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The Benefits of Medical Play for Patients and Providers

By: Bethany Nock | On: January 5, 2017

Whether a child is taking a math test or playing in a championship or receiving treatment in a hospital, he or she is bound to be anxious.

Just as a teacher has study guides to help the student get ready for the test or a coach runs drills to help the athlete be confident for the game, healthcare providers (and parents) can help pediatric patients prepare for a hospital stay using medical play.

Medical play is a therapeutic approach that uses real and pretend medical equipment, stuffed animals and dolls to assist pediatric patients in understanding not only the hospital itself but also what is happening with their own bodies. It is focused on activities that both enable a child to respond effectively to difficult medical situations and also support the child’s normal development.

In this post, we’ll discuss the best ways to leverage medical play and the benefits it can provide to pediatric patients, their parents and healthcare professionals.

Ensuring Safe Nurse-to-Patient Ratios: What You Can Do

By: Bethany Nock | On: December 1, 2016

Hospital management teams are always on the lookout for methods to trim costs and improve efficiency. Since nurses account for a large percentage of the hospital staff, a frequently used strategy to decrease costs is to reduce the number of nurse labor hours. However, considering the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has placed greater emphasis on value-based care, the appropriate nurse-to-patient ratio is essential to guarantee patients receive the highest quality care.

Traditional nurse staffing systems fail to account for certain variables, resulting in staff shortages and an inability for nurses to spend adequate time caring for their patients. Newer staffing models are more flexible and can be adjusted to fit not only the needs of the entire hospital but also the needs of individual units.

Here are four approaches hospitals can take to ensure safe nurse-to-patient ratios.

5 Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Better

By: Bethany Nock | On: November 22, 2016

Hospital stays aren’t something many people look forward to—you don’t get to sleep in your own bed, you have strangers coming into your room at all hours of the night and you have to spend all of your time in a hospital gown.

The one benefit of a hospital stay is that once it’s over, you usually feel a lot better than when you went in.

Many times an extended visit in the hospital is unexpected, but for patients who have the opportunity to prepare, here are five ways to make your hospital stay better.

Implementing Patient-Centered Care in Orthopedics

By: Bethany Nock | On: November 10, 2016

Regardless of your industry or position, it can be easy to miss the forest for the trees. In medicine, that usually means viewing the procedure or the medication or the therapy as the totality of medical care. But patients perceive their experience holistically—from the first appointment to the final post-op evaluation.

Orthopedic surgeons who focus on the patient rather than their condition can provide more comprehensive, patient-centered care. They are adept at building personal, empathetic relationships with their patients, resulting in better communication and, in turn, increased patient satisfaction.

Read on to discover how to implement patient-centered care in orthopedics.

Patient Communication: A Guide for Orthopedic Surgeons

By: Bethany Nock | On: November 8, 2016

After four years in undergrad, orthopedic surgeons dedicate almost another decade of their lives to medical school and residency. When they’ve completed their residency, they’ve amassed a wealth of clinical knowledge to help them provide the highest quality care to their patients. However, in some instances there may not have been enough emphasis placed on an important aspect of care: patient communication.

Orthopedic surgeons are certainly skilled in the technical aspects of care, but some struggle seeing the patient experience as a whole, instead concentrating on the treatment. In this article, we’ll discuss some helpful tips orthopedic surgeons can use to improve their patient communication skills.

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The Benefits of Medical Play for Patients and Providers

Ensuring Safe Nurse-to-Patient Ratios: What You Can Do

5 Ways to Make Your Hospital Stay Better

Implementing Patient-Centered Care in Orthopedics

Patient Communication: A Guide for Orthopedic Surgeons