I have always loved being a nurse.  The privilege I have felt to be witness to both lives entering this world and ensuring lives leave this world with dignity is something no nurse should take for granted. We are entrusted with caring for people at their most vulnerable points and with that comes great responsibility.

 Today’s acutely and critically ill patients require sharply tuned alertness and extraordinarily complex care from a team of highly skilled health professionals. Nurses confirm that patients admitted to their units are sicker than ever before

In order to provide the best patient care nurses must invest in educational opportunities that give them up to date knowledge and skills. Although education takes time, learning new information is beneficial to nurses, their employers and patients.

If nurses choose to become certified, this validates specialty knowledge, experience and clinical judgment. Certification validates the nurse’s expert knowledge and skills and therefore positions them for appropriate recognition and a critical sense of confidence and achievement.

 Whether certified or not, continuing nursing education gives nurses an opportunity to brush up on knowledge they may not have used recently or to gain a more technical background in their specialty.

 Continuing nursing education serves as a viable means of improving the professional competence of the practitioner with the outcome of improved health care.  Ongoing education and experience reduces a nurse’s exposure to risk and better prepares him/her to make informed decisions that encompass a larger scope.

 Continuing nursing education can assist individual practitioners in the continual acquisition of knowledge, the extension of professional responsibilities, the expansion of interpersonal skills, and the improvement of problem solving approaches to professional practice.

Continuing one’s education is part of lifelong learning. Participating in lifelong learning is every nurse’s responsibility.

 Rosemary Homer RN, MBA directs the Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network which offers a variety of learning opportunities for nurses. Find out more at www.halliganlynch.com.

 Halligan- Lynch Consulting- Northern Illinois Healthcare Education Network is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Illinois Nurses Association, an accredited approver by theAmericanNursesCredentialingCenter’s Commission on Accreditation.”

I was recently invited by Bob Douglas & Associates to convey my perspective on hiring and promoting in relation to growing my business. Bob challenged me with key questions: “Do I have the ability to step back from existing relationships and make sound decisions, or do I need coaching?” Also, “Am I fully capable of assessing our current talent?” As owner and president of Healthcare Personnel, Inc. (HPI), I am constantly seeking ways to leverage known talent, while recognizing the benefits of hiring other qualified staff.

So, do I promote individuals because they are loyal and dedicated, manage their current role very well, could possibly be trained to advance; but the risk is they may not possess the insight, drive or skills to go to that next level for the company to grow and prosper? Being objective during an in-house assessment can be difficult. One must be able to step back from a situation to provide an unbiased evaluation. Thus, it has been critical for me to seek advice from an outside party for options on HPI’s growth. In a small business, relationships are often more close-knit. If one cannot be neutral in specific circumstances, an objective view is needed. Before a particular plan is pursued, it is vital to have a clear vision of the desired outcome. An outside sounding board is very valuable in this area.

While I feel my first priority should be HPI’s success, it can sometimes be difficult to make tough decisions about current staff. As the company’s leader, my actions should directly reflect my business ethics. These include fair assessment of employees combined with company growth. External advice may very well be needed to bring these factors together. A concrete goal can be established that should make way for the best business decisions.

The value in seeking outside counsel for difficult situations cannot be overstated. A good leader will know if remaining impartial comes naturally, so emotions don’t interfere with business goals. That leader also understands when to call for help from a professional not directly involved—a consultant who can assess and recommend objective courses of action.

I have concluded that the outside sounding board is essential for me to make the wisest decisions for HPI as a whole.

It’s no secret that a young group of individuals have begun knocking on the doors of business. Yes, the next generation is here, and they seem to have made a splash before even hitting the water. After reading blogs and articles about the trials and tribulations of training the new generation, I have chosen to summarize the piece of writing that I feel makes the best argument with my own interpretation. I hope to provide insight, being that I am a part of the new generation. The article, Make Way for the Millennials by Jason Mosheim can be found on Advance for Nurses’ website.

Friend or Foe?

The latest generation to join the nation’s workforce is one of technological savvy and a yearning for success. Known as the “Millennials” for growing up at the turn of the last century, the dynamic group is making headlines for their radically different learning styles and modes of communication, differeing greatly from the Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, and Generation Xers. In light of our nation’s drastic changes in the economic, political, and social arenas, the millenials have proven that total immersion in technology is the way of the future. This vast wealth of knowledge is viewed as beneficial to some, and burdensome to others. Generations who have been in America’s workforce for 20+ years have seen the ability for business to prosper without accessories such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Why then, should previous generations feel comfortable with handing over the reins of industry to this technologically-dependent group?

It comes to no surprise that the millennials do not have the greatest reputation in regard to prospective employers. This generation doesn’t learn by taking notes or sitting through a two hour lecture on the proper conduct within a hospital. It is important that employers remember millennials learn by doing. If this generation is able to learn procedures tangibly (i.e. doing) then questions and uncertainty from new employees may decrease. Along with a different learning style, this generation expects supervisors to respond to questions, email, (and now ‘tweets’) as quickly as the internet can provide answers. Obviously this is an unrealistic expectation that needs to be addressed. Understanding that the industry is changing does not mean that you have to compromise your own integrity to accommodate an incoming generation. Sticking to the procedures and schedule that you know best will set guidelines for incoming employees and aid in their orientation to the hospital conduct.

“My experience is they want to follow the rules and to learn, but they need to be told explicitly what the rules and expectations are,” – Paige Shaughnessy (PhD, CCC-SLP) School of Allied Health Professionals at Loma Linda University, CA.

Millennials crave to learn, but this learning needs to be backed by social support and interaction for this generation to feel they are on the right track. It is important to remember that while substantial differences exist between the generations, we can all learn something from one another. Having an open mind can decrease tension in the workplace. Millennials will be more than willing to listen to you in hopes of becoming more accustomed to the system. Therefore, it is important that you listen to this technological group. Learning from eachother as health care providers will be instrumental in maintaining the most qualified team of nurses. Here are some tips that will help veterans of the industry work with the newbies:

• Be staunch when it comes to your availability for questions, mentoring, etc.
  • setting up a strict time frame (much like professors do with office hours) will condition the new-comers to respect your time AND space
• Keep an open mind
• Understand that YOU didn’t know everything when you first started out either
  • Having patience and being proactive can only be beneficial to you and millennials
  • This generation has to learn more material than their predecessors, yet are expected to do it within the same time frame. Unrealistic? Yes. 

For the full article and other helpful information, follow this link.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is looking for talented photographers to capture the essence of what truly embodies the idea of a ‘safe workplace for everyone. This contest is taking place to celebrate OSHA’s 40-year anniversary.  Some of the rules/guidelines include:

• All photos must be submitted by August 12, 2011 for consideration.
• A maximum of three (3) photographs may be submitted per participant.
• All photographs must be submitted digitally through OSHA’s website at:
  • http://ht.ly/5t1O4
• The winner will have their photograph(s) displayed in OSHA’s National Office in Washington, DC.
• First place winner will also receive a framed certificate from U.S. Secretary of Labor, Hilda L. Solis.

For more information regarding this contest please visit OSHA’s website for FULL rules and guidelines.

• www.OSHA.gov

Beginning June 1st, Healthcare Personnel, Inc. will be giving away a FREE I-Pad to any re-activated NOC ICU RN who works three (3) shifts for us before July 31, 2011.

The RN must activate or reactivate their profile with HPI to be eligible for the I-Pad promotion. The required (3) three shifts MUST be completed BEFORE July 31, 2011.

The only shifts that qualify for this promotion are:

• 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. – HPI is offering an EXTRA $300 if this is your normal schedule.
• 11:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

If this is you, please contact us TODAY at 312-942-3000 to re-activate your file!

The demanding nature of the nursing profession proves to be exhausting and frustrating at times. Whether you are tending to a patient or attempting to catch-up on sleep, it is vital for nurses to maintain proactive energy levels, both in and out of the hospital setting. While a variety of tips and suggestions make their way to the internet daily, it is easy to become confused when selecting what works best for you. Therefore, HPI will focus on the nurturing of the three most important factors to help our nurses in reaching their full potential. Continue reading…