Category: Uncategorized

APRN AS MIDDLE-LEVEL PROVIDERS & DARN PROUD OF IT

This topic is of a very sensitive nature and has ruffled more feathers than can be counted ever since the original article was published. In healthcare as in other groups, I am sure; there is usually some sort of power tussle going on-who is better at something, who should be given the most respect etc. It is almost never-ending and can be exhausting!

Advanced Practice Nurses are in fact Middle-LEVEL providers. Being mid-level providers does not take away from the expertise of APRNs.

In the hierarchy of things, healthcare in this case, everyone has a role to play from the Patient Care Technicians (PCT) to the Physician and when we all are masters at our roles, that it when everything thrives. Everyone should know their role and play it well!

My Nurse Consultant
APRN

Not too long ago, nurses were upset when it seemed that Medical Assistants (MAs) were seeking to replace them in physician offices so it is with physicians- Some MDs feels slighted that after the amount of student loans and tedious study, that APRN almost seem to be replacing them.

There is no truth to this- APRNs will NEVER replace MDs; APRN may play a role in helping fill up shortages in under-served areas but not to replace the group out rightly!

There is also absolutely no reason to be antagonistic toward each other- we need to understand the bottom line here which is MONEY/PROFITABILITY. Administrators want to maximize the best use of their resources by hiring more and cheaper labor to “spread” around, while keeping expenses to a minimum.

Is it fair? No

Can they do it? Yes.  The Administrators do after all owe it to their companies to be profitable. And if substituting one for the other is the way for them to do it, then that it the way it will be done.

“In business, you don’t get what you want, you get what you negotiate”- Karass

If the parties APRN and Medical Association feel aggrieved, it would better serve us to put heads together and present a unified front.

These constant bickering takes us nowhere!

My Nurse Consultant

Continue Reading

How to Work With Millennial Nurses in the Workplace

Millennial nurses get a lot of bad rep in the workplace sometimes through no fault of theirs.

Some of the criticism may be deserved and others not. But don’t throw millennial away with the bath water. There are still some awesome millennials out there- you just have to harness their strengths and try to overlook the weaknesses.

To Work With Millennials, you must do the following

  1. Speak their Language: You will easily get frustrated, if you try to work with millennials on your own terms. It won’t work- all you get in return is more headaches and poor job performance. Talk to your millennial nurses, find out what makes them tick and then position your job expectations around that- they give in more easily at best and at worst, it makes them more open minded in hearing you.
  2. Be Firm: Don’t make the mistake of being soft- millennials will walk all over you. Be gentle but firm. Always gently but firmly reiterate job expectations and stay consistent. Giving different answers to the same question is just an opening that your nurses need to run with.
  3. Curb the Enthusiasm: Millennial nurses a day out of nursing school believe that they know it all- they don’t and it is your duty to help them see that they don’t know what they don’t know. Encourage learning by all means but be firm in redirecting their overflowing energy in other ways.
  4. Ask Questions: Millennial nurses love to be center of attention, so to keep them engaged, be sure to ask questions. Millennial nurses will welcome any chance to have you get to know them. And you should welcome that opportunity as well. After all, the work place is supposed to be a growth environment- engagement keeps everyone growing.
Millennial Nurses

Working with millennial nurses can be as fun as you make it. Sure they might get some bad rap but they are a fun group to work with.

Share any helpful tips, that you have on working with millennial nurses.

Continue Reading

Get the Best Output from Your Nursing Staff

In many situations, you get out what you put in, except in cases of synergy where you get out more than you put it. So how exactly do you do this in the real world? or to be more specific, how do you translate this into your nursing staff?

Simple! By building a culture of trust.

Nurses who work in high trust level organizations experience

-less burnout

-increased job satisfaction

-increased customer service levels

-higher productivity, less job stress

-positive and increased energy at work

-less sick days

These are only some of the few that have been recognized. But knowing these positives, why would anyone not want to create a culture of trust in their organization to help their nursing staff be their best?

 

Continue Reading

A Disgruntled Employer

Plenty has been said about the relationship between employers and employers but it is often times targeted towards what employers owe to employees and how employers need to do a better job of keeping employees happy and how they need to go over and beyond in making sure that employees do not leave and go else where and the list goes on…

There is usually little said about what employees owe their employers. Or how employees owe it to their employers to show up to work on time and do the job for which they were hired and do it well, nor how employees need not watch YouTube or be on social media during their time paid for by the employer and this list goes on as well…

In order to remove the complications why not say it in simple fashion- employees need to do the jobs they were paid for and employers need to ensure that the environment and tools needed to do that job are provided! Simple and that way everyone is happy! Yes?

No! While often times many employers wish it to be so, there are too many disgruntled employees who, unhappy with some of the choices they have made in life, see fit to thwart or try to thwart an employer’s success. What such employees do not understand is that the success of your employer often times, translates to your own success as well.

Fair is fair! As much as the pressure is on an employer to provide the best and go over and beyond for their employees, the same should also be requested of employees to make the investment of the employer so much worthwhile.

A Disgruntled Employer *****

Continue Reading

Become an Effective Communicator

One of the best qualities of good leaders is their ability to communicate effectively. Understandably, if your job is to guide and inspire others, it is necessary to convey your messages in a clear and direct manner. While there are many styles in which one can communicate, there are some best practices among successful leaders.
Make Things Simple – You need to be able to say what you mean in as few as words as possible. Your team is on information overload all day, which could make it hard for them to hear you. Eliminate the technical jargon and condense complicated thoughts into simple easy to understand messages.
Listen with your Eyes and your Ears – Communication isn’t only about how you convey your message, but also how you listen to the message being conveyed to you. Being in a leadership role means you may not always get the most honest and direct feedback. While it’s important to hear the words that are being spoken, it is equally important to watch for nonverbal cues as well. In some instances, a person’s body language will give you more information than what is being said.
Monitor Tone of Voice – The same words can be interpreted very differently depending on the tone they are said with. This skill can be very hard to master since many people don’t even realize they have a tone to their voice. An amazing coach (Kathleen Kurke) used this example with me, which was extremely effective… Say the following sentence: “I did not kill her with my car.” Now, repeat the sentence, placing a different emphasis on a different word each time you repeat the sentence, and notice the difference in meaning! Be sure to use the appropriate tone to communicate your message. It will be very hard to motivate and encourage your team if your voice comes across as condescending and derogatory.
Know when Enough is Enough – Mastering the art of timing is crucial in effective communication. Feel out your audience and determine if you need to repeat key points or if you’re just beating a dead horse. You will lose the attention of your team if you continually repeat yourself, causing employees to miss important information after they’ve “tuned you out”.
Developing clear and effective communication skills is one of the most important skills you can have as a business leader. Engaging your employees helps them understand the vision and goals of the organization and ultimately increases effective productivity.
Copyright: Ion Chiosea
Continue Reading