Sunbelt Staffing » Healthcare Workers

Social Networking for Temporary and Per Diem Employees

Angela Stevens — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:30:01 +0000

Social networking has seen a huge increase in the numbers of users and the types of networks available for those users over the last several years. Initially, many people were using networks such as Facebook and MySpace to connect with friends and families. Other networks such as LinkedIn – as well as smaller networks that focus on specific professions such as nursing, teaching, or physical therapy – are also becoming more popular. One of the advantages to sites like these is they allow people to connect with others in their profession and build their professional network.

As a temporary or per diem employee, it can be difficult to build a network of work associates. However, it is even more crucial for these types of employees to do so because of the very nature of their work. Once you move on from one position to the next, it can be very easy to lose touch with your supervisor and coworkers, the very people you may want to contact for a reference in the future. By establishing an online presence in the world of social networking, you make it easier to stay in touch with these coworkers and supervisors as well as find leads for career and education opportunities.

When you create a relationship with people at a new work site, find out if they are on the same social networking sites you are. If they are not familiar with a niche site, this is a great time to introduce them to it; they may even be grateful for the new resource! If you do maintain a profile in a smaller social networking site, you may also want to create a professional page on one of the more popular sites such as Facebook. This will make it easier to connect with people who are not willing to maintain more than one account and who keep all of their contacts on their personal page. However, if you do choose a more mainstream site, be sure to keep your personal contacts and professional contacts separate. The purpose of social networking as an employee is to help promote yourself in your career journey, not to let past coworkers know your vacation plans.

Once you have your network portfolio set up and have begun to add coworkers and supervisors what information should you share? Articles about your profession, online resource they may be interested in, education opportunities, and work opportunities are all good choices. Of course you should inject your personality into your online community as well; just remember to only share what you would be comfortable sharing in a work environment. This will help maintain your professional image.

Do you use a social networking site to help advance your career? Do you keep it separate from your personal networking? Has social networking helped your career?

Social Networking for Temporary and Per Diem Employees is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Nursing Strikes

Angela Stevens — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:30:57 +0000

For many workers, the most efficient way to increase their advantage at the bargaining table is by leveraging their collective ability to stop a company from being able to provide a product or service. Nursing unions are no different, as they use this tactic to obtain what they want in their contracts. One big difference between nurses going on strike and assembly line workers, though, is that nursing strikes immediately and negatively affect other people. Without nurses, patients can be in extreme danger. Even if some of the nurses stay to maintain a minimal staff, patients will have to share the already overtaxed nurses with even more people, reducing the ability of each nurse who remains to adequately care for his or her patients.

One way hospitals and other medical facilities can deal with nursing strikes is to hire nurses from staffing companies on a temporary or per diem basis. This is an excellent opportunity for those who find work through the staffing facility, and it is a good option for the hospitals as well as the patients. Even though the nurses who are called in to replace the strike staff will likely cost more than those who are striking, and they may not be familiar with the facility, they will be available for the patients and do have the medical expertise to handle the medical environment they are entering.

During a strike, the hospitals are often willing to go above and beyond their usual offerings in order to bring in labor quickly so they will have less pressure when negotiating with the striking workforce. If the hospitals are able to operate with a full, or almost full, temporary staff, they are better able to work out a deal that is mutually beneficial rather than having to accede to the demands of the striking workers. In addition to a regular salary, they may also offer free travel and housing as well as paid orientation and licensure assistance.

Recently nurses in two states, California and Minnesota, announced plans for strikes. While some are initially only going to strike for one day to make a point, others plan more extended absences. Even a one day reduction in the workforce is detrimental to productivity and the ability of the facility to care for patients. Without the option of a temporary nursing workforce, what would these facilities and their patients do?

I know that, as a potential patient, it makes me feel much safer knowing there are people who are willing to work on a temporary basis while the contract negotiations are going on. While I understand that everyone is entitled to fair wages and good working conditions, it does make me nervous when I hear about nurses refusing to work.

Have you ever participated in a nursing strike? What made you decide to go to that extreme? If you are a temporary or per diem nurse, have you ever worked for a facility that was suffering from a strike? What was that experience like?

Nursing Strikes is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Delivering Bad News to Patients and Their Families

Angela Stevens — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:00:03 +0000

One of the most difficult situations a health care provider has to face is delivering bad news to a patient and his family, and there’s no single right way to do it. It can be a terribly uncomfortable situation, especially for those unprepared to deal with the questions and resulting emotions of the patient and family. As a result, many physicians attempt to disassociate themselves with the situation and wind up behaving in an unnaturally stiff and formal manner.

When dealing with a potentially fatal outcome, the best way to approach the subject is to prepare the family in advance, using plain English. Discuss treatment options and possible outcomes early, so they will have time to adjust to the news and ask questions before the prognosis is in.

Delivering bad news will always be painful, but your attitude and approach can make all the difference in the way the family receives it. First, consider the setting. On medical shows like Grey’s Anatomy, doctors often deliver even the worst news in a very public setting, like a waiting area full of people. A much better choice would be a private room with plenty of comfortable seating, where the family does not feel as if they are on display. Grief is private and should be treated with dignity.

Deliver the information in plain English and fully explain any medical terms. Don’t try to sugarcoat it. If the patient is dead or is going to die, say so…as gently as possible, without euphemisms. Don’t just blurt it out; give them a few seconds to brace with a leading sentence, like “I’m afraid the news is not good.”

If there are to be complicated procedures, ask the patient how much detail he wants to hear. Some people will want only the bottom line, and not the minutiae of treatment. Giving the patient only as much as he is ready to deal with allows him to absorb it more readily. Technical details can wait.

Before you attempt to deliver any news, try to anticipate potential questions and have answers prepared. Unfortunately, sometimes the answer is “I don’t know.” It’s helpful to have related knowledge handy, like statistical information about what percentage of patients survive the same situation and what challenges the family will face.

Be sympathetic, but be careful about getting too emotional. No matter how strongly you feel, keep your own emotions in check. The patient needs to see you as a professional in order to maintain his confidence. Kindness, empathy and understanding make wonderful bedside manners, but a burst of emotion can be alarming for both family and patient.

Allow sufficient time for them to ask questions. Be prepared to offer a comprehensive game plan and discuss the course of treatment if they are ready to hear it. A positive plan of action is a great way to alleviate feelings of helplessness and despair. Try not to mislead them with false hope, but offer some solid advice for the future and assurances that you will do everything that can be done.

Another scenario to consider is when the patient is a child. The best way to approach this situation is to remove the parents from the room and tell them privately before breaking the news to the child. They may wish to do it themselves, or may want to discuss a plan of approach that best addresses their child’s emotional needs.

Remember, in any scenario, the objective is to make the patient and his family or caregivers understand what is happening and prepare them for what is to come. The more simple the language and straightforward the approach, the more likely you will succeed.

Delivering Bad News to Patients and Their Families is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

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How the Internet is Changing Healthcare

Angela Stevens — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:00:54 +0000

The uneducated patient who relies solely on their healthcare provider to inform them of possible health concerns, symptoms, and treatment is almost a thing of the past. With 60-80% of Internet users seeking health information online, today’s patient is more knowledgeable and ready to take more responsibility for their own health.

The Internet has the potential to inform and empower the health consumer by educating individuals about general health, healthcare services, and support decision making. Unfortunately, the Internet has also proven to have negative impacts for the healthcare industry as well.

The Well Informed Patient

Online research conducted on reliable medical Web sites has caused a shift in the balance of knowledge over the past decade. With professional information becoming more readily available to the non-professional individual, patients are now becoming actively involved in decisions regarding their healthcare.

Patients are quickly becoming healthcare consumers, comparing research statistics of certain medications and treatments, becoming familiar with the likelihood of drug interactions, and even seeking out holistic and alternative treatment options.

A 2007 study conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project has determined that 75% of patients with chronic conditions who have gone online to seek out medical information report that their findings have directly affected decisions about the treatment of their illness. My own research online has helped me to make decisions about treating a condition I’m living with.

Patients Seek Information, Comfort and Support

According to the same Pew Internet & American Life Project report, individuals living with disabilities and chronic health conditions seek more than just health, symptom, and treatment information online.

A large percentage of patients with chronic conditions who have gone online have used the Internet to join forums and groups that give them the emotional and mental support needed to deal with the crisis they are facing. I’ve participated in one such online forum, and it’s been very helpful to discuss various things with other people who have the same symptoms as I have. Most patients report having a positive experience online, while a small percent of patients claim that the information on forums and groups causes them stress and anxiety at the thought of what may lie ahead.

Cyberchondriacs

Another area of concern to the healthcare industry is the growing number of “cyberchondriacs” or individuals who type in a number of symptoms on a Web-MD type of site and as a direct result become convinced that they have a particularly distressing ailment, disease, or illness.

Surveys around the globe confirm that millions of individuals obsessively use the Internet to research ailments, real or imagined, they may have. Armed with information (or misinformation), many patients arrive to their medical appointment with a list of tests that should be performed, as well as treatment and medication options.

Unfortunately for healthcare providers, this growing problem is something that must be dealt with delicately but firmly. Psychologists recommend that physicians and other healthcare providers educate the general public of the dangers of self diagnosis, as well as the fact that Web sites cannot be considered as a reliable diagnostic source. Self diagnosis can lead to online users seeking out herbal remedies and even ordering medication from overseas retailers to treat a condition that they may not even have.

Overall, the Internet can be a helpful resource for patients who wish to educate themselves about health issues and learn new ways to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. When seeking information from reliable medical Web sites, patients can become proactive when making decisions regarding treatment, rehabilitation, medications, and ongoing healthcare. And although information found on the Internet can certainly be misused, it cannot be denied that the Internet has changed the healthcare industry forever.

How the Internet is Changing Healthcare is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing

Stress Relief for Overstressed Healthcare Workers

Angela Stevens — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:00:49 +0000

You take care of patients all day, but who is taking care of you? Hospitals across the country are grossly understaffed due to lack of adequate funding, leading to sometimes unmanageable nurse-to-patient and doctor-to-patient ratios. Mandatory overtime places additional stress on healthcare workers who are already being pushed to their limits during the course of the normal work week. I don’t know about you, but this sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

Healthcare workers need to make sure they take care of themselves, but on and off duty. Taking two minutes to do some deep breathing in the supply closet may be the only break you get on the busiest days, but even that can make a big difference. Try to make time to decompress before and after each shift, and several times during, if you are able.

While you probably have demands on your personal time when you’re at home – cooking, cleaning, or spending time with your family – there are a few simple things you can do to take some time out for yourself. Enjoy a nice hot shower, and don’t allow any interruptions. Do something you enjoy doing for 15 minutes a day, whether it’s playing video games, reading a book, or knitting, even if you get home really late. Spend five minutes before bed doing some meditation or visualization exercise to help you relax and get your body ready for sleep.

If you can’t make time to de-stress at home, you can de-stress during your commute. I like to listen to a few select CDs when I’m driving; after a particularly bad day, I’ve been known to sing along with the music very loudly. You can tense and release your muscles at stoplights – just not your leg muscles, or you might accidentally take your foot off the brake pedal! If you take public transportation, enjoy listening to music on your portable mp3 player or read a book. I enjoy doing crossword puzzles and sudoku when I have spare time, and I would definitely take a puzzle book along with me if there was public transportation available in my area.

On the job, your stress relief options may be limited. If staffing and patient volume allows, be sure to take all of your scheduled breaks. It can be frustrating when you aren’t able to take your breaks, so be sure to make the most of them when you do get them. Closing your eyes for a few minutes allows you to shut the world out for a short time. While you’re on the clock, you may be surprised to find out how liberating it is to keep a smile on your face. When you smile, it often makes other people smile. When other people are smiling, whether they’re your patients or your coworkers, things tend to go more smoothly. You may be able to defuse tense, stressful situations by remaining calm and pleasant instead of getting upset and escalating things.

If no amount of stress relief is going to help you cope with your current job, you may want to check out the opportunities available at Sunbelt Staffing, and find a better job!

Stress Relief for Overstressed Healthcare Workers is a post from: Sunbelt Staffing