May 19, 2010

How To Keep Your Cool When Dealing With a Difficult Resident


You don't have to work in long term care for long before you encounter a difficult person. Sometimes it's a resident, other times a coworker, or even someone outside the facility like a resident's family member or doctor. Beyond the golden rule, what can you, as a health worker, do to improve these encounters? To simplify things, I'm going to address issues with residents here. A lot of these tips are universal and can help with any difficult person, but some are very specific to long term care residents.

First off, no matter how difficult it is, keep your temper in check. It's easy to get your hackles up when people are being belligerent - moreso when you know you're right and they're wrong - but nothing will
ruin the encounter faster than a lost temper. If you need to leave the room or turn away to regain your composure, do so. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, or counting to ten in your head,
really does help.

Composed and ready to face the situation now? Great. It's important to remember that many residents are adjusting to many changes in their lives. It is very rarely about you, and almost always about something
else that's bothering the resident, so don't take outbursts personally. The loss of health and independence can be very hard to face. Fear, anger, sadness, and pain can pervade almost every aspect of a person's life when they first transition to assisted care. Keep in mind that any of these things might be behind a resident's rudeness or inappropriate behavior. Instead of scolding the resident, or getting your feathers ruffled, use your empathy skills to gently encourage a resident to share what is bothering him or her. A leading question like, "I hear a lot of tension in your voice. Is your pain worse today?"  can give the resident the chance to tell his or her side of the story. Let your residents know that you're on their side
and will do everything in your power to help address their issues.

Now, with a belligerent resident, this might be an invitation to carry on about problems and pains, whether real or imagined. Do your best to get to the heart of their issues and offer solutions. Is Mr. Smith's wheelchair pad worn and causing discomfort? Is Ms. Jones' robe aggravating her skin condition? It's often the simple fix that can diffuse the litany of complaints. If fear is the root of the problem,
demonstrating empathy and sharing your knowledge might be all it takes to set a resident's mind at ease. Perhaps a resident is balking at taking medication because he or she doesn't fully understand why it is
necessary. Telling the resident to "take it because the doctor said so" won't help the situation. Use your knowledge to explain, as best you can, what a medication does or doesn't do, and set the resident's mind at ease. A resident might also lash out due to loneliness. Do whatever you can to be a friend to your residents. Sometimes all they need is someone to listen. Talk to your facility's Activity Director or Social Services representative and arrange for the resident to attend a group activity or have a volunteer stop by and visit with the resident.
Another issue that faces residents as they transition to a nursing facility is the feeling of a loss of  responsibility. Many resent going from being parents and caretakers to being dependent on others. Refusing to take medicine, or not wanting to attend meals in the dining room can point to a deeper issue. Residents are going from being in control of their own schedules to being forced into a facility's schedule, and that can be tough. You can help by offering residents choices and allowing them to exercise independence and judgment on their own. Instead of offering water with pills, let the resident chose between water, milk and juice (according to the diet plan). Ask residents what time they like to eat meals, and if the time is different from your facility's dining hours, see if it would be possible to arrange for an
in-room meal at a time more fitting for the resident.

In all encounters, focus on the positive. If you need to get through an awkward or unpleasant activity (like a sponge bath) chat about a TV show coming on later that day, or about the facility-wide Bingo game
that evening. If a resident is fighting you as you try to change a wound dressing, remind them that the sooner you finish, the sooner the resident can go back to doing something he or she enjoys. Let them see that by sitting quietly and letting you do your work, they can move on to more pleasant things more quickly.

Finally, be on the lookout for residents who suffer in silence. Most people are taught to keep a stiff upper lip, or to remain stoic in the face of troubles, so it can be very hard for your residents to admit they are hurting and need help. Use your skill at reading body language to help see beyond the surface behavior to what might be going on under the surface. Stiff posture or fidgeting might indicate a person is in pain. Staring into space or frequent sighing can clue you in that your resident's mind is on something other than the here and now. It might be too embarrassing for residents to discuss medical problems with you at first, but if you demonstrate an air of trust and make your residents feel safe, you can help them to express what's really behind "bad" behavior.

Want to read more on this topic? Check out these articles.
http://nursinglink.monster.com/careers/articles/5771-difficult-patients-why-theyre-that-way-and-how-to-handle-them

http://ezinearticles.com/?Elder-Care-Solutions---Dealing-With-Difficult-Aging-Parents&id=3901872

May 11, 2010

Interview With An Health Unit Coordinator Graduate

Last week we wrote about the role of Health Unit Coordinators in care facilities. This week we're going a little further and talking to a graduate of our Health Unit Coordinator class, Babette P. Babette completed our course and then took the exam to join the industry's national association. With almost a year's worth of working experience behind her, so shares what she's learned.

WeCareOnline: Thanks for talking with us, Babette. First off, are you now working as a Health Unit Coordinator? If so, how long did it take?
Babette: Yes, I work in a 55 bed ER. It took 3 months.

WCO: Are you happy with your job?
B: It is very challenging, but I like it.

WCO: What surprises did you find when you started your job?
B: I was prepared for pretty much all, it was just a steep learning curve. Most of it was good. The only area that an online class cannot prepare you for is transcribing orders.  Even with the practice CD, it was still a big jump.

WCO: Does your position require you to be Certified by the National Association of Health Unit Coordinators?
B: Yes, it is required within 90 days of hire.

WCO: Do you think it was worth it to get your NAHUC certification?
B: Yes, it probably put me ahead of some of my co-applicants.

WCO: Would you recommend the We Care Online Health Unit Coordinator course to others?
B:  Yes, I already have to two people.

WCO: What is your favorite part of Health Unit Coordinating?
B. Helping to make a scary situation easier for patients and family.

WCO: Please share a little more about Health Unit Coordinating and how the We Care Online class helped you.

B: I like Health Unit Coordinating because I am a valued part of the health care team.  We work together for the best possible outcome.  Making a difference in the outcome of a patient's illness, or helping co-workers to be more efficient and productive is rewarding.  I did not have the time, nor did I want to spend endless hours commuting to a college where the course was offered.  WeCareOnline made it possible for me to attain my goal of becoming a Health Unit Coordinator with no commute and within my schedule constraints.

Thanks for your time, Babette. We wish you continued success with your Health Unit Coordinating career, and we're happy we could help you get your start!

For anyone else considering an HUC position, our HUC class is offered continuously throughout the year. It's an open enrollment class, so there are no start or end dates, and you can dive in immediately after we process your registration. With just sixty hours of class time (at your convenience), you can be on your way to a rewarding career with growth potential. What are you waiting for?

May 5, 2010

What is a Health Unit Coordinator?

If you say you're a Certified Nurse Aide or Restorative Aide, most people know what you're talking about, but not so much if you're a Health Unit Coordinator. This frequently overlooked position is one of the most in-demand jobs in health care today, and the field is only growing. What is a Health Unit Coordinator? The HUC is the person who keeps a nursing unit running, allowing others to do their specific jobs. The HUC is a jack of all trades and can do anything from answering phones and working a reception desk to transcribing doctor's and nurse's orders for patient care. As the name implies, the HUC coordinates the workflow in a health care unit. This can involve everything from ordering supplies, to processing paperwork, and handling admissions and discharges. HUCs are the link between doctors, nurses, and other service staff.  It is a position requiring strong clerical skills and an ability to juggle multiple tasks and demands. This article has more detail on the various skills and duties involved in being an HUC - http://www.mshealthcareers.com/careers/healthunitcoord.htm

The position requires patience and above-average communication skills. If you thrive in a busy environment and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from making sure things run smoothly, this could be the perfect job for you. Health Unit Coordinators do not need to be certified to fill an HUC role, but they do need specialized training. The Health Unit Coordinator is one of our most popular classes and can give you all the training you need to work as an HUC. NAHUC (http://www.nahuc.org) is the professional association for health unit coordinators. It's mission is to promote health unit coordinating as a profession through education and certification. You do not need to be certified to be a member, and you do not need to be a member to be certified. Both the membership and certification can help your career though, so certification is recommended.

Salaries for HUC vary by area, but those in large cities can expect $30-$35,000 a year, and smaller areas are generally $25-$30,000 annually. An overview of average salaries by city can be found here. HUC is also a great stepping stone to a nursing career. It will give you an insider's view of how a unit runs, and give you experience that can help in any other health care job.

See our Health Unit Coordinator Course information HERE.