Dealing With Shift Disputes Bitterness and bad feelings between shifts is unfortunately all too common in healthcare. In fact, many healthcare professionals actually leave their jobs because of recurring, unresolved issues that occur between changing shifts. However, more often than not, the problem isn't the changeover itself, it's just that new techniques to perform the changeover are needed. Below are some surefire ways to manage the transition between shifts. Shift your attitude. First, it's important for everyone to recognize that each shift has its own set of unique problems, staffing patterns, nursing issues, and expectations. Patients and residents also have their own demands and needs that are different for each shift. Simply acknowledging and accepting this fact can help alleviate any rising tension between shifts. It may also help to view shift changes like this: incoming employees often have a fresh perspective. If the outgoing person/shift has been working on a problem for a while, but have yet to find a solution, the incoming person/shift may be able to shed new light on the issue. When you present the situation in this manner, (i.e., "We've been spinning our wheels all day on this problem. You're really good at this kind of thing. Do you have any suggestions?") they will most likely be flattered and more willing to help out in any way they can. Get in their face. It seems like a "no-brainer," but many employees fail to make contact and communicate with incoming shifts. The outgoing employee should always meet face-to-face with his or her replacement before leaving. This allows for quick communication of the previous shift's events, and gives the incoming employee the opportunity to ask questions. Pass the baton. In a relay run, a teammate cannot pass the baton until he/she is completely finished with his/her leg of the race. The same philosophy should remain for shift changes. The outgoing person should maintain responsibility until the handoff of duties is complete. Also, make it clear to everyone else on the team when personnel have changed and which duties they are responsible for. Put it on paper. Create a form and list everything that should be in place for the next shift. List every area of concern, and place a check box next to each subject. Staff from each shift should then be assigned a specific area of concern and not allowed to leave until that area has been checked off, and OK'd by the incoming shift. Remember, shift changes should be viewed positively throughout the facility, as they offer continuity of care as well as an opportunity to catch and correct mistakes. So think of these tips as more than just ways to make shift changes possible" think of them as strategies to improve overall operations! "The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it." " Alan Saporta Stop Procrastination Now! Getting to the bottom of why you procrastinate Procrastination can sneak up and take over our daily lives in the form of unpaid bills, dirty dishes, laundry, and other unfinished tasks. Simply put, the more we put things off, the more we get ourselves into the procrastination rut. Even our dreams and goals can take the backseat once procrastination gets a hold of us. In effect, procrastination becomes a life pattern" a habit that greatly deters us from achieving anything. Lots of people procrastinate, but few people understand exactly why they participate in such behavior. However, understanding why you procrastinate is a huge step in getting unstuck. Consider the following reasons for procrastinating, and see which ones strike a chord with you: Fear of failure. Are you so paralyzed by the fear of failure that you'd rather just not try at all? Fear of success. Do you think if you succeed at something then the bar will be set so high that you will never get over it again? Or do you feel on some level that you don't deserve success? Are you a thrill-seeking procrastinator? Are you trying to avoid the boredom of daily tasks? Are you a drama seeker? Does boredom terrify you? Do you need to create a crisis to keep things interesting? Once you figure out why you procrastinate, make a plan of action and include the following steps: Prioritize. If you don't prioritize, you'll get overwhelmed. Create to-do lists and figure out what's important. Control impulsiveness. Try to avoid jumping from task to task. Complete one thing before you start working on something else. Break it up. Try to think of a large, complicated project as a series of small, manageable parts. Smaller tasks are attractive because they are short, easy, and produce immediate gratification. Keep in mind that all projects, no matter how massive, are only the sum of a series of small parts. Also, when you find yourself blocked or simply can't get going, ask yourself, "Is there anything, no matter how small, that I am willing to do?" When you find that small thing, you are no longer procrastinating. Easy, huh? Reward yourself. Treat yourself at milestones in the process, not just at the completion. Rewards can be as simple as making a cup of coffee or visiting friends. Lastly, give yourself some time to improve. Don't expect to be a different person overnight. Try shooting for one change per week" you'll be surprised by the progress you make. "That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved." " Ralph Waldo Emerson Helping the Hearing Impaired Hearing impairment and deafness affects millions of Americans. This disability can lead to feelings of isolation, anxiety, insecurity, confusion, self-doubt, and anger. Indeed, without appropriate accommodations, those afflicted with hearing impairment and deafness are often inadvertently excluded from virtually all communication. That's why establishing meaningful communication is crucial for hearing impaired individuals who reside in a long-term care facility. To achieve this, it is important that administrators, nurses, and other care providers make every effort to enable understanding during conversations. Self Help for Hard of Hearing People, an advocacy group for persons with hearing impairments, suggests the following guidelines for long-term facility staff to sharpen their communication skills: Face the person. Be sure to look directly at the resident; he/she must be able to see you to hear you. Avoid talking from behind the resident's back or from another room. Also, nonverbal cues such as smiles, frowns, headshakes, and hand signals are great conversational aides. Ensure adequate lighting. People with hearing loss rely a great deal on lip-reading. So, face a window or a lamp so the light illuminates your mouth as you speak. If the room is dark, move to another area with more lighting. Avoid noisy backgrounds. Caregivers should carefully monitor background noise when communicating with hearing impaired residents. This effort may involve turning down television and radio noise, closing doors during conversations, minimizing the use of the intercom system, and monitoring the noise levels of fans and heaters during conversations. Get their attention first. Be sure that residents are aware of you before you start talking. Get their attention by gently touching them, flicking on a light switch, or moving a window shade. Also, maintain eye contact. The person with deafness is primarily a visual learner and communicator. Therefore, maintaining eye contact conveys a feeling of direct communication. Don't shout. Shouting only makes things worse. It can distort the face, making lip-reading impossible. Also, shouting is amplified by a hearing aid, which can greatly shock and upset the resident. Clearly speak at a moderate pace. Speak slowly and clearly, but avoid exaggerated pronunciation of words. Exaggerating the enunciation of words is often more confusing than helpful. When addressing the person, speak in a normal manner, as you would with hearing individuals. Give clues when changing subjects. Hearing impaired residents may become confused if you change the subject without warning. Keep them on track by saying something like, "Now I want to talk to you about our upcoming family night" so that they can become ready for a new topic. Also, make sure the resident understands the discussion topic" don't assume that he/she understands the message just because he/she nods in acknowledgment or agreement. Use a different choice of words. After repeating something a second time without the resident understanding, try a different choice of words for the third try. Effective communication with deaf or hard of hearing people is essential for providing quality healthcare. By becoming more sensitive to the needs of residents with hearing impairments, nursing home staff can contribute greatly to their physical and emotional well-being. A Visit From the Kids An elderly man living in Phoenix calls his son in New York and says, "I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing, 45 years of misery is enough." The son gets all excited and responds, "Pop, what are you talking about? You can't divorce Mom after all these years. That's crazy!" "It may be crazy," says the old man, "but I am going to tell her on this coming Thanksgiving Day! It will be the last one we spend together!" Frantically, the son calls his sister in Chicago and she explodes, "Like heck they're getting a divorce. We're both going to fly to Phoenix tomorrow and talk some sense into Dad! I don't care if it is Thanksgiving!" Then she calls her father and shouts at him over the phone, "Do you hear me? Don't you dare do a thing until brother and I get there tomorrow." Then she hangs up. The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "OK," he says with a smile, "they are coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way. Now what do we tell them for Christmas?" |