Survival of the Fittest  Weathering the Cold and Flu Season By John Roark During the peak months of cold and flu season, it seems that everything conspires to expose us to illness. Sick people who should be at home in bed are up and about, exposing others. By following some common sense practices both in the work place and ...

The nursing shortage has increased the pressure on an already strained healthcare system. One group feeling this staffing crunch most acutely and increasingly being held accountable for staff retention is middle management. In some cases, this pressure has worked to help increase retention levels. Yet, putting all the weight on middle managers is not a universal remedy. Tasked with ...

In their interactions with patients each day, most healthcare workers (HCWs) recognize the vital importance of listening to patients’ needs and concerns and of providing clear information and instructions to them in turn. To understand and be understood during these interactions is a foundation of effective patient care. The commitment to excellent communication should not be restricted to the ...

In this era of shortages in many areas of healthcare staffing, recruitment is becoming an ongoing affair, because organizations often find it hard to retain the staff that they hire. Given this high turnover and mounting economic pressures, some healthcare organizations are reluctant to spend additional funds on educational programs. After all, why go through the hassle of training ...

Numerous factors in the workplace can combine to set us off. While eyeing an endoscope as a means of settling a score might be tempting, in reality, it is not a healthy response. “Anger is a normal and helpful emotion. It’s good when it’s appropriately expressed,” says Dan Johnston, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral science for Mercer ...