job, work your 15 years before you get a shot at a management position or move around from job to job until you find something that makes you happy or get sick and tired of nursing and choose a whole different career.
Never was I told that I had the chance or even the ability to become a consultant so lets break consulting down for you. Consulting started in the 1950s but really caught fire in the 60's. The economy in the States changed from production to being service oriented. This proved to be the ideal incubator for the consulting industry. Once individuals positioned themselves as Experts in their field, consultants found themselves in great demand by companies that needed help in certain areas but did not want to load their organizations down with more staff and more money towards payrolls.
So lets begin on how you can help healthcare organizations by becoming a consultant:
1. To Become a Subject Expert
Healthcare Organizations typically hire people who have the skills and expertise their own staff do not have. Being an expert in a subject field really shows that you can add value and bring a sense of comfort and calm to the organization.
2. To Recognize and Identify Problems
This is what I call the "Bubble Effect". The Bubble Effect is when employees are too close to a problem inside an organization to recognize it. They see the same thing day in and out and are blind to the fact that it is a problem. Being able to recognize and identify those problems gives you an easy way to add value and a way to save the day.
3. To Educate
When you have special skills and knowledge, healthcare organizations will pay you to pass on that knowledge to their staff. That being said, it's very important for you to stay abreast of new regulations and changes in regulations so that information can be passed on to your clients knowledgeably and timely.
4. To Assist in Service Line Development
With all of the CMS cuts coming down the pipe, healthcare organizations are looking to add service lines to increase revenue. These healthcare organizations always want to leave the groundwork and grunt work to someone else. That someone can be you!!! Also, Once the service line is added and functioning, a consultant can stay on to assist with the day to day operations of the new venture. Maintenance Retainers = Guaranteed Money.
5. Do the Dirty Work
Lets face it, no-one likes to fire their employees so why not let us do it!!! An impartial outside consultant is the perfect person to make the difficult moves or have the tough blunt conversations.
Healthcare organizations are looking for consultants everyday to help them solve their problems.
With the right training and want to, you can become a successful healthcare consultant today!!!
