An interesting opinion piece by Bill Santamour at Hospitals and Health Networks discusses the ever-present generational issues that healthcare professionals face. Today, however, Santamour notes that there is an increased diversity amongst age groups, with coworkers ranging from just-graduated 20-something Millenials to the “Matures” born before 1946. While the assumption is that this “generation gap” […]
For nurses specializing in end-of-life care, empathy and education is critical to helping patients and their families. An article on NurseZone by Debra Wood, RN, outlines how nurses can help families navigate some new hospice trends and improvements. While death might be routine for healthcare workers, Wood writes that the process is often new for […]
Improvements in healthcare technology are often met with high praise, but a recent presentation by Marge Funk, RN and nursing researcher at Yale-New Haven Hospital suggests that nurses maintain their caution—and common sense—when adopting new techniques and technologies. When approaching technology, Funk advocates four guidelines to follow. Use technology appropriately. Just because a new technology […]
As families become busy with school, work, extracurricular activities, social gatherings and other commitments, parents may feel as though they are not paying enough attention to their children throughout the day. According to the American Association of Occupational Therapy, occupational therapists are trained in child development including physical, mental, emotional and behavioral management. To help […]
Nurses will be critical to meeting the increased healthcare demands that insurance reforms bring in the coming years, writes Deloras Jones, RN, in a recent article. While California has seen increases in nurse school enrollment and increased its nursing workforce, the state is still “ranked 47th in the nation for RNs per capita.” Increased insurance […]
As the seasons change and the sun disappears behind darker clouds, thousands of homeless and low-income families in Orange County are trying to keep warm. Stanbridge College is asking you to help serve a warm meal to hundreds of needy people on Saturday, October 22nd. Date: Saturday, October 22, 2011 Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm* Location: Lighthouse Outreach […]
“‘What are we seeing today, and what can we do to make it better?’” These are the key questions that Joy Jacobson suggests that nurses ask themselves every day in an effort enact positive changes at their facilities. In her article for the American Journal of Nursing, Jacobson reviews examples of how nurses can be […]
According to a new study in Australia, occupational therapists have found that portable touch-screen technology via smartphones and etablets is able to help patients with traumatic brain injuries remember daily tasks better than writing down notes in diaries. Researchers believed this was due to a more comfortable or “hip” feeling of using technology in addition […]
A recent survey at ASQ of 475 healthcare professionals revealed the greatest burden is to be felt by Primary Care Physicians and Nurses, when staffing shortages worsen in 2014 as the healthcare reform law kicks in and more baby-boomers become Medicare-aged. Healthcare IT systems (especially Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) were viewed as key to prevent […]
In an earlier blog post, we addressed compassion fatigue, and now we’re back with more suggestions for preventing and alleviating this common problem. Compassion fatigue is “a combination of physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion” that can strike nurses and other caregivers. While compassion fatigue absolutely impacts nurses on a personal level, it also has an […]