Because many conversations between healthcare professionals and patients discuss serious issues concerning patient’s health, it is extremely important to make sure that the practitioner uses appropriate communication skills. These discussions should always be kind and informative. You should maintain eye contact, deliver the information with respect and care and be open to the other’s point of view.
Healthcare protocols are changing continuously during these times of the global pandemic. One thing that retains its importance is keeping patients up to date on their immunizations. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that “ensuring immunization services are maintained or reinitiated is essential for protecting individuals and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases and outbreaks and reducing the burden of respiratory illness during the upcoming influenza season”.
Nursing can be an extremely rewarding career path; however, the daily grind of the job can wear individuals down over the course of time causing feelings of exhaustion, depression or even reduced self-confidence. A 2018 Gallup study revealed that two-thirds of full-time workers feel the effects of burnout at their job, showing this is a common, yet undesirable state of affairs.
One of the goals of the 2010 Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Future of Nursing report was to increase the leadership and organizational involvement of nurses at all levels. As a nurse, you can make a difference and increase your voice and leadership skills by being a valuable member of a hospital committee.
It is rewarding and fulfilling to contribute to successful outcomes with a group of people. Being part of a team helps us achieve greater goals than we can alone. This is especially true in healthcare when the stakes are usually high, and the goals are substantial. Being part of a positive team versus one that is negative can make a world of difference. Hopefully, you have participated in teams that have been so gratifying and productive that you want to work with those people again or replicate that success to other team environments in your life. Conversely, many of us may have participated in a group or committee where some of the members did not participate, say or did things to only “stir the pot” or sabotaged the work of others. These can be frustrating experiences and can decrease morale and productivity.
