- Part 27

Hospice Care, How it Works?

When you or your family member is in need of a hospice care, the first thing you need to do is to discuss it with the hospice organization in your state. They will be able to explain to you the process and the necessary requirements needed. Once you are qualified, your doctor will help you create a plan suited to your needs. This includes the services that your Medicare covers. The plan will include the location where you will stay, the type of medication, treatments and other services.

There will be a team who will conduct and manage the plan. They are your doctors, nurses, physical therapists, counselors, social workers, aides, volunteers and of course your family. The team will be ready and available whenever you need their services. The services also include counseling with the family members who are having a hard time dealing with the situation.

Your regular doctor is the attending medical professional who will supervise your care plan. What makes the hospice care plan a good one is that it allows you to stay in the comfort of your home. If ever there is a need for you to stay in a hospital, like the need for equipments and facilities, your team will arrange everything for you.

Hospice care is only proposed for people with 6 months or less to live. It is designed to keep the patient close to their family and his home. The patient can still acquire the services of the hospice care even if his life extends over 6 months. This will of course need the recommendation of the attending physician. However, if your health improves or you completely recover, you no longer need the hospice care.

Why should an ASN Must Proceed to BSN?

If you already have an Associate Science in Nursing (ASN) degree, then you have a good foundation and skills to become a registered nurse. Once you finish the degree, you are then qualified to take the NCLEX test that will give you your license. Being an ASN gives you a good opportunity to start your career in the field of nursing. The short term program design of the ASN will make it more practical for some since it will allow you to pursue a BSN degree after you graduate.

However, if you already have work in a health care institution as a nurse, you will have a smaller salary as compared to nurses who finished a BSN degree. BSN holder nurses are more respected and more trusted due to their degree. But not to worry, your ASN course is just your stepping stone that will lead you to more advancement in the field. You can take the advancement course to BSN while you work. There are many schools who offer this program in a flexible and convenient way; specifically designed for working ASN or students.

When you become a registered nurse with an Associate of Science degree, you will have a range of demanding and exhausting responsibilities that allow you to assist patients in some way. However, the degree doesn’t train you that much and your skills may not be as advanced as what the BSN nurses have. Nurses with a BSN degree is are only required a short transition time to gain a position as a practitioner. But, you will get there. Just don’t stop studying and improving yourself. Invest in an advanced degree to grow professionally, gain more training to help more people, and, of course, earn a better and higher salary.

Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has new financial incentives and penalties. This is done in order to improve the health care system, mainly hospitals, performance in the country. The new mandate has been proven to be hard to manage and has encountered several problems. However, it provides new opportunities for leaders to have a good collaboration with different health care providers.

Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program or the (HRRP) penalizes hospitals that allow patients to have excess 30-day readmissions specifically for health conditions like myocardial, pneumonia, and heart failure. The program was intended to punish hospitals with surplus 30-day readmissions not considering whether the patient was readmitted to the same hospital or to another hospital.

Actually, the penalty itself is not that substantial or damaging to the hospital’s income. What makes it more significant is its effect on the image of the hospital. The penalty data of each hospital is open for public viewing every year, so they know what hospital has been paying a lot of penalties recently. This could affect the number of patients that will choose that hospital. If the hospital is located in a very competitive location, having a high penalty rating could greatly affect them.

The program has forced hospital leaders to develop, filter, assess, and implement care management programs in different areas. It is essential to use the information technology for data incorporation. Evidence-based decision-making is also important to make the services more effective and fast as soon as the patient was admitted. It is also crucial to the development and rapid-cycle learning. Hospital leaders as well as their management must be aware of the changes in the rules. They now need better collaboration with other health care institutions to be more effective in terms of the services they offer to patients. Keeping the patients from readmission to the hospital due to their total wellness and recovery is a very good sign for the hospital’s development.

Nursing Home Problem

There are many issues regarding the quality of services offered by nursing homes. There are complaints from family members that say their elderly was mistreated or abused by nursing home employees. To get proper care for your beloved, you need to understand how the nursing home system works and how to fix or avoid these problems.

If you have an idea that there is something wrong with their services, it’s best to talk about it with the nursing home employees. Friendly, open approach with the medical staff, nursing staff, the manager and other employees will help prevent issues from becoming serious. When an issue continues, however, chances are that other family members and citizens are also affected.

Communication among family members is so important. The regulatory managing authority of nursing homes allows family members to talk with their elderly member in their own private area. You need to consult your loved one regarding the treatment he or she received within the facility. If you find some issues that you can resolve on your own, you can discuss it with the management. But if it is not possible, you can encourage a consultation with the management, employees and the residents as well as their family members to discuss the issues and how to deal with it. It shouldn’t get into a blaming confrontation. It should be in a democratic and professional way. You are there to resolve issues, not make them worse.

Nursing homes, ideally, should be a comfortable place where residents receive the care they need. They must be their extended home where they get the right treatment and reverence. It is the responsibility of the management to provide proper training and education to their employees, to upgrade their services. Never reduce your respect to the needs your loved one deserves.

RN Class Admission Requirements

RN classes have specific requirements to complete to become a registered nurse. Registered nurses have a very challenging career with good compensation and opportunity for career growth. They usually work in hospitals, sometimes in clinics, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities. Their main responsibility is to offer care to patients, administer treatments and medications and work with the physician regarding the status of the patient. If you are interested to become a registered nurse, you are required some education as well as trainings and of course passing the NCLEX.

The first prerequisite needed to become an RN is to earn a high school diploma with an average grade of 2.0. You must also have finished subjects in health science, anatomy biology, and first aid. Communication is integral in nursing since you have to communicate to patients, physicians and other health worker from time to time, so you need to have a good grade in English or any related subjects. There are some nursing schools that require student applicants their standardized test scores in SAT or ACT.

Nursing education programs usually combine classroom instruction with supervised clinical practice. Nursing students are required to have some experience in the field so they may be ready to deal with actual scenarios, even during the RN classes. There are different courses that students are required to complete. These are the anatomy, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, physiology and psychology. Nursing students may be required to get some actual experience in nursing homes, hospitals, clinics and public health department.

After students completed the program and passed the necessary requirements, they must take and pass the national licensing examination called the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) for them to obtain a nursing license and for them to be allowed to work on different healthcare institutions.

Best Healthcare Jobs Part 1: Dentist

As the population grows, the need for healthcare professionals also grows to provide healthcare services. Avoiding disease, sickness and injury has been just as important as our identifying and curing them. There is a need to employ certified healthcare employees to both prevent and cure health conditions. We not only need to maintain those employees already in the field, but also to add a significant number of new ones to supply the increasing demand and to avoid future shortage. It is predicted that there will be an increased demand in the years to come. Today, we will discuss healthcare jobs and their importance in the industry.

First, we’ll talk about dentists. We see dentists at an outpatient care center or hospital, but we usually see them at their personal clinics. Dentists work together with a dental staff that helps him with the record keeping, sanitizing equipment and tooth cleaning. Dentists clean your teeth and give you advice on proper dental treatment. They extract your decayed tooth and fill the spaces on your cavities. There are dentists who choose to specialize on dental surgeries or treating other serious oral diseases.

We need dental professionals to examine the health of our teeth and gums. Without them, we may suffer from extreme pain due to tooth decay or permanent tooth loss. The Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts employment increase before 2022 at nearly 16 percent. It is estimated to reach more than 23,000 new opportunities. A dentist profession is one of the top healthcare jobs in the country because of its good salary and job employment opportunities.

Dentists are well paid for the services they provide. According to the BLS or the Bureau of labor Statistics, dental workplaces gained an average wage of $145,240 this year. The best-paid gained more than $187,999, while the lowest-paid gained less than $74,130. Dentists who work in personal offices are paid pretty well, but so are those who work together with other doctors. If you are yet to decide your career in the healthcare field, dentistry is a good choice.

LPN Career

A Licensed Practical Nurse, or LPN, manages patients under the supervision of a doctor or a medical doctor. A Licensed Practical Nurse often provides basic care such as cut or lesions dressing, medication management and monitoring vital signs. LPNs must also complete the paperwork that is kept in the individual’s file. Besides working with nurses and physicians, a licensed practical nurse also works with certified nursing aides and home health aides.

Licensed Practical Nurse works in medical centers, doctors’ offices, schools and health centers. They are taught to get blood and urine samples, and to get patients ready for surgery. A Licensed Practical Nurse often works managerial duties as well. Some licensed practical nurses manage doctors’ offices, while others work in assisted living facilities under the direction of a doctor. A Licensed Practical Nurse receives training at vocational schools or medical centers. The programs vary in length. Their training requires them to learn about individual care, health regulations and sometimes business. Upon graduating from a certified nursing course, they must still obtain state certification before they are allowed to work in the field. Some LPNs go back to school to obtain a degree in medicine, which would qualify them to work as a doctor.

LPNs work indoor in clean and sometimes sterilized environments. Their job requires mental and physical activities. Licensed Practical Nurses sometimes help in moving and transporting patients, which requires actual strength. They also must understand about medications, plans of care and diseases. Licensed Practical Nurses can work full-time or part-time. They often do shift work, such as in medical centers and assisted living facilities. Licensed Practical Nurses sometimes rotate the shifts that they work, which mean that they might work on some weekends and holidays.

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) tasks includes taking temperatures, cleansing abrasions, documenting vital signs, gather blood and urine samples and set up patients for examinations, etc. This may also include some clerical work and may work under the direction of a doctor. They may also provide basic medical care helping physicians and nurses to focus on more specialized areas in patient care.

Distance Learning for Nurses

To become a nurse, you are usually required to finish the program in the classroom. But today, there are already nursing programs offered online which allows you to finish most of your classes online while you are at home. The program sets internet and interactive classroom for students and is offered only by accredited colleges and universities. This program is known as the distance learning program and is now offered for nursing. The program is one of the strategies used by the government to answer the problem with the nursing shortage. This effort strives to invite more students to enroll with the nursing program, since it is more affordable and will no longer take long hours in the classroom.

The distance learning programs allows flexibility for the students. They can have their classes everywhere since it’s online, they can be at home or anywhere as long as it’s quiet and free from distractions. Students can also do their homework and tasks anytime they want as long as it meets the deadline. The students who are very far from colleges and universities are now more interested to enroll since it is more convenient. This is also suitable for those who are already working and want to have another degree in nursing.

If you are in the distance learning program, you save more money since you will no longer have to pay for transportation, rooms, dining and other expenses. You will no longer require dealing with the daily transportation which takes a lot of your time and energy; making the program very convenient and stress free.

The universities and colleges who offer this program usually hire the same professors they have in the campus, thus making it competitive with the classroom settings. You can connect with them through the internet as well as with your classmates. For those who are interested with the nursing program but want it more affordable and online, then try the distance learning program. Distance learning becomes viable today and more practical. You can inquire about this program via online or visit the nearest university that offers the program. It may be the program suited to your needs.

Importance of Anatomy and Physiology in Nursing

Anatomy and physiology is a course that describes the structure and operation of one’s individual body. This course is mandatory for anyone who plans to perform in the field of medicine. The course provides learners with the primary base required to help patients. The course also hits on chemical makeup and how it pertains to life. The systems outline the primary pedagogy and theoretical ideas that are required to perform in the medical profession. Anatomy and physiology is defined by using the various techniques of one’s individual body. A few of the techniques that students research in this category include Reproduction System, Skeletal System, Heart and Lymphatic system. The course concentrates on how one’s individual body system performs together to operate properly. Students can also expect to use case studies to implement the ideas that they understand in these systems.

At the conclusion of the anatomy and physiology course, students should have a strong understanding of the anatomic conditions used in regards to one’s individual body, the location of major organs and space of one’s individual body system, specific anatomy and physiology conditions, physiological functions and locations of cells of one’s individual body and physiological components of all techniques of one’s individual body. Nurses need anatomy and physiology to comprehend how to take good care of their individual. The body must remain in a balanced condition to operate. When one’s individual body does not maintain balance, medical staff must figure out how to recover the body’s stability to help the affected person. Nurses must be able to think and act quickly when an individual needs proper care.

The skills that medical staffs learn in this class can also help when they are evaluating, tracking and confirming the situation of patients. When the conditions of patients change, medical staffs must know what the underlying cause of their situation is, and they must be able to help these patients recover their wellness. In other words, medical staffs need anatomy and physiology classes to comprehend how one’s individual body performs when it is in perfect health so that when their patients get sick, they will understand why.

Studying to become a health professional is so essential because medical staffs never know when they will be expected to pull from the details that they have obtained so that they can help an individual in need. Anatomy and physiology is an extremely complex class, but utilizing the proper research routines and techniques will help students pass the course. With help, medical staffs can understand the ideas of anatomy and physiology with ease.

A Career as Respiratory Therapist

Respiratory Therapists have been in high demand for many years now, and will be in the years to come. There is a great demand for health care professionals, and job stability is exceptional. There is a continued growth in biomedical technology which will ensure that the field will never get boring. And the opportunity to really help people and make a lasting and meaningful difference in the lives of others means you’ll get much more out of your career than just a paycheck.

The respiratory therapist helps people with problems impacting the cardiopulmonary system such as asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, heart problems and other respiratory stress. In the medical center setting, the respiratory therapist provides proper care and life support to patients in the intensive care units, general medical center places, the pulmonary diagnostics lab and other specialized places such as rehabilitation and recovery centers. But with all the medical care careers out there, how can you know which one is right for you? It’s not an easy decision, but if you agree with the following claims, you might discover respiratory therapy is exactly what you’ve been looking.

While on the job, the RT will identify respiratory and breathing problems of the patient and recommend treatments and medications. They will interview patients, execute chest examinations and evaluate tissue samples. Handling ventilators and breathing devices for patients who can’t breathe normally on their own is also a primary liability of these professionals. The respiratory therapist may play a critical role in working alongside the physician during the emergency situation. Being a Respiratory Therapist gives you an opportunity to serve others as well as have a decent source of income and a stable career.