So you studied hard, practiced your skills relentlessly, made it through school, and landed that job in the healthcare field! Even with all that preparation, do you ever find yourself struggling to be confident in what you know or what you’re asked to do? You know that your manager, coworkers, and patients are relying on you, and you know that you have the skills and knowledge to not let them down, but you occasionally second guess yourself.
First of all, that is completely normal. Now that you can breathe again, know that having real patients to take care of and real paperwork to deal with can increase the pressure you felt in class dealing with classmates as practice patients. However, it’s important to put your coworkers and patients at ease by being confident in what you know and your ability to do your job well. Here are a few pointers to help you get through those nerves and back to your confident, capable self!
Externship
One way to build that confidence is actually built into the healthcare training programs that Ross. We know that the best way to learn a job is to do it! That’s why we do hands on training in the classroom followed by an externship out in the field. That means you are working in a real office with a real manager, real healthcare professionals alongside you, and seeing real patients. We believe this provides the ideal transition between the classroom and the real world, helping you to build the confidence and comfort you need to succeed in the field.
Celebrate your successes
Make a note of the things you are proud of and refer to them anytime you feel less than capable. Things like test scores, grades, instructor encouragement, recommendations, and great experiences with coworkers and/or patients are perfect! The more confident you are, the better care you will be able to provide.
Also, as you work in the field, keep a list of firsts. The first time you assist with a particular procedure as a medical assistant, handle a new prescription order with a pharmacist as a pharmacy technician, use a new code or a new system as a medical biller or coder, check in your first patient as a dental assistant, or maybe even work with a new animal as a veterinary assistant. Especially in the beginning, you will have lots of firsts! Celebrate them!
Ask questions
This may seem like a strange thing to add to a list of ways to build confidence, but it’s actually not strange at all! In fact, we know that it takes a great deal of confidence to admit when you don’t know something. Being willing to ask questions in the classroom, during your externship, and then in the field is the best way to make you the most qualified healthcare professional that you can be. Asking questions and getting answers will just serve to give you what you need to do your job better and be more confident in your skills and knowledge.
If you haven’t started your healthcare training journey yet, check out our programs at Ross Medical Education Center. We may have exactly what you’ve been looking for.