Curiosity is Healthy for the Team

Taking interest in what is going on around you is a sign of a good employee according to coaches and business consultants.
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The same benefits are seen in health care especially when it saves a patent's life. We've all seen the commercial about the pharmacist going to extra mile to find out more about a customer's health and contacting the physician to let her know about a possible medication interaction.

When a nurse forsees something that will make the job easier for the next therapist to work with a patient, the time saving gesture goes a long way in efficiency as well as worker morale.

Curiosity is just as important as job knowledge, ethics, and integrity according to Nancy Ackley-Ruth of Cultural Awareness International. There is something to be said about venturing out and learning a little bit about another co-worker's job that makes working together easier and more pleasant.

We know the doctor and nurse who are so much "by the book" that it back fires on them. I am not suggesting breaking rules, but someone who is "by the book" is very introverted and focused. This can have an effect on communication and working relationships. They may inadvertently alienate others.

This Houston-Chronicle story discusses how employees can advance their careers, but it also promotes worker wellness and camaraderie especially in the health care setting.

How do human resource and wellness directors encourage this practice? One way is to start out by leading the example and asking co-workers for their opinions especially how they feel a practice or procedure affects other departments.

Sign up for the Health Care Worker 911 E-Course for more information.

If Patients Aren't Happy--Health Care Workers Aren't Happy Either

In today's news health advocates are becoming very popular. There are different groups that help patients make sense of their EOB's find affordable medicines and feel as if they are listened to by their health care team.

Apparently there is a problem and patients don't know how to resolve their issues without the help of a third party. It sounds like a good approach since every facet of health care is so specialized and time is at a premium. Even health care workers feel overwhelmed especially when they know their patients and residents deserve to feel confident about their treatment plans and paying for care.

If patients need a health care coach, it seems as if health care workers do, too. They want to provide great service, but they can't be with one patient 24 hours a day. When a nurse, doctor, aide, or therapist leaves a patent's room, they are crossing their fingers hoping the next health care worker doesn't drop the ball.

Yet, it happens. And we all take the blame. How do we keep everyone on the same page?
We make health care worker wellness a priority.


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Building Your Workforce Builds Your Community

Dr. DeBakey's Legacy: an Inspiration to All in Health Care

Dr. Michael DeBakey, the world-famous cardiovascular surgeon who pioneered such now-common procedures as bypass surgery and invented a host of devices to help heart patients, has died. He was 99.

He is an inspiration to everyone in the health care field. I am amazed at his accomplishments and encourage us all to follow in his foot steps. You don't have to be an inventor, but you can make an impact on people's lives in your everyday life.

Living to 99 is quite an accomplishment as well. I can only imagine what made up his philosophy on life.

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Check out his bio on Wikipedia

One former student remembers Dr. DeBakey

Should Obese Workers Be Fired?

I just watched a segment on one of the weekend news shows about discussion over firing employees who are obese. The main issue had to do with the increased health care expenses for overweight employees.

For the self insured company it is very obvious which employee costs more. The constitutionality and issue of privacy rights are hot issues.

Work places also want to help people stay healthy because it is certainly a win-win for the company and the individuals.

Singling people out and talking to them about their weight and life style habits takes a great deal of sensitivity but probably isn't welcomed at all. Inviting people to join a weight loss program on a volunteer basis has possibilities.

Is this discrimination?

It was also mentioned that hiring women is a liability because they are likely to get pregnant and maternity care is costly as well as losing them when they resign to stay home and raise their children.

I was surprised the smoking issue did not come up.

Here is a great question:

Does the workplaces create stress that leads to worker weight gain?

That talk didn't come up. It seemed to place all the blame on the overweight individual. For health care workers it is a sticky situation. Health care workers who are not happy with their health may not bring up the topic of weight loss, quitting smoking, and other lifestyle factors with their patients. This avoidance leads both to suffer.

Obesity is the entire nation's problem since 60% of us are overweight. We can take it on as a nation in a way that is positive and inspiring, not with fear. A wellness program for health care workers can be successful without intimidating them with job loss. Beginning with health care workers can have a beneficial ripple effect to the community they serve.

Financial Penalties for Japanese Workers with Large Waist Measurements.......................

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From Exhaustion to Energy---What to do at work

Laura Stack, MBA, CSP who is the "Productivity Pro" (trademark)has written a great reference book for people who want to feel more energetic in The Exhaustion Cure.

She defines what energy is and isn't and I was quite surprised at my own misconceptions of energy.

Energy is not time
Energy is not health
Energy is not emotion
Energy is not motivation
Energy is not productivity

Energy is capacity
Energy gives you the ability to work
How you manage your sources of energy is critical.

She talks at length about physiology and practices which are woven together. The chapter on the energy bandits in the workplace is a great section on making the most of your work environment.

Meet her in this short interview



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