April 17, 2012 Class

Today in class were were able to talk about discipline in healthcare. I found this discussion/class very interesting as I am just now starting my career in the healthcare field. It was enlightening to go through the discipline process that the manager goes through when disciplining an employee. Discipline is an essential part of running an effective organization or business. The first step that we talked about was the verbal warning. This warning is only in effect for a year. The next step is the written warning. The third step is the "final" written warning, followed by termination. We also discussed at will employment. I found out during this course that this "at will" employment is something that is much more beneficial to the employer then the employee. Another pearl of wisdom learned from today's class discussion is to never discipline an employee on Friday. Why? Well the employee will sit and stew about this discipline all weekend long and come back unfocused to work on Monday. If a manager disciplines during the week, the employee will be able to process the situation and return their focus to work much quicker then if they have a lot of time to dwell on the situation. Overall this class was a great overview of why discipline is necessary and how it is done in work place.

Lesson 12: Conflict Resolution

In your blog (Reflective Journal), Record an example of conflict you experienced in your reflective journal and describe how you would handle the situation as a nurse manager?
I have not had a ton of experience working in the healthcare field. Only recently, was I offered a position at a hospital. Last summer I did work for several months at a long term care/rehabilitation facility. I was able to witness firsthand some of the conflict between coworkers. Luckily, for me I was never really involved in any of them. This could be because I only I worked there for a short time. Anyways, what I witnessed was a lot of gossiping and judgment going on behind nurses backs. Especially, as I was training and orienting for my job I witnessed this. One nurse would give me and my preceptor report and then once they left, the preceptor would then give me the reasons they did not particularly care for that previous nurse. I experienced this with several of the nurses telling me things like this. As a nurse manager, I would be horrified at this behavior. It is essential in healthcare to work as a team. If you cannot trust your coworkers, how can you possibly work as a team to treat the patients. If I were the nurse manager and heard about these types of things going on, I would make it clear to the staff that if there was any conflict going on to try to resolve it first with the person. I would stress to not go around discussing the problem to everyone else. If the conflict could not be resolved on a personal level, then to discuss it with me the nurse manager. I would then try to mediate a conflict resolution. If someone consistently was involved with conflict and instigating things at work, I would terminate them. The team does not need someone who is constantly backbiting and gossiping to bring the team down. There are plenty of other people willing to come in and do the job correctly.

Lesson 11: The Nurse Manager's Role in Quality Control Assignment

1. What do you consider elements of quality care when receiving healthcare services?
I have not had a ton of experience being on the receiving end of healthcare services. My experiences are limited to routine physicals and the occasional instacare visit for a cold or flu. With these experiences, I have developed the opinion that quality care is reflected in the competency and delivery of care by the healthcare professionals. I expect the doctors and nurses to have the knowledge to give me the best care and treatment. I also would consider their professionalism to be an element of quality care. If I am unimpressed with their "customer service" I will take my business to another facility.
2. What do you consider elements of quality care as a professional nurse?
As a professional nurse, I feel the elements of quality care to be similar to my previous answer. I feel in order to deliver quality care I need to be competent and knowledgeable. I feel training is an important aspect in preparing me to give quality care. I also consider my patients to be customers. I need to give the best customer service I can to give quality care.
3. Are the two similar or different?
The two answers are similar for me, but I think that is because I am a nurse. The fact that I am a nurse has an influence on how I perceive care as a patient.

March 27, 2012 Class

The theme of today's class was motivating employees. Many different ideas and theories were discussed on how to motivate employees. As I do more reading and learning about the leadership role in nursing, I am amazed at all of the pieces to their job they must juggle. Motivating employees to perform their job correctly and exceeding patient expectations is a big part of being a manager. Different ideas were brought up in class about how to motivate employees and how we have been motivated. Food, money, parties, etc... were all brought up. Money is one area that is hard to keep up. If a raise is given for a job well done, then six months later the employees will want another raise. In this economy, raises are not always feasible. One simple way to motivate an employee is to just thank them for their service and recognize them. This recognition does not need to be done in a staff meeting or in public. It can be as simple as a thank you card from the manager. Sometimes a personal hand written card can carry more weight then a party for the entire floor. Motivation is an interesting topic. I feel most motivated when I am recognized for my job. If my service goes unnoticed, it is hard to want to excel again. If it feels like no one cares, then why do the job well? I will try to remember the concepts I've learned about motivating employees if/when I get into a management position.

March 20, 2012 Class

We continued the discussion in this class about the hiring and firing process. This time though we also spent a significant amount of time talking about the challenges of staffing. This was a real eye opener into what a manager goes through when staffing the floor. Later when taking an exam for this course, I was able to apply what I learned as I did a "fake" schedule for a medical surgical. There is a lot to take into account when staffing. Full time people obviously must be staffed first in order to attempt to help them get the hours needed for benefits. Maternity leave, vacation, etc... through wrenches into the schedule. The nice thing about healthcare is the PRN staff. Those PRN staff can help fill holes when necessary. This class discussion was really interesting to me, as I will soon start my first hospital job. It was interesting to hear how different floors, hospitals, etc... handle scheduling and staffing issues. It seems to me that managers have to deal with staffing and spend a great deal of time on it.

Clinical Blog

Just a reminder that my clinical blog can be accessed at this link: http://whitneyward4405.blogspot.com/
My clinical hours, including my budget interview can be found at my other blog.

March 6, 2012 Class

This class was very interesting to me. We discussed the hiring and interview process. I have had more experience with the applying and interview process this past year then I could have ever wanted. I have applied to over 300 jobs and had about 10 interviews. It has been a real eye-opener and learning experience for me. In this economic climate, every application and interview counts. In class, we discussed the use of behavioral-based questions. Behavioral based questions are important, because it allows the interviewer to get to know the person being interviewed. These questions are open ended and often asking the interviewer to give specific examples. In my interviewing experience, I feel that some of my interviewers have not been very prepared to interview me, while other times the interviewers were very prepared. This helped me know what kind of company I was interviewing with. Just this week, I was offered a job at LDS Hospital. My interview for this position was my best experience interviewing yet. The manager was friendly, asked appropriate questions, and made me feel at ease. This was so important to me, because it allowed me to show the interviewer who I am. I hope someday when I am on the other side of the table, I will remember the qualities that make a good interview experience.