13 Ways to be a Better Co-Worker

1. Say a cheery “Hello!” in the morning. Do you plod into the office, eyes down, shoulders slumped, and immediately start work? If so, you’re likely to find that co-workers ignore you (at best) or avoid you (at worst). Get into the habit of smiling and greeting everyone as you arrive in the morning or begin your shift. It’s amazing how fast this little courtesy can thaw chilly workplace relations.


2. Learn the art of small talk. Ask your co-workers about their interests – their favorite music, films, books, hobbies. Showing a genuine interest in them will make them feel comfortable around you. Talk about your life outside the office when it’s appropriate. This will remind the people you work with that you’re a person first, not just an employee or employer.


3. Ask what they think. People love to be asked their opinion, so go out of your way to ask, “What do you think is missing from this report?” or “How do you think I should handle this situation with X?” Then give the advice-giver a sincere thank you, even if the ideas are less than helpful.

4. Avoid gossip. You don’t want anyone talking about you behind your back, so return the favor.

Read more: HERE.

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How to Pack a Great Lunch for Work

Packing a lunch isn't just for school kids. As adults, making sure we have healthy meals throughout
the day can help improve our health and save money.

Top 5 Reasons to Pack Your Lunch

1) It's cheaper than eating out

2) You'll have extra time to enjoy your lunch break. Driving to a restaurant or going to the cafeteria (if your workplace has one) takes time.

3) Well packed lunches will have fewer calories and fat

4) You'll curb impulsive eating. Hungry decisions are often directed toward higher calorie, sugar and fat choices.

5) Your lunch will have a variety of delicious foods

What to Pack?

Planning and packing meals ahead of time will ensure you get the proper nutrition for your body. There are several strategies you can use to make lunch preparations a little easier.

• Pack your dinner leftovers from the night before
• Purchase or prepare pre-cut fruit and vegetables and put them in containers at the beginning of the week to save time
• Reserve a drawer at your workpalce to keep lunch supplies such as reusable containers, baggies, drinking bottles and utensils in easy reach

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Secrets of Organized Families

In this increasingly hectic world, the phrase "organized families" can seem like a contradiction in terms. But you know they exist: They're the ones who show up at school on time each day, remember the Little League coach's birthday, and file their taxes in January. And though they make everyone else look bad, you secretly wish you were more like them, together and in control.

Why get organized? Because you can't afford not to, especially when you're juggling work, school, and competing schedules. To get you on the road to efficiency, we asked families and professional organizers to share their secrets, room by room.

First, a few ground rules:

Commit to change. "Deciding to get organized is like resolving to lose weight," says Lisa Sarasohn of the Los Angeles-based organizing service Hire Order. "Both require discipline, and neither happens overnight." Rather than searching for a quick fix – the equivalent of a fad diet – organized families commit to a lifestyle change. They see organization as a means to an end: a more fulfilling, less stressful family life.

Take it slow. Be realistic in your organizing efforts. After all, you can't tame years of household chaos in a single day.

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10 Traits of Well Respected CNAs

Becoming a certified nurse aide or CNA takes a special person. Employers are looking for the following qualities and having them can help you be very successful in your career:

1 Compassion: A compassionate CNA is valuable. She respects what her residents/patients are experiencing; she has a knack for knowing what to say, just when to say it too! She advocates for her patients/residents- she gives detailed reports and updates to the nurses on changes in condition.

2 Patience: This CNA does not allow her job demands to get in the way of resident care. She does not **do** the tasks for the residents in order to get it done quicker; she encourages her residents to take their time with tasks. This CNA does not rush her residents thru meals and toileting.


3  Work-oriented: The CNA who loves his job is evident to all. This aide rarely uses her cell phone while working; when this aide arrives at work, she is ready to work; she focuses on her assignment and residents; she has little time for small talk.


4 Enthusiasm: The CNA who is upbeat and positive is rare. He will have a “Let’s get this done” attitude with a smile. He will not let others’ emotions and negativity affect his day.


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Why More Employers are Hiring CMAs

Even before the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) adjusted the eligibility requirements for the CMA (AAMA) Certification/Recertification Examination to better meet the human resource needs of the health care environment, more employers of allied health personnel were preferring or even insisting that their medical assistants have the CMA (AAMA) credential. 

The CMA (AAMA) represents a medical assistant who has been credentialed by the Certifying Board of the American Association of Medical Assistants. Understanding why employers are aggressively recruiting CMAs (AAMA) is of the utmost importance for a medical assistant’s entry into and advancement within the allied health work force.

First of all, the United States continues to be one of the most litigious nations in the world. Disputes that used to be settled by discussion and mediation are now being referred to attorneys and are ending up in courts of law.

For the original article.

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5 Things Employers Don't Want You to do at Work

Here are five strategies for you to implement today so you can stand out at work and be the best health care employee your employer wants to keep.

Don’t skip breaks. How often do you hear yourself or others boast, “I worked straight through lunch again today!” or, “I’ve worked here twenty years and I never have taken a break!” Often we are so busy taking care of others that we neglect to take care of ourselves. I still remember working with a bulging bladder, without breaks or meals. In spite of our demanding work schedules, our managers and leaders do not want us to neglect caring for our own bodies, minds and spirits. Take 15 minutes two to three times a shift to get away, sit down, breathe deeply, relax a bit, read something inspirational or whisper a prayer. I know your commitment to your patients makes this difficult but it’s important to your survival. Ask a teammate to back you up while you take a break, then return the favor.

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Pharmacy Techs Can be Leaders is Crime Preparedness

Pharmacy technicians work alongside pharmacists every day, and are often the team members who interact first with patients and customers. Located on the front lines of a pharmacy, technicians are likely to encounter a pharmacy theft or crime situation before anyone else on the pharmacy team.

Response to a crisis requires a team effort, and pharmacy technicians can take the lead to create action plans and promote safe environments in their workplaces. To prepare for pharmacy crime situations, technicians benefit from working with pharmacy managers, understanding their own roles in crisis response, making sure their pharmacy’s safety plan is clearly communicated to the pharmacy team, and connecting with local law enforcement agencies to develop procedures.

“Considering the prominent positions of pharmacy technicians on the front lines of pharmacies, PTCB recognizes the critical importance of preparation and training for the possible incident of a robbery,” said PTCB Executive Director and CEO Everett McAllister, MPA, RPh. “Communication and collaboration among pharmacists and technicians are the keys to maintaining safety in the pharmacy.” 

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How to Make Your Home Health Aid Job Search a Success

Before you begin searching for home health aide jobs, you must be prepared.

In addition to having your resume in order, you also need to be ready for the interview. The best way to prepare yourself for the interview is to practice. You can practice in front of mirror, with your spouse, or a friend. Have someone you trust and are comfortable with ask you sample interview questions. This will give you a chance to practice your responses in a safe environment. You want to present yourself as poised and calm in the interview — that will give employers confidence that you can handle the job.

As far as where to conduct your job search, there are a number of resources available to you including newspapers, online job sites, word of mouth, and even cold calling.

For Tips for Job Success.

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10 Foods and Drinks You Crave in the Fall

Anyone want to grill out at the barbeque? Go out for ice cream? Share some fruity, ice-cold white wine? Not so much, huh? These things are all top on our food and drink list when summer starts, but there is something about cooler weather and the arrival of fall that changes things.

We stop thinking about beach outings, and instead focus on which ski resorts may be opening early. It somehow seems easier to really get into work or school, instead of daydreaming about playing in the sun. Baseball games start to mean more as we get closer to the magic numbers, and football becomes the water cooler talk in offices across the country.

It also seems that we start to crave different foods. Is advertising taking its toll on our palates? Or, does the body crave things that are in season because fresh food is actually more nutritious than canned or processed options?

"Fresh produce is always better for you than canned, but possibly more importantly, fruits and vegetables hit peak flavor when that crop is in season," said Sara Berzofsky (M.Ed, M.S. Nutrition) of Newtritionalyou.com. "Fall is the season for apples, cranberries, and pumpkins. Thus, it is no surprise that we see more of these products both at the market and in advertising starting in September/October."

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Observation Skills for CNAs

First, make sure you understand the nursing process and how CNA’s fit in with it.
When we think about it, CNA’s are the eyes, ears, hands and nose of the nurses. We use these senses when providing care and with the right skill, we can assist the nurse with valuable patient information that may avert a serious problem. Things get confusing though when we make judgments about the things we’re seeing, feeling, smelling and hearing.

There are two types of observations:
Subjective and Objective

Objective observations are fact. They are measurable.
• Vital Signs
• Bruises
• Open areas and other skin conditions
• Blood in urine
• Urine output from a cath

Objective observations are reported in the same manner by many people. They are not biased and they do not rely on statements and guesswork.

For the second type of observation.

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When You Need More Help: Alzheimer's Care Options

When you care for someone with Alzheimer’s or dementia at home — either theirs or yours — a time when you need more help will almost surely come. Though you may not know when, be prepared by knowing your options in advance.

• First, reach out to family members and friends for support. Asking for help from people you know can be more difficult than hiring professionals who are total strangers, but when you can’t be there, there is nothing like knowing your loved one is being cared for by someone you know and trust. Read How to… Delegate Elder Care Tasks for advice on asking for help.
• Research and access respite care, which essentially provides a break for the caregiver on a short-term basis. Respite care is now more readily available in senior living communities via short-term stays. 

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Fun Games Can Improve Quality of Life

Games for seniors are very beneficial because they can improve a senior's quality of life. Wouldn't you agree?

Games and activities can bring people together in groups and enhance a sense of belonging and participation. When people share laughter through games together it can help to bond people that otherwise feel no personal connection.

Laughter has its own benefit but games can also help improve memory, dexterity, reduce stress and remove a sense of isolation. All because they threw some bean bags together or beat their own high score or finished a puzzle.

Here are some games to keep in mind for the seniors in your care. Some are more suited to the elderly with some independence. Others are better suited to low functioning seniors and seniors with vision impairment, arthritis and dementia challenges.

Brain Games and Mind Games
Brain games for seniors are obviously good for exercising the mind and sharpening awareness skills.

For More and the Original Article. 

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Discovering Benefits of Good Caregiver Support Group

When I was a practicing psychotherapist, I often referred patients to support groups, but was selective about whom to send. Support groups aren’t for everyone; they take a certain amount of “breaking in” and require commitment to be beneficial. I also issued a caveat – you won’t like every group; find one that fits for you and keep going back.

An article on AARP.org, written by a psychologist, addressed what makes an excellent caregiver support group and overcoming resistance to attending. Reporting on “one of the best caregiver support groups” he’d ever visited, he observed trust, support, connection and freedom to talk openly about feelings. This long-running support group was for caregivers of those with dementia.
What caregivers don’t realize until they experience a healthy support group is other attendees speak their language. Many people believe no one could possibly understand. The article emphasizes a support group is a safe place to “talk shop” – share strategies, help each other and compare similar caregiver experiences, especially those that are emotionally difficult.

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Unspoken Rules of Nursing Culture That Can Hurt Your Career

When Shelli was a new scrub nurse with only six months experience, she failed to anticipate that the surgeon would need a particular scalpel. Immediately, her preceptor deftly slapped the correct blade into the impatient surgeon’s outstretched hand with a glare in Shelli’s direction. The surgeon said nothing, but a look of disappointment briefly flashed across his face. At that moment, Shelli learned that if she was not on top of the surgeon’s needs, she would end up feeling embarrassed and looking incompetent. Shelli did not find the r​ules of the nursing culture in her orientation manual.

We learn these unspoken rules of the nursing culture very quickly in order to survive. We know which physician not to ever call in the middle of the night, which nurse talks about us behind our back when we ask a question, and whether we should even bother to write up an incident report or approach a coworker with a concern we have about ‘their' patient. This knowledge is vital to our survival because it determines whether or not we will be accepted by the group.

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When Shelli was a new scrub nurse with only six months experience, she failed to anticipate that the surgeon would need a particular scalpel. Immediately, her preceptor deftly slapped the correct blade into the impatient surgeon’s outstretched hand with a glare in Shelli’s direction. The surgeon said nothing, but a look of disappointment briefly flashed across his face. At that moment, Shelli learned that if she was not on top of the surgeon’s needs, she would end up feeling embarrassed and looking incompetent. Shelli did not find the r​ules of the nursing culture in her orientation manual. 

We learn these unspoken rules of the nursing culture very quickly in order to survive. We know which physician not to ever call in the middle of the night, which nurse talks about us behind our back when we ask a question, and whether we should even bother to write up an incident report or approach a coworker with a concern we have about ‘their' patient. This knowledge is vital to our survival because it determines whether or not we will be accepted by the group. 

- See more at: http://www.nursetogether.com/nurses-heal-thyself-a-culture-of-silence#sthash.3jF6pZwu.dpuf

Wellness Program Triples New Residents at Senior Community

A wellness initiative called the Vitality Program has not only focused needed attention on seniors’ highest health risk factors, it has tripled the sales of a Florida senior living community. As reported on SeniorHousingNews.com, North Florida Retirement Village, Inc. in Gainesville, Florida has had a big jump in occupancy and resident retention rates after weathering a downward track due to the shaky economy.

Through overall expansion and diversity, the company saw improved numbers, but community director Jim Antonucci gives most of the credit to the Vitality Program.
The program starts by giving residents a “vitality score” of 0 to 48, using criteria such as health issues, impairments, activities of daily living and life satisfaction scores. After receiving their scores, residents have customized recommendations for improving their health by using community resources.

Nurses on campus are accessible around the clock and home health aides and physical therapists are able to do evaluations in seniors’ homes. The Vitality Program is free to Village residents and to date, more than 97 percent of the 700 residents have taken the Vitality Assessment.

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Dressing to Impress: How this Impacts your Career

Taking the time to look your absolute best for your job can create short term and long term benefits for your life.


People who dress professionally and maintain their appearance project confidence, leadership, intelligence and a healthy degree of attractiveness in the eyes of any beholder. Not only are these theories supported by anecdotal evidence but by studies.

Dr. Frank Bernieri, an associate professor of psychology at Oregon State University, recently conducted just such a study in which he probed employers about the traits they deem most favorable of prospective applicants. Conservative, polished dress and a well groomed appearance was at the top of the list. Dr. Bernieri also found most employers make a decision in an interview about an applicant’s rightness for the job within 10-30 seconds of a first meeting.

This means you have literally the amount of time it takes your future boss to blink once or twice to impress them. And even after you get the job, ensuring your message of gravitas, integrity and efficiency remains strong is tantamount to staying crisp, coiffed, cuffed, clean—impeccably turned out at all times when on on the job.

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A Cure for Dementia?

Advances in genetics and pharmaceuticals could lead to a cure for dementia by 2020, according to United Kingdom Secretary of Health Jeremy Hunt.

“Finding drugs that can halt or cure dementia may seem a distant prospect now but there are drugs companies that think they will have a cure for dementia by 2020,” Hunt said at the recent Local Government Association conference in Manchester, according to The Telegraph.

The United Kingdom's Alzheimer's Society expanded on Hunt's remarks commenting: “Studies we're funding show that drugs which are already licensed for other conditions may also treat dementia. If these are successful, we could have them doubling as treatments for dementia within 10 years.”
More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and the Alzheimer's Association foresees the number increasing to about 13.8 million by 2050.

As more of the population develops dementia and a cure remains elusive, providing effective care for residents with dementia becomes even more important. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services held a webinar Wednesday to discuss the reduction of antipsychotics among residents with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Facilities have achieved a 4% reduction in off-label use of antipsychotics among residents with dementia, but CMS is still aiming for a 15% average reduction.

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Who to Know When You Are a Caregiver

When you’re a caregiver, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel as if you’re the only one who can do the care giving work. You may also feel that a doctor is the only one to whom you can direct your questions, but you find yourself having more questions than the doctor has time to answer, or more problems for which he/she has a solution.

Consider these helpful professionals — outside of a doctor’s office — when you need assistance, expertise or guidance along your caregiving way:

Occupational therapists: Occupational therapists are all about routines. According to the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), OTs “help people across the lifespan participate in the things they want and need to do through the therapeutic use of everyday activities (occupations).”

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90-Year-Olds Today Sharper than Previous Generation

A large Danish study of nonagenarians finds that people born in 1915 not only lived longer than those born a decade earlier, but they also retained a higher level of both their cognitive and physical abilities.

To address the concerns of future care needs for the “Silver Tsunami,” a team of Danish researchers investigated the health status of seniors over the age of 90.  Using the Danish Civil Register System, the team identified all nonagenarians living in Denmark at the time that they were conducting their surveys. 

Two groups of nonagenarians were given cognitive and physical assessments. The first cohort included a total of 2,262 nonagenarians born in 1905. This cohort was assessed in 1998 when they were ages 92 to 93. The second group consisted of 1,584 seniors born in 1915, and were assessed in 2010 when they were ages 94 to 95. 

The 1915 cohort scored notably better on the cognitive test than the 1905 group, with a significantly higher proportion of participants achieving perfect scores (23 percent vs. 13 percent). The researchers also found that the odds of living to age 93 were 28 percent higher in the 1915 cohort than in the 1905 cohort, and the chance of reaching 95 years was 32 percent higher in 1915 cohort. 

The two groups recorded similar results in the physical performance exams, but the 1915 cohort scored significantly higher on tests measuring ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL).

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8 Alternative Foods for Nurses

Nurses, have you tried to lose weight but found yourself craving the food you’re avoiding and sabotaging your diet? It could be that your food choices are largely to blame for your poor nursing wellness.  

Eating certain foods can actually stimulate the appetite. So, which foods can cause cravings and should you avoid when you’re trying to lose weight? The answer is manufactured foods that have been stripped of nutrients and fiber. Look for 100% whole wheat on every flour product you purchase. Try eating foods closer to the earth, not foods that have been totally refined and redefined before coming to you in the store. 

Be assured that your cravings for high-starch foods will diminish over time. It is not uncommon to hear people comment that they don’t crave these foods after as little as two weeks.

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