News Letter View

The Leading Edge: The Importance of Great Takeoffs

Ask any airline passenger what concerns them the most, and they are probably bound to say a safe landing. This is undoubtedly a valid point; however, an equally yet often overlooked concern remains within the takeoff. Takeoffs are critical, as they usually dictate how successful the rest of the ride will be. Passengers certainly don’t have to worry about landings if the takeoffs are a disaster!

The same can be said about “takeoffs” in healthcare. It all starts early, and how a healthcare organization spends its morning can either make or break the rest of the day. Tardy employees, toxic moods, and ineffective operations are all examples of items that can drain the system and organization. Not only are such items catalysts for bad takeoffs, but they can also result in items falling through the cracks and workflow falling apart.

Start Right
Every morning, senior leadership and management can better ensure great takeoffs by sharply focusing on core activities, including the following:

Greeting staff—rather than checking e-mails and/or making calls, leaders need to greet their employees and tell them what’s in store for the day.
Saying hello to customers/patients—leaders and staff need to make sure that patients know they are the top priority.
Making sure shift starts are smooth and effective—to ensure proper workflow, shift reports on nursing units should be highly organized and accurate.
Overseeing surgery start ups— there is no room for oversight here. Leaders must ensure that effective preparation is carried out.
Ensuring meetings start on time, with every essential staff member in attendance.

Additionally, there are several steps management can take to address bad takeoffs and ineffective operations. Below are three strategies you should employ.
Review time management. Are there simply too many things happening at once in the mornings? Is everything overscheduled? Take a good look at scheduling and activities. You may need to move some items to later in the day when things are less hectic.

Evaluate behaviors. Bad attitudes spread quickly, so you need to address the offenders right away.
Hold team-based discussions. Both bad and good takeoffs can be attributed to a team effort (or lack thereof). So, it’s critical that teams participate in organizational discussions. Engage the entire team to tackle and evaluate your most pressing issues—are you using old models? Do you need to utilize some new strategies? Etc.

Remember, if a morning gets off to a bad start it can be extremely difficult to catch up. If you have to locate the “black box” to figure out what went wrong, it’s probably too late to make things completely right. By that time, you are in a reactive mode—always running a step behind, trying to fix the mistakes and oversights of the morning. So, focus on planning and organization from the get go; you will find that your great takeoffs will help ensure successful landings almost 100 percent of the time!

Like these tips? Get more every day---for FREE!! This article was adapted from www.clintcast.com. Visit the site now to get your daily dose of Clint! You can download the free segments now and listen to them at a time that works best for you.

“That's not flying, that's just falling with style.”
—Woody, from the movie Toy Story, regarding Buzz Lightyear

A Look at How the Recession Is Affecting Aging Services Providers

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) recently surveyed some of its members about the current economy. The survey revealed that the recession is having an impact on all levels. The great majority of respondents reported losses to endowments and reserves. Many reported that employees are beginning to feel economic difficulties. Assets of residents and clients are, likewise, shrinking, and just over half of the respondents reported increased anxiety among residents and clients.

Although the recession is certainly having a negative impact on just about every level of healthcare, this survey indicated that there is some optimism that the recession, in some ways, can create opportunities. For example, survey respondents noted that staff members are now less likely to leave their jobs. The recession could also increase a sense of urgency to find real solutions for long-term care costs. Respondents also pointed out that strong organizations may be able to acquire new or related businesses.  

 Moreover, the recession is pushing worried residents and clients to openly voice their concerns, which has prompted facilities to take steps to ensure transparency and honest discussions. Providers are developing resident finance task forces, holding discussions about planned rate increases, involving residents in brainstorming about how to improve services, and providing reports on a regular basis.    

Looking ahead, survey respondents said they are asking for forums that allow them to share ideas with colleagues, affordable marketing techniques and tools, and endowment protection and fundraising strategies.  

“As sure as the spring will follow the winter, prosperity and economic growth will follow recession.”  —Bo Bennett

Long Term Care Career Center

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) have established a Long Term Care Career Center in urging Congress to work with providers to address the healthcare labor force changes.

In a statement to the Senate Committee on Finance, for their hearing “Workforce Issues in Health Care Reform: Assessing the Present and Preparing for the Future,” the AHCA stated, “Human contact is essential to treating long term care patients and residents, and you will never be able to replace the role that people play in providing long term care … However, America’s long term care system is currently suffering from a chronic supply and demand problem when it comes to our labor force.”

The AHCA/NCAL Long Term Care Career Center will provide member companies with the only career network dedicated to linking more than 100 participating professional societies and healthcare job seekers to the jobs nursing facilities and assisted living communities are looking to fill.

You can find out more information by visiting the following link:
http://www.ahcancal.org/careers/Pages/default.aspx

“A good manager is a man who isn't worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him.”
—H. S. M. Burns

Nursing Truths

You can please some of the patients all of the time, and all of the patients some of the time, but you just can’t please the family.

Management truly believes you are overpaid…but would never work for what they pay you.

The more minor the injury, the more angry that person is for having to wait. While the little old guy with crushing chest pain says, "Oh, it's ok, I've waited this long already..."

The number of staff to be found on the ward is inversely proportional to the scale of the emergency.

You've just given a patient a meal - pie, roast potatoes and a sponge pudding with custard - when the consultant says they're ready for the operation.

A very healthy patient, when admitted to a very small room, will require a vent, a cooling blanket, hemofilter, six pumps and a digital television before the end of your shift, requiring you to climb over the bed to get out of the room.

You tell your patient, "If you need anything at all, just push the button and I'll be there". She smiles and says she's "Fine, thank you nurse." The next morning she complains to the physician, "No one came near me all night and I couldn't sleep, because I was in agony."