Enhancing the IT proficiency of healthcare workers to cater to AI and cybersecurity requirements
Revamped Article:
In the hectic world of modern healthcare systems, IT departments overwhelmingly face an endless swarm of AI and cybersecurity tasks. Battling the ever-looming threats of ransomware and phishing attacks, tackling identity management's challenges, and mitigating the risks of relying on legacy systems with glaring vulnerabilities are just a few of them. Meanwhile, AI's realm showcases ongoing worries about data quality, data governance, and the safety of cloud-based AI applications.
Amidst these challenges, many healthcare organizations grapple with recruitment and retention for IT positions. A hotbed of competition for talent exists within healthcare, let alone industries boasting higher profit margins. To counter this predicament, hospitals and health systems are ramping up their training and educational efforts to help employees adapt to tomorrow's roles.
Brian Aquart, Northwell Health's vice president of workforce and community education, eloquently states, "The future of healthcare will be shaped by how well we invest in the people who work here. Upskilling allows us to unlock the potential of the team members entrenched in our system, mission, culture, and vision."
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What Is Upskilling in Healthcare IT?
Upskilling refers to broadening one's skillset to support one's current role. This can manifest in various forms, such as online or in-person coursework, peer coaching, and stretch assignments pushing an employee beyond their comfort zone.
With the healthcare industry mandating continuous professional development and undergoing constant changes, it comes as no surprise that over half of healthcare workers express an interest in upskilling. Among those who have undergone an upskilling program, 61% reported increased job satisfaction, while 59% cited improved quality of life.
Antoinette Hays, a former registered nurse who now leads Regis College, a Massachusetts-based institution specializing in nursing, health sciences, and IT, emphasizes, "Organizations invest significant time and resources in recruiting talented individuals across a wide range of positions. Once hired, investing in upskilling those individuals shows a commitment to their professional success, fostering loyalty, providing greater operational reliability, and consistency."
Why Is Upskilling Critical for AI and Cybersecurity?
Although healthcare organizations have traditionally focused upskilling efforts on data analysis, clinical training, and other areas, AI and cybersecurity have garnered increased importance in recent years. Employees are demanding technical or digital skills, yet only 6% of healthcare workers have participated in upskilling initiatives for these areas in the Amazon/Gallup survey.
Two primary reasons underlie this emphasis on upskilling:
- The adverse impact of a workforce deficient in cutting-edge technical skills. A 2023 GlobalData survey revealed that 43% of healthcare professionals attributed a lack of IT expertise to delayed digital transformation.
- Labor shortages abound in AI and cybersecurity, with global workforce gaps totaling 4.8 million and 50% of positions remaining unfilled, according to ISC2 and hiring projections.
As competition for IT talent remains fierce within the healthcare sector, healthcare organizations are leveling up their training and development efforts. In Massachusetts, for instance, Regis College has partnered with three organizations to provide workforce development and upskilling programs, offering tuition support and resources. Northwell Health, meanwhile, joined forces with Multiverse to establish the Data and AI Academy, offering personalized training in real-world AI workflows to its employees.
Upskilling boosts not only competence and confidence but also helps employees save time with automated manual workflows. According to Northwell Health's Data and AI Academy, 36% of participants achieved time savings averaging six hours per week with AI.
Upskilling represents a means of retaining institutional knowledge, with employees learning and applying newly acquired skills to real-world projects and organizational challenges. Aquart, vice president of workforce and community education at Northwell Health, describes the process as "a blend of curriculum, mentorship, and immersive learning."
For instance, Regis College integrates classroom instruction, internships, and experiential learning opportunities. As a result, students can immediately apply this knowledge in professional settings, preparing them to tackle new responsibilities.
Upskilling vs. Reskilling in Healthcare IT
Upskilling focuses on honing skills relevant to an employee's current role, while reskilling emphasizes developing new skills for a different role within the same organization. For example, a nurse might gain skills in data analysis and information management with the aim of pursuing a career as an informaticist. Alternatively, another nurse might seek training to transition into a managerial role, while a third may pursue a mentor to prepare for a patient advocacy position.
Healthcare organizations are increasingly exploring reskilling pathways, focusing on career mobility and organizational agility. This approach empowers them to adapt, remain resilient, and build internal talent pipelines.
Reskilling is especially crucial in cybersecurity due to the fast-evolving threats and potential difficulties in finding qualified external talent. Organizations can leverage hidden talents within their ranks by investing in reskilling initiatives, allowing them to identify employees with relevant experience and real-world applications to cybersecurity.
- In the realm of modern healthcare systems, the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity tasks require continuous training and upskilling to address challenges like data quality, data governance, and the safety of cloud-based AI applications.
- Upskilling, or broadening one's skillset to support one's current role, plays a critical part in AI and cybersecurity, as employees are increasingly demanding technical or digital skills to navigate the complexities of these areas.
- Education and self-development through upskilling not only enhances personal growth but also aids in retaining institutional knowledge, enabling employees to apply newly acquired skills to real-world projects and organizational challenges.
