Sunbelt Staffing » Healthcare Workers

February is American Heart Month

Howard Gerber — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:59:36 +0000

What better time to raise heart health awareness than the month that has an entire day devoted to love. Hearts will be everywhere this month making it easy to find decorations and inexpensive ways to bring heart health to your client’s attention.

Heart Disease

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of women in America. It kills more women than all forms of cancer combined partially because it is underdiagnosed. Cardiovascular disease is the overall leading cause of death in America according to the CDC. The easiest way to reduce this number is to raise awareness among the general population. Million Hearts is a government initiative with the goal of preventing 1 million strokes and heart attacks in the United States over the next 5 years. The website has a variety of tools for individuals and health care providers and also allows individuals to pledge to change their lifestyles in order to improve their overall heart health.

Decorate

This health observance is probably the easiest to decorate for and the most fun. Who doesn’t love the pink and red of Valentine’s Day? Retailers have everything in these colors and with hearts all over them. Use heart shaped streamers, balloons, signs, and window clings to decorate your office or waiting room. Buy decorations that don’t mention Valentine’s Day specifically and use the empty area inside of the hearts to write catch phrases such as:

February is Heart Month
Heart Disease Warning Signs
Tips for Heart Disease Prevention
Healthy Heart Habits

Educate

National Wear Red Day was February 3^rd, but the AHA fully supports companies and groups using the materials to celebrate on a day of their choosing. They offer a variety of materials including posters, a planning guide, flyers, and education materials. This is a great resource to begin planning the best way to educate your patients or clients.

Encourage

Promoting heart health shouldn’t just be for your clients or patients. You also need to encourage your staff to take their heart health seriously. Often it is the caregivers who have the most trouble taking care of themselves. Promote a Wear Red Day and offer small prizes for the most unique outfit. If you manage a large facility encourage the various departments to decorate their area, sponsor fundraising walks, and provide resources for free employee screenings.

How do you as a health care provider plan to celebrate and promote American Heart Month?

February is American Heart Month is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

January is National Mentoring Month

Howard Gerber — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:21:58 +0000

Working in industries such as health care and education takes a great commitment to helping others. One way to have an even greater impact on our community is to become a mentor or to support a mentoring organization. National Mentoring Month began in 2002 as a joint effort between the Harvard School of Public Health and the National Mentoring Partnership. Since 2006 the Corporation of National and Community Service has been working on the project as well. There are numerous ways for you to become involved in the mentoring initiative.

Become a Mentor

Mentoring has become increasingly important because there are so many children and teenagers who have few good role models in their daily lives. Mentors do not need to become a surrogate parent, simply an authoritative and dependable presence. Many mentoring programs only ask mentors for a few hours each month. This regular stability can be dramatically influential for a young person who may have very few responsible and stable people in his or her life. Consider speaking to your employer about facilitating employee mentoring with one of these organizations. Even if there are no official mentoring initiatives in your community, the local schools may have after school tutoring programs which would benefit from volunteers.

Support Mentoring

There are numerous national organizations that facilitate mentoring. If you do not have the time to mentor yourself due to work and family schedules, consider donating to help one of the organizations. National mentoring organizations to consider include Big Brothers Big Sisters and Mentor: National Mentoring Partnership. There are also numerous city and state specific groups. Again, if you have limited options locally but want to help children in your own area there are after school groups and programs that would benefit from a monetary donation.

Peer Mentoring

While National Mentoring Month focuses on mentors for children, being a mentor to someone new to our field is also a great way to give back. Peer mentoring offers professionals to help those who have entered a degree program in your field, recently graduated, or recently been hired in your field. Most school districts and hospitals have organized peer mentoring which one can sign up for. You may need to take training classes or it may be more informal. If you choose to peer mentor, remember to tell them some of the tricks you have picked up that may not have been found in a textbook, such as how to deal with a problem client, the best place to relax after work, and any local establishments that offer discounts for your profession or company.

Have you ever been a mentor? Were you mentored as a child or in your profession? Share your mentoring experiences!

January is National Mentoring Month is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Postpartum Depression

Howard Gerber — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:00:53 +0000

Postpartum depression (PPD) is not just a little bit of sadness after a baby is born that is the result of hormone levels returning to normal, although that can certainly be the case for some women. For some women, though, it is a debilitating depression that can last for months or years after the birth of the baby, putting both mother and baby in danger. There are three different levels, all of which are related to postpartum depression: baby blues, postpartum depression, and postpartum psychosis.

Symptoms

The symptoms of postpartum depression vary in intensity and severity. Often, postpartum depression will first present with symptoms similar to a milder form of depression known as “the baby blues.” Baby blues may resolve on its own and is more common than the other forms. Postpartum depression is more intense and can last for years, if left untreated. Postpartum psychosis is the most debilitating form of mental illness found after the birth of a child, and usually develops within the first few weeks after giving birth.

Baby Blues/ Early Postpartum Depression

Anxious
Crying
Difficulty concentrating
Irritable
Mood swings
Sad
Trouble falling asleep

Postpartum Depression

Anger
Decreased appetite
Decreased sex drive
Excessive fatigue
Extreme mood swings
Feelings of guilt, shame, inadequacy
Hopelessness
Inability to bond with the baby
Insomnia
Irritability
Thoughts of harming the baby or self
Withdrawal from family and friends

Postpartum Psychosis

Attempting to hurt self
Attempting to hurt the baby
Confusion
Delusions
Disorientation
Hallucinations
Paranoia

Treatments

Baby blues do not usually need treatment, as the issues will resolve naturally over the course of several weeks. Sleep, assistance caring for the baby, social interaction, and avoiding alcohol can all help reduce symptoms. Postpartum depression usually requires counseling and medication to resolve issues. Medications may include antidepressants or hormone therapy. With treatment, symptoms may resolve within a few months, but it is possible they could linger for more than a year. It is important that treatment not end too soon, as it could lead to a relapse.

Postpartum psychosis must be treated immediately and may require the mother be hospitalized. A combination of therapy and medications are used to treat postpartum psychosis. Medications may include antidepressants, as well as mood stabilizers and antipsychotics.

All forms of postpartum depression are difficult for most women to talk about – or even think about. It is the time in their lives when they feel they are supposed to be happiest. Likely, their family and friends will be expecting them to be joyful, and the mother may not know how to share how she is feeling for fear of disappointing them or seeming like a bad mother. It is especially important that the healthcare providers who are around the mother during this time take the time to find out if she is experiencing any of the postpartum depression symptoms so she can receive the care she needs.

How have you helped educate new mothers about the various forms of postpartum depression? Do you find that some mothers are relieved to know what is happening to them or are the majority offended that you’ve questioned the joy their child has brought?

Postpartum Depression is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Motivating Physical Therapy Patients

Howard Gerber — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:00:28 +0000

Physical therapists are heroes and villains in the story of recovery. At first, they are the villains of the story because they make the patient hurt more. The patient has dutifully been “taking it easy” for a bit after their surgery or accident and they have begun to feel a smidge better. Then they are suddenly being asked to bend, stretch, and move in ways that make the pain come back tenfold. This is, of course, a necessary component in healing and regaining full motion – but it still hurts. Usually it isn’t too terribly hard to motivate a patient to come back for their therapy appointments during this initial stage because it is all too obvious that they desperately need help to get back to their pre-injury state. However, motivating the patient to complete their exercises at home can be quite the challenge. The task of motivation becomes even more challenging once the initial phase of therapy is over and the time for maintenance begins.

At Home

While the patient is in your office, you can use a mixture of the good cop/bad cop routine. But what about once they walk out of your office and need to do their exercises at home to get ready for the next appointment? Many patients think they don’t really need to complete all of those exercises, or that you won’t notice if they don’t, or that they don’t have enough time, or any other number of reasons that prevent them from doing what they need to do at home to get better. How do you make sure they follow through?

First, make it as easy to do as possible. Give them cues that will jog their memory and remind them it is time to exercise. Suggest they do their exercises with part of their daily routine such as brushing their teeth, taking a shower, eating a meal, or even going to the bathroom. If they do several small exercises at each of these daily activities, they will have worked in their physical therapy exercises without having to “find time” each day to do them.

Next, make sure they know how to do each of their home exercises completely before letting them leave the first day. If you wait until the end of their session to hand them a flyer and quickly review it, they may say they understand even if they are mostly unclear. Consider yourself a teacher and the patient your student. How many students really ask questions if they don’t understand and want to get out of the classroom? By showing them their “homework” at the beginning of the session and walking them through each exercise, they are more likely to remember the correct method and follow through during the week.

Maintenance

By the end of your therapy relationship, you will know that your patient understands the importance of his or her therapy and how to complete the exercises you have prescribed. What you will not know is if the patient has the motivation to do so. Have you ever heard someone say a picture is worth a thousand words? Find a picture, video, or patient with a similar injury who did not complete their maintenance to show or introduce to your patients. It will likely take years of practice to accumulate samples for a variety of injuries, but you can enlist the help of fellow therapists and doctors to create a database. Show your patients just how badly their recovery can go if they don’t follow through. It is much easier to believe what you are shown than what you are told.

How do you motivate your physical therapy patients?

Motivating Physical Therapy Patients is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Howard Gerber — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:00:14 +0000

Seasonal affective disorder is aptly referred to as SAD, because the people suffering from the disorder often diagnose themselves as being simply sad at first. While there are variations of seasonal affective disorder that affect people during the spring and summer, most cases begin sometime in the fall and last throughout the winter with symptoms finally subsiding in the spring.

Symptoms

Symptoms of fall and winter seasonal affective disorder include:

Anxiety
Changes in appetite, particularly cravings for carbohydrates
Decrease of energy
Depression
Difficulty focusing
Excessive sleeping
Feelings of hopelessness
Heavy feeling of the legs or arms
Loss of enthusiasm in previously enjoyable activities
Weight increase
Withdrawal

Causes

No specific cause has been discovered for seasonal affective disorder, however, as with other mental health issues it is likely that age, genetics, and chemical makeup all play a part. There are some indications that melatonin and serotonin levels may play a role as well as the individual’s circadian rhythm.

Tests

Seasonal affective disorder can be quite difficult to diagnose as it closely mimics other forms of depression. While there is no medical test for SAD, tests and exams can be used to rule out other causes for the depression. Certain criteria do have to be met for a diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder to be made which include:

Symptoms are followed by periods that are symptom free.
Symptoms cannot be explained by other means.
Symptoms occur during the same season for a minimum of two consecutive years.

Treatments

Light therapy, medications, and psychotherapy are the most common treatments. Light therapy is usually the first treatment, because there are virtually no side effects. Some antidepressants have been used to successfully treat seasonal affective disorder. Psychotherapy can help make people more aware of what is happening to them and help them learn to deal with the symptoms, although it is unlikely to actually alleviate the symptoms. In extreme cases, people have been known to move from areas that experience drastic changes in the winter to areas that have much milder winters. Although it is possible for people to suffer with seasonal affective disorder in sunnier areas, such as Florida, it is much less common.

How to Help

Many people will suffer in silence thinking they simply have the holiday blues or that they are having a few bad weeks. Be sure to advertise the symptoms associated with the disorder to bring awareness to a larger group of people. Many people may be relieved to know that there is something wrong with them that can be treated and that other people feel the same way.

Have you treated a patient with seasonal affective disorder? What treatments have you found to be most effective?

Seasonal Affective Disorder is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Stability Ball Benefits

Howard Gerber — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:00:53 +0000

A stability ball is one of the few physical therapy tools that look more like a game than a device of torture, at least from the perspective of the patient. The balls come in a variety of colors and sizes and are likely to remind patients of toys from childhood. They can be a great introduction to physical therapy because they are less intimidating and the exercises can seem more fun. This is true for both adults and children, both can benefit from the use of a stability ball. As any health practitioner knows, success largely depends on attitude. Use the stability ball to improve your patient’s attitude and watch the results follow.

Therapy for Adults

It can be difficult for some patients to effectively strengthen their abdominal or back muscles due to injury. A stability ball can target both muscle groups with minimal impact. However, at first it is necessary that the individual be closely supervised until he or she becomes accustomed to the stability ball to prevent additional injury.

Stretching is another key benefit of a stability ball. Using the ball makes it much easier for many people to move into and out of stretching positions. Tightness can be a significant factor in the recovery of many patients and making the stretches easier to initiate can improve long term success.

Therapy for Children

Children love to play with stability balls. They come in a wide range of sizes, so there are options for pediatric therapy. In addition to the regular exercises that are also used with adults, the smaller balls can be used for coordination activities during occupational therapy, such as catching or kicking the ball while it is moving. Introducing children to physical or occupational therapy with what looks like a toy can be a great way to ease them into a new routine that may otherwise be intimidating.

Outside of Therapy

A balance ball can also be used as an office chair, either alone or with a chair frame. Sitting on the ball regularly will help build core and back strength and help improve posture which may help alleviate some back pain. If the ball is used in a frame it can easily be removed to be used with a regular exercise routine at home or in the office.

Unlike many other therapy aids, these are very easy to travel with and are relatively inexpensive. This means the patient can purchase a ball for home use and will be more inclined to take it with them if they travel.

How have your patients responded to their stability ball routines? Do they seem to enjoy them more and be open to the idea of using them outside of the office?

Stability Ball Benefits is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Holiday Blues

Howard Gerber — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:47 +0000

While it may not be true that suicide increases around the holiday season, it is true that many people do experience what has become known as holiday blues. This may be because people are more aware of their feelings at this time of the year or because their expectations of happiness are higher during the holidays and so they feel like they are sadder than they “should” be. Regardless, the triggers for these feelings seem to be similar regardless of the patient and many of the non-medical treatment options are viable for most patients as well. Of course it is important to remember that not all patients who feel depressed will have these “holiday blues” and may be in need of more intense treatment.

Causes

Some of the most common triggers for an episode of holiday blues include the pressure to feel happy, memories of past holidays, loneliness, and financial difficulties.

Pressure – the pressure to feel merry and bright dramatically increases during the holidays. Everyone is speaking of good will and those who are naturally more somber or who do not enjoy the holidays may feel worse during the season simply because more people are telling them the way they feel is wrong.

Memories – Memories of both good and bad holiday experiences can lead to the holiday blues. Individuals may feel that their good experiences in the past cannot or will not be replicated this season leading to a feeling of dissatisfaction. Memories of bad holidays can lead to trepidation of upcoming festivities.

Loneliness – Many people must spend the holiday season alone for any number of reasons such as relocation, military service, or a death of a loved one. For a season that is supposed to be devoted to family and friends this can be especially difficult.

Finances – Financial problems have become more common over the past few years. People who are accustomed to spending freely during the holiday season may feel the pressure to do so again this year, even if they know they cannot afford it. Whether they decide to spend on credit or to trim their budget, the necessity of doing either can lead to feelings of inadequacy and sadness.

Support

While there are several things the patient can do on their own to overcome the holiday blues, what they really need is an enhanced overall support structure during the holiday season. You may want to consider increasing therapy sessions prior to and immediately following the holiday. Another option is to include group therapy sessions for patients who seem receptive to the idea.

Do you see patients suffering from the holiday blues? What do you do to help them cope with the added stress during the holiday season? What treatments have been most effective?

Holiday Blues is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Pulmonary Nursing

Howard Gerber — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:00:17 +0000

Pulmonary nursing, also known as respiratory nursing, is one of the many specialties available to nurses. Choosing a specialty is a great choice for those who really love a specific field. It can also be a good way to find higher paying positions.

Job Expectations

A pulmonary nursing specialist will work with individuals undergoing pulmonary care. Patients with any sort of problem with the respiratory system or lungs may enter into their care. Diseases that affect these areas of the body include asthma, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, emphysema, and pneumonia.

Experience and Education

The only way to become a pulmonary care nurse is to first be a registered nurse. For those still in nursing school, focus on the classes that center around respiratory care. Once degree work has been completed students will need to pass the NCLEX-RN. Look for positions that offer experience in the respiratory field to help move into the field permanently.

Outlook

In the next decade the need for registered nurses is projected to increase. As the population ages, the need for pulmonary care specialists will grow as well making this an excellent specialty to consider.

Environments

There a number of areas a nurse specializing in pulmonary care can work such as doctor’s offices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and nursing homes. Allergy and asthma specialists have a special need for pulmonary nurses to help as they diagnose and treat their patients. Nursing homes are filled with patients who have difficulty breathing for a variety of reasons and nurses in this field must be well versed in respiratory treatments. There are also positions overseeing transplants and clinical trials.

Associations and Social Media

The primary association for pulmonary nurses within the United States is the Respiratory Nursing Society. They offer a wide range of professional development opportunities and a chance for colleagues to network. The counterpart in the United Kingdom is the Association of Respiratory Nurse Specialists who provides continuing education opportunities, host conferences, and make networking within the profession easier.

Twitter has several accounts worth following if you are interested in pulmonary care.

@PulmonaryReview This account is maintained by the Pulmonary Reviews publication, an invaluable resource for physicians and those who specialize in pulmonary care. The account is updated several times a week.

@RTmagazine This account is maintained by RT, a respiratory care publication. The account is updated several times a day.

@ADVANCERespCare This account is maintained by the free trade publication, ADVANCE for Respiratory Care & Sleep Medicine.

Are you a pulmonary nurse or are you interested in specializing in this field? If so, what made you decide on this field?

Pulmonary Nursing is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Physical Therapy in the Fall

Howard Gerber — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:00:30 +0000

With the leaves blow from the trees and snow flurries begin to flutter, consider changing up patient routines to prepare them for the new environment they are about to confront. People who have suffered an accident or injury may have been seeing you for the past several months, they may even be showing progress, but the change in the weather will likely have a few surprises in store for them. If they have never used their crutch, cane, or walker on the ice, how will they know how to do so properly? Right now, they still have the safety of familiar weather conditions, but in a few weeks, they will be facing snow and ice for possibly the very first time since they began therapy. What are you going to do to help them?

Knowledge

Sometimes just being aware there could be a problem is more than half the fight. It is quite possible your patient has not even thought about the upcoming winter season and what it could mean for their mobility. If you point out to them the possible challenges they will be facing, they still have time to prepare themselves mentally and physically.

Preparation

Just how should they prepare themselves physically? If they are accustomed to being able to shovel snow but are unable to do so in their current condition, now would be a good time to enlist friends or family for assistance. Have them schedule someone to come help them when it snows so they won’t be stuck without any help at the last minute. Review their normal winter routine and ask them if there is anything they think they will have trouble with. Brainstorm solutions for these problems and help them follow through with their plan of action.

Action

Think of ways you can change your patient’s physical therapy routine to help prepare them for the slippery conditions they may encounter. Additional flexibility and stability exercises may make them surer of their footing. Strength training for core muscles may help them recover if they do begin to slip. Obviously the exact changes will depend on the problems and abilities of individual patients, but take time to consider what can be done for each patient.

Of course not all therapists and patients live in areas where snow and ice are a problem. What about those living in southern Florida or Texas where the temperatures stay moderate for most of the year? Sit

Back and enjoy the cooler temperatures! For those of you in snowier regions, what will you do to prepare your patients?

Physical Therapy in the Fall is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

World Mental Health Day

Howard Gerber — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:00:35 +0000

World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10. The holiday is supported by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, and is designed to increase the public’s awareness and understanding of mental health issues around the world.

School

It can be very hard to discuss mental health in a school setting. Teachers often feel there is a stigma associated with mental health issues such as depression or anxiety and choose not to share any personal struggles for fear of professional disciplinary consequences. Students will often self-medicate with drugs or alcohol in order to deal with depression, anxiety, bullying, or social awkwardness. School therapists can utilize this day as an opportunity to bring in speakers to discuss depression, anxiety, drug and alcohol abuse, and healthy ways to improve one’s mental health. Be sure to offer faculty members workshops and speakers during planning periods, lunch, and before and after school so they have a chance to meet with speakers as well. Partner with local mental health professionals that accept the school’s medical insurance and create a brochure listing them and their specialties to place in the teacher’s mail boxes.

Pharmacy

Unfortunately, mental illness is still seen as taboo. People suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, and even chemical imbalances often do not seek help because they feel they should be able to “figure it out on their own.” One way pharmacists can raise awareness of the importance of mental health is to discuss the various medications and the conditions they are intended to treat. By creating a public dialogue about mental health, pharmacists may be able to encourage individuals to be more conscious of their own mental health status and become aware of options designed to improve their mental health. Contact manufacturers of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications for displays about their product and the conditions they treat. Include a display with contact information for local therapists, psychiatrists, psychologists, and support groups. Put the display up on the 10^th and leave it up for the entire week to reach a greater audience.

Health Professionals

If you are a nurse of a physical therapist you too can help raise awareness about mental health issues. Both professions often work with people who are suffering from chronic pain or who have had a severe trauma or accident. While these clients may be receiving the medical care they need to treat their physical injuries they may not even be aware that their mental health needs to be addressed as well. Put a display in the waiting room that proclaims the importance of mental health as well as physical health and the warning signs that chronic pain may be negatively affecting their mental health. Include the names and phone numbers of pain management groups, support groups, and mental health professionals in the area.

World Mental Health Day is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing