Work Place Meltdown or Going Postal

I grinned at the news report of Steven Slater. Mr. Slater, a flight attendant, recently made the news by using his planes intercom to spew his workplace dissatisfaction. He then grabbed a couple beers and escaped using the inflatable emergency slide. There is a small voice in all of us that has had the desire or will have the desire to yell enough is enough. But there is also a calmer voice calculating the mortgage payments, car payments and other responsibilities that quietly states “take 10 deep breaths”.
The media coverage given this man is spurring reports of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in the U. S. workplace. But is this truly a new phenomenon? In my generation we called it “going postal” and believe me that was a far more serious situation.
All of us can sympathize with a man who was whacked on the head with a piece of luggage and then treated rudely by the passenger. But have you ever been to one of the Super Stores on a busy Friday evening and step in front of the lady with two children in tow and a fully laden grocery cart?
Part of society’s functionality is its member’s ability to not act impulsively in situations. I am not talking about jumping in a pool fully clothed, but rather telling your boss that perhaps he is a moron. Deadlines, rude customers, co-workers, all contribute to an environment waiting for an explosion. Thankfully most of us will not “go Slater” and positively work out the situation that has us steaming.
Making news headlines for irresponsible and impulsive behaviors is not productive and will surely have copy cats doing the same. Making people smile will not be a tangible component on Steven Slater’s resume unless Comedy Central has openings. Take 10 deep breaths and if your difficult situation cannot be resolved over time, resign responsibly and at your convenience. And probably your boss is not really a moron but stealing two beers from your company will make you one.

My Virtual Cubical

My meeting was very late so I absently grabbed another magazine. Hmmmmmm….” Business Week”, and only 8 months old with an interesting cover “China Goes shopping”. As I leaf through the magazine with one eye on the other people in the waiting room I fall into an article on Managing at a Distance and a subtitle “the ideal virtual worker”.
Working from home, or at least not in designated office space is becoming more common. I have been working at my dining room table for three years, and barring the dining room table moving several times through home renovations, I have managed to keep myself afloat.
It has had its ups and downs. No one to grumble to but the dog, and he has learned to ignore me just fine. First I worried I could not be disciplined enough to get the work completed, then I realized I needed to be disciplined enough to turn it all off. There was also some refrigerator rules that needed to be learned but that is being saved for another blog. I have survived and in some areas excelled with my new found freedom.
Now back to the magazine article that suggests to me that the ideal virtual worker is an (gulp) extrovert. Having completed a Myers Briggs seminar I became officially aware that I and extroversion are in opposite corners. Throughout my life I have had gregarious moments and introverted moments mostly with periods where I was somewhere in the middle. Always through it I have shunned psychological testing and labels. Damn it my parents told me I could be anything I wanted to be.
Maybe it is an antiquaited idea, but an ex boss, John Gunn, once told me I would probably never hire the perfect employee but I could create one. He believed through inspiration and training you could help anyone along the way. Perhaps there is hope for an old introvert like myself.

I still dislike the label. Not knowing what is in the box is what keeps us excited. Giving it a shake to guess what is inside is fine. But already knowing what is there is no fun at all!

Confession of an Ex Smoker

It has been 8 months since my last cigarette……..
Probably two of the more significant moments of my life were the lighting of my first and the butting of my last. Sounds sad.

But neither is really relevant. I smoked for more than 30 years. That dates me into the last generation that saw tobacco use as commonplace and a norm. Everyone smoked everywhere. Neither of my parents did. But everyone else did. We smoked in elevators, we smoked in shopping malls, we smoked at work, and we even smoked in hospitals. Doctors and Nurses smoked at the Nursing Stations!

Cigarettes were a common bond, a way to meet people, and a way to share. We smoked at every opportunity and made more and more smoking friends.

It was a right that became a habit which transformed into an addiction over time. All the while we were relaxed, cool. The Marlborough Man looked down on us and smiled. It has been 8 months since my last cigarette, sounds very much like a Catholic confessional.

That is not to say that these 8 months have been a piece of cake. I have inhaled quite deeply as I passed those poor souls restricted to smoking in certain outdoor areas. As they huddle in the rain under a cloudier sky I envy and pity them. The store shelves of neatly packaged 20 packs beacon me like an old friend I have not seen in years. The urges have not subsided but the control of them gets better. I now understand the meaning of addiction, why controlled substances need be controlled and why alcoholics need a program. Push me too hard and I might light up.

I am even unsure of what finally flagged in my head to say quit. It truly wasn’t health, cost or anything else quite so definable. Society making smoking less desirable has helped, my chiropractor giving me an anti smoking lecture at just the right moment in my life, a cousin quitting and following his progress on Face book, encouragement from an old friend I met outside of history class by asking her for a light, also helped. Anti smoking Drugs, well they helped too.

Incidentally, I am neither richer, nor do I weigh more nor does food taste better since I quit. But I do like the feeling that I am more in control. I do imagine as the Priest is giving me last rights I might like one more.

It has been 8 months since my last cigarette……..

Graduate Nursing, Competition in the Market

There have been rumors and mention of the easing of the Nursing shortage. There have been indicators. Having had the distinction of taking a single statistics course three times at University, I am now oddly comfortable with tables with lines and graphs. I have not seen these graphs. Nor do I believe we are anywhere near the end of a Nursing Shortage. Just a respite.
Signs of a troubled economy are everywhere. My home state of Florida failed to have a population growth last year! According to USA today for the first time since the end of World War II more people moved out of Florida than moved in. Perhaps it was all too easy in the country’s fourth largest state famous for sunshine and low cost living.
Suddenly I am being called by Graduate Nurses from other states. They are not yet licensed in their home state but seem all too aware that there is a shortage of RN jobs and are very vocal about it.
A recession affects the Nursing job market in a variety of ways. In the early 2000’s there was an increase in national jobless rates. At the same time Nursing vacancies were dropping dramatically bringing about thoughts of a temporary end to the Nursing shortage. There was not a sudden increase in graduates. RNs were returning to the work force or going from part time to full time to support their families and provide health care benefits. Basic supply and demand, I was studying economics at that very same University. Nursing has always allowed such flexibility with scheduling and returning to the work force. Variety in job function and hours is part of what makes Nursing attractive. As national unemployment rates eased around 2005 the Nursing vacancy rates again began to climb. Those second income Nurses went back to part time jobs or out of healthcare all together.
Health Care needs and an aging population are a fact in America. U.S. Health care continues to grow in our recession.
“On July 2, 2009, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the healthcare sector of the economy is continuing to grow, despite significant job losses in nearly all major industries. Hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other ambulatory care settings added 21,000 new jobs in June 2009, a month when 467,000 jobs were eliminated across the country. As the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, RNs likely will be recruited to fill many of these new positions. In September 2009, the BLS confirmed that 544,000 jobs have been added in the healthcare sector since the recession began.”

For all you Graduate Nurses calling me from Ohio or California please don’t despair. You have chosen one of the most rewarding professions there are, Nursing.
In the mean time, redo your resume for clarity, be concise and loose those typos. Rethink your interview image, dress appropriately. A general rule is to wear what you would wear on the job, so clean pressed scrubs are in order or wow them in business attire. Research behavioral based interview techniques, more and more Directors rely on this type of interview. Just put your best foot forward. Wearing a tank top with a cup of coffee in your hand is no way to show up for an interview. That candidate did not get offered a refill or a job. In this short interim RNs need to be a bit more competitive, a bit more polished as there are others looking at that same job. Good Luck!
Loney B Moses RN

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/media/FactSheets/NursingShortage.htm
http://www.flcenterfornursing.org/workforce/researchreports.cfm
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/556417_5
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-08-31-florida_N.htm

Loney B Moses RN
RN Recruitment
HCA Pasco Hernando

Community Hospital Now Offers “YESS” Procedure

Community Hospital Now Offers “YESS” Procedure

New Port Richey, Florida (January 22, 2009) - Community Hospital, the future Medical Center of Trinity, has announced that it now offers the minimally invasive spine surgery technique called the YESS procedure. The YESS procedure is currently performed by Victor Hayes, MD and Farhan Siddiqi, MD. Dr.Hayes and Dr. Siddiqi are both board certified Orthopedic Surgeons who are Dual Fellowship Trained in Orthopedic and Orthopedic Spinal Surgery.

YESS is a type of back surgery that is used to help restore normal anatomy and function of the spine. After a ¼ inch incision is made several inches away from the midline of the back, the surgeon will insert a canula with a camera (and endoscope) to view the affected area. (spacing issue – pull up sentence from line below)Using this sideway approach, the surgeon will be able to go around the spinal column instead of going through it to remove the diseased disc and by working through this endoscope the incision will be kept very small (¼ inch) (spacing issue – pull up sentence from line below)This allows for a very specific approach and also allows for no bone removal at all, which significantly speeds up the recovery after this procedure.

What are the benefits of this procedure?

More natural anatomy is preserved so the recovery time will be much shorter
Shorter recovery time will allow for quick rehabilitation after the procedure
Very small incision (hardly noticeable)
Procedure may be done under local anesthesia

What are the expected outcomes?

The main goal of this procedure is to provide relief of leg pain and prevent further neurologic injury. Spacing issue – pull up sentence from line below.
Success rates are superior to the published results of standard microscopic discectomy and patients typically experience quicker recovery time and quicker rehabilitation due to the more minimally invasive nature of SED™/YESS.

How is the YESS procedure different from Laser Surgery or a Microdiscectomy?

A Microdiscectomy is not similar to the YESS procedure because it is done via straight back (posterior) approach. This means that the surgeon will have to go through the back wall (lamina) of the diseased segment, potentially causing instability of the segment. A second difference is that the recovery from a discectomy or laminectomy will be much longer and slower.

The biggest difference between the YESS procedure and Laser surgery to the spine is that Laser surgery is still done using a posterior approach and under general anesthesia. The Laser is also used during the YESS procedure. So the YESS procedure is the Laser procedure with better visualization since an endoscope is used.

The YESS procedure will be discussed at Community Hospital’s upcoming advertised seminar on Pain at the Residence Inn by Marriott, 2101 North Pointe Pkwy, Lutz, FL. 33558, The seminars will be held on January 28 at 6 pm, January 30 at 11 am, and January 31at 9 am. For information on the seminars call 1-877-442-2362

About Community Hospital:

Community Hospital is located in New Port Richey, FL. It is a leading Joint Commission accredited acute care center. Over 400 physicians, 1000 employees and 200 volunteers comprise our healthcare delivery team.

Community Hospital has received distinction in the following areas:

· Chest Pain Center accredited by the Society of Chest Pain Centers
· Joint Commission Accredited Primary Stroke Center
· Accredited Cancer Program recognized by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons
· All private room Women’s Center for Gynecology and Urology Services
· All private room Spine & Joint Care Center
· The only da Vinci Robotic System in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus Counties

Construction is underway on the Medical Center of Trinity, a 236 bed, state-of-the-art, private room facility at the corner of SR 54 and Little Road in Trinity to replace Community Hospital in late 2010.

For more information, visit our website at www.communityhospitalnpr.com.

Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point Shares the Spirit of the Holidays

Each year for more than a decade, employees at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point in Hudson, Fla. have conducted a “Family Christmas Baskets” event.
Local schools provide the hospital with the names of families who are not fortunate enough to celebrate the Christmas holiday due to financial hardship. This year, employees at Bayonet Point adopted 78 families and provided them with gifts including gift certificates to purchase a Christmas meal for each household.
CEO Steve Rector said, “Our entire cafeteria is filled with the humbling charitable giving that has resulted from the volunteer efforts of our employees. We estimate that our staff has donated more than $20,000 to this event. It is incredible and we are blessed! Also, this year the medical staff allocated an additional $3,000 to help more families so we were able to add another ‘basket day’ providing Christmas for an additional 10 families. I can’t say enough about our team and their incredible giving spirit. Happy Holidays!”

Florida Nursing Pasco Hernando 2008-07-29 10:22:00

INTERVIEWING SKILLS AND TIPS

In considering an interview, the most important step is to be prepared. Do some research, finding out as much about the position and facility as possible. Job descriptions, advertisements, Internet sites can provide valuable information about a facility and position, as can employees, or even walking through the facility itself.

Consider what will be the most important attributes for the position. For example a staff RN needs to demonstrate skills such as decision making, good communication, stress tolerance, teamwork, and customer service to name a few. Write down as many skills as you think are important. Now, for the really hard part, with each individual skill attempt to think of at least two examples of how you demonstrated this attribute.
An interviewer does not want you to tell them that you are customer focused; they need to be shown evidence that you are. Describe the situation, what you did to overcome the situation and what the result was. Also include any recognition you may have received from your actions, i.e. letters from patients, etc.
With this list you will be much better prepared to answer any queries during your interview. Some interviewers will focus on the skills necessary for the position others will be more general and then you have to work in your homework into the conversation.

Always ask for good clear directions to your interview location and if necessary make a trial run so that you can arrive early. Bring an extra copy of your resume, in case the interviewers desk looks anything like mine. Make sure you have identification, your nursing license, and any other applicable credentials.
Dress appropriately, either in business attire or, if preferred, in the uniform of the position you are seeking. Be rested, arrive early, sit up straight, make good eye contact and appear relaxed but confident.

Florida Nursing Pasco Hernando 2008-07-29 10:17:00

SPECIALTY CHANGE

Are you considering a specialty change? Want to become a Telemetry Nurse, take a

Critical Care Program or even expand your horizons to the Emergency Department?

If you find your current position challenging or difficult, you may not be ready for

Additional training. If your reason for a change is because you believe the new area will

be less work, i.e. smaller patient loads, do not bank on it. Smaller patient loads will often

mean more intensive work with fewer patients. But if you have excelled in your current

field of nursing you may be up for the challenge.

Research the position. Speak to colleagues who work in your desired areas to give you a

feel for the environment and workload. Check for position availability from your Nurse

Recruiter. Talk to the Education department to find out course structure, outlines and

content. Will you be given a preceptorship, and if so how long. Are you assigned to a

Preceptor and is that person trained on how to instruct.

Often being bounced from Nurse to Nurse will not optimize the learning experience.

Clinical Coordinators and your Nurse Director may be your best source of guidance.

Our program has been in existence for a good number of years. We have developed a

Stepping Stone approach where Telemetry Nursing follows a basic EKG course,

then the Critical Care content, and finally our Emergency Nursing segment. Each step is

the prerequisite for the

next i.e. the Medical Surgical RN will be trained in telemetry nursing prior to taking the

ICU course. We have found this standardized approach has made us very successful in

training candidates. Course content is based on AACN guidelines.

Preceptorships are structured and scheduled. Your training and progress will be

evaluated frequently. You, your preceptor and your Nurse Director will be involved with

the evaluation process so that your learning experience can be tailored to fit your specific

needs.

Change is always a little frightening and very exciting. Researching your options,

familiarizing yourself with the course content and structure and ensuring you will have

support throughout the program will help quell your fears.

Florida Nursing Pasco Hernando 2008-07-29 10:12:00

Finding the Right Place to Work for you

Unhappy at your current facility? Planning to reenter the Hospital workforce? New Graduate? Looking for Advancement?
Just how will you choose your new work place.
Research is your first step. Find out what you can, often easily on the Internet. Hospital size, services offered, parent company, career listings etc. are often readily available facts from the comfort of your home. Are you looking for the familiarity of a smaller facility or the vast opportunities offered by the larger complexes? What field of Nursing do you wish to work and is it offered by that facility. What do the career listings or job boards tell you? Does the number of vacancies reflect the opening of new services or a high turnover rate?
If possible speak with as many people as you can about the facility. Patients or employees may be a great source for information but sometimes the final judgment needs to be yours.
Visit the facility. Check out driving times, potentially a huge deciding factor. A 12 hour shift, coupled with an hour commute, will make your day 14 hours long, and perhaps not the safest way to drive home. How are you greeted at the facility? If the staff are friendly smiling and approachable you may have found one great hospital. Is the facility clean, how is parking? Any evidence of service excellence programs in place? If I will be moving is this community right for me. And for some of us just how far is the beach?
Should you decide to apply to a facility, how are you treated as a candidate? Is your application processed efficiently and professionally? Benefits, wages, reward programs etc all come into the equation. What does a huge sign on bonus tell you about a hospital.
We have three great facilities in the Pasco Hernando market. Oak Hill in Spring Hill, Regional Medical Center at Bayonet Point, and Community in New Port Richey. With the three we offer many specialties and options in three growing communities. World Class Open heart, Psychiatry, LDRP OB are just some of our choices. Onsite RN to BSN programs and Internship programs designed around the needs of Graduate Nurses and RNs needing career changes are just some of your options. All in communities offering great lifestyles and short commutes.Choosing the facility that is right for you will take both time and effort but will hopefully result in a positive career move for you