by | Mar 30, 2013 | Magazine
Did you know that within the United States of America there are several functioning governments? American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes possess a nation-within-a-nation status, meaning that the U.S. Constitution recognizes American Indian and Alaska Native tribes as distinct governments. There are more than 560 federally recognized tribes in the U.S. , and the nation’s estimated 2.6 million members live mainly, but not exclusively, on reservations and in rural communities in 35 states.
Unfortunately, the AI/AN people have experienced a lower health status in comparison with other Americans. Their lower life expectancy (almost six years less than the “all races” population expectancy) and the disproportionate disease burden (see the Mortality Rate Disparities chart for details) have been rooted in economic adversity and poor social conditions. There is an organization working to remedy the disparity.
Providing Health Services
The Indian Health Service (IHS), an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services, provides a comprehensive, health service delivery system to approximately 60% of the AI/AN population living in the United States . Their stated goal is to “ensure that comprehensive, culturally acceptable personal and public health services are available and accessible to all American Indian and Alaska Native people.” To that end, the IHS actively assists tribes in developing their health programs.
AI/AN people now have access to health care services in 49 hospitals and over 500 other facilities. A combination of U.S. federal funds allocated to the IHS through the Snyder Act of 1921, Public Law 93-638 self-determination contracts, and more than 9,000 contracts between tribes and independent health care providers have made this possible.
The IHS ensures that preventive measures involving environmental, educational and outreach activities are combined with therapeutic measures into a single national health system. Within these broad categories are special initiatives in traditional medicine, elder care, women’s health, children and adolescents, injury prevention, domestic violence and child abuse, health care financing, state health care, sanitation facilities and oral health.
Career Opportunities Abound
With so many responsibilities, the IHS employs a large staff to meet the diverse needs of the American Indian and Alaska Native population they serve. The agency employs approximately 15,000 people, including members of virtually every discipline involved in providing health care and social and environmental health services. They currently have a vacancy rate of about 12% for health professionals, so there are many career opportunities available.
Individuals with health-related degrees can join the IHS as civil servants or as commissioned officers in the Public Health Service (PHS). All Indian Health Service jobs, along with some tribal and urban Indian health program positions, are listed on-line at the IHS Web site (www.ihs.gov) under the Job Vacancies Database link. Additional IHS jobs can be located through an on-line search at FedWorld Federal Jobs Search and USAJOBS.
Each vacancy listing on IHS’s Web site contains contact information for the position; get in touch with the person listed in order to apply. For most permanent positions, you must be a “status” candidate. Status candidates are Indian Preference eligibles, current permanent federal employees, reinstatement eligibles or applicants with special appointing authority. All IHS positions are subject to Indian Preference laws.
Education and Continuing Education Opportunities
The Indian Health Care Improvement Act, Public Law 94-437, authorizes the IHS to administer three interrelated scholarship programs to meet the health professional staffing needs of IHS and other health programs serving AI/AN people. The IHS also administers a Loan Repayment Program for the purpose of recruiting and retaining highly qualified health professionals to meet staffing needs.
The PHS Commissioned Officer Student Training Program and Extern Program provides students of the health professions the opportunity to gain experience in a health service environment during free periods of the academic year. The Indian Health Professions Program provides scholarships, loans and summer employment in return for agreements by students to serve in IHS, tribal or urban Indian programs. As a matter of law and policy, the IHS gives preference to qualified Indians in applicant selection and career development training. And the PHS National Health Service Corps offers scholarships to medical students who agree to enter primary care specialties and to sign on for a minimum two-year tour of duty in PHS programs, including IHS direct and tribal programs.
In a speech given at the Montana/Wyoming Tribal Leaders Council Meeting this past April, Charles W. Grimm, DDS, M.H.S.A, and interim director of the IHS asserted his personal goals and the spirit of the goals of the IHS. He states, “I am committed to raising the health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives—and it is not just about access to care, or just about improving the educational opportunities for our people, or establishing a safe community, or building homes. It is about all these things, and many more that are interdependent and necessary. One Aspect of well being builds on another. Each of these things requires all of these things.”
by | Mar 30, 2013 | Magazine
The Federal Bureau of Prisons consists of more than 106 institutions, six regional offices, a Central Office (headquarters), two staff training centers and 28 community corrections offices. The Bureau is responsible for the custody and care of approximately 185,000 Federal offenders. Approximately 85% of these inmates are confined in Bureau-operated correctional facilities or detention centers, and the remainders are confined through agreements with state and local governments or through contracts with privately operated community corrections centers, detention centers, prisons and juvenile facilities.
With all these institutions, offices, centers and facilities, there are plenty of job opportunities available with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Specifically there are numerous positions for those in the field of health care. For example, physician assistants working with the Bureau provide diagnostic and therapeutic medical care and services to inmates in Federal prisons. They also assist in the observation and evaluation of patients, take case histories, conduct physical examinations and order laboratory studies.
FBP History
But let’s take a step back and look at how the Federal Bureau of Prisons was established: According to its Web site (www.bop.gov) the Bureau began in 1930 to provide more progressive and humane care for Federal inmates, to professionalize the prison service, and to ensure consistent and centralized administration of the 11 Federal prisons in operation at the time.
The goal of the Bureau today is to protect public safety by ensuring that Federal offenders serve their sentences in facilities that are safe, humane, cost-efficient and secure. The Bureau helps reduce the potential for future criminal activity by encouraging inmates to participate in a range of programs that reduce recidivism.
That’s where you would come in; the Bureau’s approximately 35,000 employees not only ensure the security of Federal prisons, they also provide inmates with needed programs and services and model positive values.
Model of Public Service
The Bureau’s mission is to be a model of outstanding public administration and to provide efficient, safe and humane correctional services and programs.
According to their Web site, this vision will be realized when:
• Public safety is assured by no escapes or disturbances in the facilities.
• The physical safety of all inmates is controlled in an environment that meets each inmate’s need for security through the elimination of violence, predatory behavior, gang activity, drug use and inmate weapons.
• Through the provision of health care, mental, spiritual, educational, vocational and work programs, inmates are well prepared for a productive and crime-free return to society.
• The Bureau is a model of cost-efficient correctional operations and programs.
• Its talented, professional, well-trained, and diverse staff reflects the Bureau’s culture and treats each other fairly.
• Staff works in an environment free from discrimination.
• A positive working relationship exists where employees maintain respect for one another.
• The workplace is safe, and staff performs their duties without fear of injury or assault.
• Staff maintains high ethical standards in their day-to-day activities.
Moving Up
There are numerous career opportunities at various locations across the United States, including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site, www.bop.gov, all employees are required to fully demonstrate their suitability for prison work in the position to which they are initially appointed. Before they are considered for promotion or advancement into other lines of work, an acceptable performance evaluation is required. Generally, employees are expected to complete, at a minimum, a 12-month probationary period before applications for reassignment or promotion will be considered.
Each new permanent employee who receives a career or career conditional appointment serves a one-year probationary period immediately following his or her appointment. This period is used to determine the qualifications of the employee for continued employment. During this time, the supervisor monitors and provides guidance to the employee.
For continued employment, the supervisor must favorably evaluate the performance and conduct of the employee. This time period also helps employees determine whether the work is compatible with their skills and aspirations.
How It Works
Bureau institutions must operate around the clock, so the workday for employees is divided into three work shifts of eight hours each. Employees rotate posts, days off and shifts. All employees are hired as correctional workers first, regardless of the specific position to which they are hired (secretary, nurse, plumber, teacher, doctor, dentist, etc.).
As correctional workers, staff may be called to work correctional posts at any time in emergency situations or as necessary.
The Bureau offers a wide variety of career opportunities in medical and mental health care. There is a constant need for medical officers, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists and physician assistants.
There are two paths that health care professionals can take with the Bureau: Federal Civil Service or the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS). Each path has its own pay structure, benefits and career progression.
Civil Service applications are processed through local or nationwide announcements and most are posted on USAJOBS, which is a uniformed service of the U.S. It follows its own commissioning standards. If you are interested in pursuing a career with the Federal Civil Service, you can visit the PHS Web site at www.usphs.gov for additional information and applications.
Career as a Physician Assistant
Those interested in working as physician assistants with the Federal Bureau of Prisons must be certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Physician Assistants to apply for positions. Basic qualification requirements for all positions include a broad background of the medical environment, such as would be acquired by a bachelor’s degree in a health care occupation, or by three years of health care experience and successful completion of a course of study of at least 12 months, including clinical training or preceptorship, specifically designed for professional-caliber physicians’ assistants, or equivalent education and training. The course of study or training must be approved by a nationally recognized professional body or by a panel of physicians established by a Federal agency for this purpose. Candidates must demonstrate that they have the following knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform their job as a physician assistant:
1. Skill in making diagnoses, selecting and providing appropriate treatment for medical or surgical emergencies (life or death or severe injury), as indicated until emergency assistance arrives;
2. Ability to assess a patient’s condition and to initiate appropriate treatment;
3. Knowledge of pharmaceuticals to treat disease and illness, to include a knowledge of the mechanism of action, side effects, toxic nature, and drug interactions of medications;
4. Ability to interpret diagnostic tests in order to determine therapeutic treatment plans; and
5. Ability to deal effectively with patients.
Bennies
Do you think you have what it take to pursue a career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons? If you possess all of these facts, skills and abilities, perhaps a career with the Bureau is in your future. And if you do become employed with the Bureau, you will find a wealth of benefits. For example, the Bureau’s Awards Program encourages employees to participate in improving operations and rewards superior performance. The program provides personal recognition and rewards for contributing to better government. And awards can improve employees’ chances for advancement because awards are considered positively in competition for a promotion.
The Bureau also offers substantial annual and vacation leave and generous health care, as well as other, benefits.
All information courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Prisons
by | Mar 30, 2013 | Magazine
Do you ever wonder about the impression we as nurses leave with our patients? Or the impact we have on our communities at large?
One can get an idea by taking a peek at Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics survey. Since 1976, Gallup has asked Americans to rate the perceived honesty and ethical standards of different professions, and in 1999, they began asking Americans to rate those characteristics in nurses. I’m proud to say our profession has topped the list since then in all but one year, 2001, when fire fighters ranked highest and nurses still garnered high ratings. In essence, for the past several years, Americans have conveyed their belief that nursing professionals demonstrate the highest level of honest and ethical behavior.
That’s quite an honor for us, and it’s a responsibility to continue to uphold this perception. Patients rely on us for information, guidance, advice, and above all, physical and emotional comfort. Interestingly—although not surprisingly—a recent online article from Hospitals & Health Networks cited surveys that found patients are less intimidated by nurses than by their doctors and are consequently more apt to be open about how they feel.
As the health care environment continues to evolve, we’re seeing the role of nurses changing and expanding for a number of reasons. In addition to patient expectations, nurses are operating in a rapidly evolving world of reimbursement and rising health care costs. Health care facilities are pressured to maintain or lower costs, while increasing their patient outcomes and satisfaction levels. This is a difficult balance, and nurses play a key role. Those who possess the skills to coordinate care, communicate clearly with patients, and advocate for them more effectively can help in ways such as reducing patients’ length of stay and unnecessary readmissions, as well as improving patient satisfaction.
That’s the good news for our profession. The challenge is to continue developing and fostering professional and interpersonal— or “soft” skills— among nurses. The value of these skills is recognized in the field and borne out by research. However, the educational time to hone skills such as communication and leadership are often sacrificed in the interest of other essential clinical skills nurses need to learn to be effective caregivers. According to a recent ATI Nursing Education survey conducted among practicing nurses, nurse managers, recent hospital inpatients, and those accompanying them, 98% of practicing nurses want more education to help them develop their soft skills.
The desire for this type of knowledge is well founded. The same survey revealed that 66% of recent hospital inpatients feel their hospital experience could have been improved by better interactions— specifically communication— with nurses. And from the employer side, more than 80% of nurse managers say they are seeking graduates with solid professional and interpersonal skills.
Understanding the soft skills that complement professional competencies
Obviously, nurses are expected to have a level of professional competency in care giving commensurate with their position. At the same time, the most successful nurses also possess other, less tangible skills, frequently referred to as soft skills. Soft skills are generally defined as the areas of communication, professionalism, informatics and technology, and leadership and management. In other words, nurses are expected to work and communicate well with colleagues and patients, offer sound judgment, solve problems, and move seamlessly through the world of electronic medical records and other technology facets. Although different from other skills, the process of developing soft skills in nurses requires many of the same methods and a research based educational process.
Characteristics of effective interpersonal or soft skills programs
Research tells us the most effective soft skills education programs designed to teach these professional and interpersonal skills share three main characteristics:
- 98% of practicing nurses want more education to help them develop their soft skills.
- 66% of recent hospital inpatients feel their hospital experience could have been improved by better interactions—specifically communication—with nurses.
- 80% of nurse managers say they are seeking graduates with solid professional and interpersonal skills.
The skills are based on a comprehensive theoretical framework and are connected to measureable outcomes. A theoretical framework simply provides a structure within the concepts and can be logically connected to form the program content. A logical framework enables educators to develop measurable outcomes to ensure competency.
Both education and practice of defined skills are provided. Education increases awareness of a subject and is complemented by practice, which makes an individual proficient at executing a particular task. Both are necessary for effective soft skills development. For example, applying and practicing the use of conflict resolution skills within a team-oriented task would not make sense to someone who wasn’t familiar with what conflict resolution entailed. Conversely, there is limited value in teaching information about conflict resolution skills and evaluating the student’s acquisition of that knowledge without also helping them to apply it in a relevant context.
A multi-method assessment system that supports and evaluates attainment of skills is incorporated. The most effective soft skills education programs tend to use a variety of assessment methods, including tests that measure knowledge about concepts and principles related to the skill and evaluation of the student’s ability to apply the skills to a clinical situation. A multi-method approach meets the need to assess both knowledge of the skills and competency in applying them in a clinical setting.
Closing the gap
Over the past year, the ATI Nursing Education staff has garnered the input of our clients, studied the implications of research, and closely watched industry trends to develop a solution for soft skills education. Nurse’s Touch, which will launch in the fall of 2012, is the first product of its kind, using an interactive learning format to enable students to gain skills in five key areas:
- Professional communication
- Informatics and technology
- Wellness and self-care
- Leadership and management
- Professionalism
With an eye toward meeting the three criteria for effective soft skills education—theoretical framework, combined education and application to clinical practice, and multiple assessment modes—Nurse’s Touch uses a variety of tools to convey the concepts and provide educators with the ability to accurately evaluate and track student progress. The tools include:
- Tutorials that provide the educational foundation in each subject area
- Interactive simulation, which offers opportunities to make decisions (i.e., practice) in a simulated clinical situation
- Case studies providing an opportunity to apply knowledge of soft skills to clinical situations
Students are assessed based on their knowledge of content as well as on their level of competency in applying that knowledge to clinical situations. This ensures students are geared towards achieving desired outcomes of soft skills education. We are optimistic that Nurse’s Touch will provide a resource through which nurses can gain the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to stay healthy and manage work-related stress, convey professional behaviors and attitudes, and serve as leaders and patient advocates.
Looking forward
We can anticipate that the demands and expectations of nurses will continue evolving and expanding—a belief borne out by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) assertion that nurses need to function as a critical member of the health team. Additionally, the difficulty of carving out classroom time to develop soft skills is not an issue that will go away. But the fact that the health care and nursing education communities collectively realize the need for these skills demonstrates how the industry is moving to provide resources and viable educational alternatives to help nursing professionals succeed on all fronts.
by | Mar 30, 2013 | Magazine, Nurse Recruitment, Nursing Careers
Last year, in this country alone, more than 15 million units of whole blood and red cells were collected by blood centers and hospitals. That’s nearly 900,000 gallons of life’s red sauce! Based on data supplied by the National Blood Data Resource Center, approximately five million patients nationwide will receive transfusions of whole blood and red cells this year.
Since whole blood can be processed into other components, such as platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate, the total number of units of all these components transfused in the U.S. in 2001 (the most recent data available) was a staggering 29 million!
If you can get past any squeamishness of the sight of blood and can put up with the inevitable Dracula jokes from your friends’ tired attempts at being funny, a career in blood bank technology can be personally and financially rewarding. In addition, as is the case with many other allied health careers, employment demand for blood bank technologists will continue to grow. A Bureau of Labor Statistics projection indicates that the employment of clinical laboratory technologists and scientists (which include blood bank technologists) will increase by 10-20% through 2008.
Specialists in blood banking (SBB) possess a bachelor’s degree (or higher), undergo additional training and must pass a certification exam (more specific details appear later in this article). Most entry-level salaries average between $32,000-$42,000; subject to the usual variations for past medical experience, geographic location and job market conditions. With ongoing training and additional supervisory, teaching, research and/or administrative responsibilities, the salaries can go much higher.
What You’ll Do
The work environment is primarily in hospitals, community blood banks, transfusion centers, private hospital blood banks, university-affiliated blood banks and laboratories. Specialists may have some weekend and night duty, including emergency calls.
SBBs are required to possess a superior level of technical proficiency. They perform both routine and specialized tests in blood bank and blood collection centers. Their duties may include 1) identifying blood types and antibodies; 2) screening for transfusion-transmitted viruses; 3) investigating adverse responses to transfusion; 4) supervising the collection, separation, delivery and storage of blood components; and 5) supporting physicians and nurses in blood transfusion therapy. They use problem solving-skills and technical expertise in such areas as:
- Testing for blood group antigens, compatibility and antibody identification.
- Investigating abnormalities such as hemolytic diseases of the newborn, hemolytic anemias and adverse responses to transfusion.
- Supporting physicians in transfusion therapy for patients with diseases affecting blood clotting or candidates for organ transplant.
- Performing blood collection and processing, including selecting donors, drawing and typing blood and performing pretransfusion tests to ensure the safety of the patient.
In addition, many specialists are also busy supervising, managing and/or teaching as part of their daily responsibilities.
Certified SBBs are qualified to fill many roles within blood banking and transfusion medicine, and are not limited to lab work. SBBs can perform regulatory, technical and procedural tasks; serve as research advisors in transfusion medicine; perform and direct administrative functions; troubleshoot and perform corrective action to prevent and document problems; design and present educational programs; provide technical and scientific training in transfusion medicine; conduct research in transfusion medicine; and serve as technical experts and consultants for blood centers and transfusion services.
Tell Me About It
Brenda C. Barnes, MT (ASCP) SBB, blood bank supervisor, Great Plains Regional Medical Center, North Platte, Neb., confirms that blood banking is an exciting profession. “There are so many different directions a career in blood banking can go,” says Barnes. “If a person is interested in working with blood donors, working in a blood donor center is an option. Blood donor centers can offer a chance to help with collection of blood and components, processing blood or components, and/or testing of components to ensure the safest blood supply possible.
“If a person were interested in working with patients, a hospital or reference lab setting would be a good choice,” continues Barnes. “A hospital setting offers the opportunity to perform testing on patients that need blood or blood components. Testing for these patients can range from routine workups to complex antibody problems, so no two days are ever the same. Working in a reference lab setting involves dealing daily with difficult patient workups, which can often be very complex.”
The SBB may also teach young physicians or medical technology students as a faculty member at universities or teaching hospitals. SBBs may serve as education coordinators of medical technology programs and specialists in blood bank technology programs. Many SBBs choose to concentrate on medical research in universities, government-related facilities or industry-related facilities. Other employment options open to SBBs are reference consultation laboratories; the head or staff member of a frozen blood department; a human leukocyte antigens specialist, testing white cells for transfusions and organ transplants; or the technologist for a pheresis program, a relatively new technique of drawing blood from a donor, extracting the needed component (white cells, plasma or platelets) and returning the remainder of the blood to the donor.
Shanasey Weber, MT, is on educational leave from St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City, Mo., attending the SBB program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Weber chose medical technology due to the fact that there is usually a specific job waiting for you even before you graduate.
“The market is in such need that you can find a job practically anywhere,” says Weber. “If your spouse’s career requires the family to relocate it is very easy to move from place to place and still be guaranteed employment.”
Weber says there is also a need in the area of blood bank technology to combine such training with computer programming/database skills and/or web design. “I see overlap in these areas to improve the software utilized in blood banking,” says Weber.
Jason Hunn, MT (ASCP), blood bank supervisor, Arkansas Methodist Center, Paragould, Ark., says, “Blood banking is a great profession. It’s a field of allied health that challenges you every day you go to work. I recommend that students have a strong background in immunology, as this is the foundation of transfusion medicine. The blood bank program is 12 months but since you are looking at a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and some blood banking experience, it is about seven years from the start of a person’s college degree to becoming certified as a specialist in blood banking.”
Barnes shares that “there are also various opportunities for people interested in management positions. These can range from supervising a transfusion service or donor testing lab to becoming a quality assurance specialist who is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations to ensure work within a testing lab is compliant with all state and federal laws.”
What’ll It Take?
In 1954, the American Society of Clinical Pathologists’ Board of Registry administered the first examination for blood bank technologists. Technologists working in blood banking for at least five years were eligible to take the examination.
After 1960, individuals could attend a 12-month educational program at an accredited school in lieu of the five years of experience. Levels of competency were established, and the scope of knowledge pertinent to the field was prescribed to ensure that the institutions would maintain acceptable standards of practice to include all phases of blood bank technology, laboratory management and transfusion services.
The American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) in cooperation with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) has been accrediting SBB programs since 1962. Upon successful completion of an accredited SBB program, students may apply to take the Board of Registry SBB Certification Examination to become certified as specialists in blood banking technology. Most SBB programs are conducted in hospitals or community blood centers or universities, and consist of didactic experience covering all theoretical concepts of blood bank immunohematology combined with practical work.
Applicants must be certified in medical technology by the Board of Registry and possess a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university. If applicants are not certified in medical technology by the Board of Registry, they must possess both a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a major in any of the biological or physical sciences and have work experience in a blood bank.
Paths to Success
According to the AABB, there are four paths to obtain the SBB certification.
In order to become an SBB, a bachelor’s degree with a major in any biological science, chemistry, physical science or mathematics is required, followed by medical technology training and then passing a certification examination from the Board of Registry. Most post-baccalaureate educational programs are 12 months in length. Subjects included in the training are genetics, immunology, blood groups, collection and storage of blood components, donor processing, immune mechanisms, component therapy, transfusion of the newborn, complications of transfusions, general administration, personnel administration and education. At this time, there are 13 SBB programs in the U.S. that are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Medical Technologists who have been out of school for some time can achieve SBB certification by passing the exam, provided they meet the following criteria: medical technology certification; bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science, 16 semester hours of chemistry and one semester of mathematics; and three years of full-time clinical laboratory experience in blood banking within the last 10 years.
Individuals who have completed graduate degrees also may be eligible to sit for the specialist in blood banking certification exam provided they meet they following criteria: master’s or doctorate degree in chemistry, biology, immunology, immunohematology, microbiology, allied health, clinical laboratory sciences or appropriately related field from an accredited college/university; three years of full-time clinical laboratory experience in blood banking within the last 10 years. In both paths 2 and 3, the three years’ experience must have been acquired post-bachelor’s degree and have been under the supervision of an American Board of Pathology certified pathologist or an appropriately board-certified medical scientist.
Graduates of doctoral programs in chemistry, biology, immunology, immunohematology, microbiology, allied health, clinical laboratory sciences or an appropriately related field from an accredited college/university and those who have completed two years’ of a postdoctoral fellowship in blood banking within the last 10 years also are eligible to take the certification exam.
Opportunity Knocks
No career field can claim to be completely immune to racial or sexual discrimination, but medical technology (a path to becoming an SBB) is a profession in which gender and ethnicity have been proven to have little or no influence over one’s career. The American Society for Clinical Pathology conducted a 10-year-long study of newly certified medical technologists that proved that that the tasks mix of medical technologists was the same regardless of gender, ethnicity, job title, facility location or degree. The study concluded: “Medical technology is an egalitarian profession. Gender and ethnicity do not influence task responsibilities at entry level or over time.” This indicates that the way to the top is by pure technical ability.
The profession is booming and has plenty of room for growth. Blood bank supervisor, Jason Hunn, says, “The field of blood bank technology is for you if you have good investigative skills and a natural curiosity for science.”
“The most common description for blood bankers is perfectionist,” adds Brenda Barnes, another blood bank supervisor. “Blood banking is about more than just working up antibodies, but this one part of the job is what gets the most attention. Blood banking is an area that does not allow for mistakes, but it is also not a perfect science.
“It is also one of the last areas of the lab to become automated and is much more hands-on. A successful blood banker has good critical thinking skills and is a good problem solver. Someone that likes to solve puzzles or figure out riddles would fit in well. Multi-tasking ability is a must, as well as the ability to deal with a certain amount of stress. But the best part is at the end of a day; you know you have accomplished something. Knowing you have provided a patient with the safest component possible, whether a routine workup or the most complex antibody, is an excellent feeling of accomplishment.”
Addressing the Shortage of Medical Technologists
In August 2002 the president of the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP) contacted colleges and universities to tell them of the critical need to train the next generation of medical laboratory personnel. The need for qualified medical technologists is in critically short supply. The Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that 9,000 new laboratory practitioners will be needed each year, yet only 4,500 are entering the workforce annually. The area of medical technology, which is one way to the path of a specialist in blood banking technology, has also been hit with the potential closure of some college programs. Unfortunately, a number of clinical training sites have discontinued educating laboratory personnel says Ann Graham, ASCP 2002 president. “This may be giving a wrong impression about the profession,” says Graham.
In addition to this plea for more assistance, on February 5, 2003, U.S. Representatives John Shimkus (R-IL) and Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) introduced the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Act of 2003 to address the serious shortage of medical laboratory personnel in the United States . Representatives Shimkus, Jackson and bill co-sponsor Representative Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) worked with ASCP in finding solutions to attract professionals into the laboratory field.
by | Mar 30, 2013 | Magazine
As more health care employers continue to streamline their staffing and management process in an effort to control costs, it is becoming increasingly difficult for minority nurses to advance to high-level nursing positions. Nurses who hope to move up to a more advanced career level often have no choice but to change employers and/or relocate to other cities.
Whether you’re moving across the country or across the street—or, for that matter, if you’re a brand new nursing school graduate taking that crucial first step from classroom to career—adjusting to a new job can be stressful. At the same time, health care employers face the considerable challenge of how to orient and train newly hired nurses as quickly as possible to minimize “downtime” in patient care while the new staff members are getting up to speed with the facility’s specific policies and procedures.
Preceptorship programs—i.e., training programs that pair new nursing staff with experienced nurses at the facility—can be an effective solution for both the employer and the new employee. Preceptorships are organized, planned educational programs in which seasoned nurse preceptors, in addition to their regular nursing functions, promote the integration of newly hired nurses into the workplace, helping them make a smooth transition into a fast-paced, hands-on patient care environment.
As of the year 2000, minority nurses still make up only about 13% of this country’s total RN population. Therefore, there is a strong chance that a newly hired nurse of color could be the only nurse from his or her particular racial or ethnic background at that facility. How will they be able to fit into the work environment when none of the other nurses look like them or understand their culture?
It helps to have a friend. Effectively managed preceptorship programs can help minority nurses adjust quickly and confidently to their new job responsibilities by giving them an immediate friend—a knowledgeable, skilled nurse to show them the ropes and help them cope with the challenge of being “the new kid on the block.”
To Guide, Support and Assist
Picture this scenario: You’ve just found out that you’ve been hired for the nursing position of your dreams, but it’s at a new hospital where you know no one. How would you feel? Panicked? Apprehensive? Anxious? While these feelings are natural with any major life change, imagine how much calmer you would feel knowing there would be someone at your new job to guide, support and assist you when you join the organization.
A well-planned preceptorship program and knowledgeable, helpful preceptors are key factors in building a great nursing team. A preceptor must be a clinically experienced, competent and skilled nurse who can serve as a role model for the new employee. Ideally, the preceptor’s role is to guide, train and assess the new nurse to ensure that he or she will be able to function effectively, both independently and as a team member.
An important element of any successful preceptorship program is providing planned social activities that can serve as a catalyst for helping recently hired nurses get to know their new colleagues. These events are an opportunity for staff members to meet and welcome their new co-workers, and to identify common interests and goals. For new minority hires, this type of socialization can also be a helpful way to build working relationships and get to meet and network with other nurses of color.
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Employee retention is important in maintaining a stable patient care environment at any health care facility. Vast amounts of time and money are invested each year in recruiting and training new nursing staff; the same amount of energy should be put into retaining these nurses once they are hired. Preceptorship programs are an integral part of retention, because they give each new nurse an opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the organization.
When newly hired RNs are treated with value and respect, when trust and a positive work environment are established right from the start, word of mouth will spread. Building a strong reputation as a supportive workplace for minority nurses ultimately benefits both retention and recruitment, by encouraging other RNs of color to apply for nursing positions at that facility.
“Would I Want You as My Nurse?”
Once the preceptor and the preceptee have begun their training relationship, assessing the new nurse’s progress and clinical performance becomes a pivotal component of the program. As an experienced nurse and supervisor, the question I always pose when evaluating nursing recruits is: “Would I want this person to take care of me or my family members?”
Because the preceptor works side-by-side with the new hire for a length of time determined by the organization and the individual’s specialty, they are in the perfect position to evaluate the new nurse’s abilities. The preceptor’s role in this phase is not to demean or belittle the new hire, but to serve as a conduit to facilitate their growth and development as a nurse. While there may be times when the preceptor and the new nurse may not agree on certain areas of the skills assessment, the bottom line is that whatever decision is agreed upon must always be in the best interests of the patient.
Because the newly hired nurse will soon be required to work independently, his or her competence must be validated as soon as possible. The preceptor’s responsibility is to do everything possible to ensure that the new staff member will be able to function effectively as a valuable member of the nursing team. Nurses are taught many processes and skills, but the standard mission should always be the same—to provide safe, high- quality nursing care.
Watching Them Blossom
Preceptorship programs are a management initiative with a proven track record in assisting both novice nursing staff and those moving up to the next rung of their career ladder. Any health care facility that does not have such a program in place can benefit tremendously from starting one.
Guiding a new nurse and being able to watch him or her blossom is a gratifying experience. Minority RNs who are nursing department managers, supervisors or simply experienced staff members have many opportunities to reach out and assist new nurses entering their workplace. It is imperative that you extend a nurturing hand to your peers—especially to other minority nurses who may be overlooked by majority co-workers. By becoming a preceptor and “giving back” to a new minority nurse, you may even find that your own professional development is growing and blooming too.
