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Take 5 minutes and pause when providing care becomes overwhelming
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareWhether delivering care at the bedside or ricocheting from one meeting to the next, we as healthcare providers can benefit by putting pauses into our daily professional practice. Why? Even the hardiest of us get tired, overstimulated or emotionally hooked during our day. We don’t operate at our best when running on empty. So, as a kindness and a responsibility to ourselves and others, let’s consider recognizing when we need to stop and rest — if only for five minutes.
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Study: More mosquito-borne infections associated with early season hurricanes
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareHurricanes and other heavy rainfall events (HREs) can affect the transmission of vector-borne infectious diseases in the southern coastal United States and other temperate areas of the world. Stagnant water left in the aftermath of a heavy rainfall event provides rich breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which increases the likelihood of human infection. The timing of a hurricane has a significant influence on a storm’s effect on the spread of these infections, such as West Nile virus, Zika, chikungunya and dengue, according to the result of new study published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
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5 easy ways to repair a relationship with a patient
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a primary care physician or specialist, you know that patients stop coming to a physician for a wide range of reasons — some of which are understandable, some not. Perhaps a patient has had a frightening experience during a test or procedure, or maybe a patient feels he or she hasn't had their concerns taken seriously enough. The good news is that you can easily stop a patent from switching practices, or worse, avoiding medical care altogether, with these proactive and effective tips.
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Unique patient identifier ban lifted in House vote, still faces Senate
Scott E. Rupp Healthcare AdministrationThe 20-year ban on the ability of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to establish a unique patient identifier has finally been struck down — in part. A unique patient identifier (or the lack of one) has long been a primary issue for health IT insiders and leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of ending the ban June 12. If it becomes law, it would allow federal funds to create the long-sought-after patient identifiers. The bill now moves to the Senate to be taken up for debate.
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Law enforcement agencies, lawmakers develop new steps to combat the opioid…
Bambi Majumdar Law Enforcement, Defense & SecurityThe opioid crisis is real, and it's growing at an alarming rate. Authorities around the country are taking whatever steps necessary to avert further deaths. One example is the new opioid crisis response bill signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Now, prescription drug manufacturers and distributors in Minnesota will have to pay increased annual licensing fees to do business in the state. Under the new law, the fee is set to jump from about $200 to up to $305,000 a year. The increased fees will raise $20 million per year, which will go towards addiction prevention and treatment and addressing the opioid epidemic in the state.
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Research explains why bullying exists, inspires strategies for change in…
Amanda Ghosh Medical & Allied HealthcareAnyone who has experienced bullying at work knows how mind-boggling it is to see professionals misbehave. Fortunately, we’ve learned why bullying exists, so we know how to design safer workplaces. For example, not all uncivil behavior constitutes bullying. According to the American Nurses Association, bullying is "repeated, unwanted, harmful actions intended to humiliate, offend, and cause distress in the recipient." Incivility is "one or more rude, discourteous, or disrespectful actions that may or may not have a negative intent behind them."
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Study: Mouth bacteria found in brain clots of stroke victims
Tammy Hinojos Oral & Dental HealthcareA study performed in Finland found trace amounts of mouth bacteria present in brain clots of patients who suffered strokes. The takeaway? Good oral hygiene does more than prevent cavities. It could help to prevent a stroke. This was what the scientists proposed after finding DNA traces of oral bacteria in samples of blood clots that had caused strokes. Of the study population, 69.3% were men and 30.7% were women.
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5 surprisingly simple cost-cutters to employ at your hospital
Lisa Mulcahy Healthcare AdministrationAs a hospital administrator, reducing expenses is always a top priority. There are many technologically complex strategies you can use to cut expenses. Sometimes, however, simple logic can be your best bet. Researchers have identified a number of simple but highly effective ways hospitals can save money and increase patient safety. You can put them into practice immediately. Try these recommendations.
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Healthcare professionals, take time to transition
Lisa Cole Medical & Allied HealthcareWhether we work on the floor, in a cubicle or in the executive corner office, most of us in healthcare run, run, run all day long. And then, many of us press on and push ourselves at this pace into the wee hours, attending to household and childcare duties on our "second shift." How realistic, given that we're not robots, is it to continually go from "on" to more "on?" Remember that Dunkin’ Donuts ad, "Time to Make the Donuts?" How healthy is that? Healthcare providers, take heed! We need to take time to transition.
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The psychic compost of your healthcare career
Keith Carlson Medical & Allied HealthcareDoes your healthcare, medical, or nursing career result in psychic, mental, emotional, or spiritual compost that can be used to feed your career and help it come to complete fruition? When a gardener looks at compost, she doesn’t just see dirt, worms, and slimy rotting veggies. Rather, the gardener sees the potential of that compost to become new soil that can nourish her garden and continue the cycle of growth and blossoming. The same can be said of your healthcare career: you can consciously choose for your gains, losses, and stories to feed your career, provide inspiration, and continue to clarify your personal and professional mission.
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