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By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
What is “the good life?” It’s the name of a rock band, an old movie, a Tony Bennett song, and numerous novels. But what is the good life for you? Is it determined by you, or someone else? Most people agree with the definition of “the good life” as a sense of satisfaction, adequacy, comfort, well-being, contentment, even in the midst of disappointments and suffering. But for some, this is in contrast to the assumption that enough is never good enough. To enjoy a good life, they need more. To me, this thinking is fostered by two things: excessive goal setting and the media. Setting goals to achieve success, to fulfill dreams, to have it all, and set no limits is great and honorable, but it can suggest that enough is not satisfying. Especially when it is combined with a second feature of our society, consumerism. The media makes it hard to be satisfied with enough. There are constant pressures from producers and advertisers to purchase and possess the latest and best. Social media sites snare people into comparing themselves with others who have more things, more work, more beauty…the list goes on and on. All this can make us feel insecure, or “lacking” in some way. Mentally, there is a lot of pressure if we are always striving and never arriving. This raises the question, “How much is enough for the good life today?” If we can’t answer that question, it suggests that we can never be sure that we have enough wealth, possessions or security. Think about it. Write it down. How much is enough for you? Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
I am a big believer in the power of positive thinking. I laughed when I read that October has a “Cranky Co-worker Day.” Yet I know it’s no laughing matter. My mama used to say, “One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch.” That’s what a cranky coworker does, isn’t it? So what do you do about “bad apples” who “spoil” the morale of your workplaces? One tactic is to confront them, kindly, to address what you perceive as a negative attitude, then ask what they see as the cause. Sometimes there is a stress or pain in their lives that you are unaware of and you can offer help, or at least listen. Other times, people are simply into “stinkin’ thinkin,” for no apparent good reason! And there seems to be nothing you can do to change it. That’s when it’s a challenge to maintain you own positive attitude. One way to do so is by incorporating positive thinking and visualization, and humor, into your daily life to affect your health and happiness, at home and in the workplace. You can’t change them, but you can change you. By doing so, you set an example (there’s that role modeling again) and that can create a shift in attitude for the entire workplace. We need to help each other to stay positive. Don’t let “stinkin’ thinkin’” be contagious. We have the power—yes it is a power—to influence the attitude of our coworkers. Don’t let a “rotten” attitude “spoil” your workplace. Positive thinking is contagious too. Let’s visualize—and create—a place where there are no “Cranky Co-worker Days.” 🙂 Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
More young nurses are opting to obtain advanced degrees, which will help fill gaps in primary care. But it will also take them away from the patient’s bedside. Nearly 50% of millennial nurses (ages 19-36), 35% of those in Generation X (ages 37-53), and 12% of baby boomers (ages 54-71) plan to become advanced-practice nurses, according to AMN Healthcare, a healthcare staffing agency that polled nearly 3,400 nurses in April 2017. They are predominantly aiming to become nurse practitioners, who generally have more autonomy and are well-suited to take on less acute cases and fill care gaps left by the shortage of primary-care physicians. But there is also a lack of registered nurses, and this education trend could exacerbate the current shortage. Seven states are projected to have RN shortages persist through 2030 as the aging population and need for chronic disease management will drive demand, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nurse practitioner is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the United States, in part because it offers independence, a challenging work environment and educational progress. When organizations help nurses earn those higher degrees, they often leave for higher-paying jobs. Seventeen percent of millennial RNs plan to look for a new nursing job while the economy is improving, compared to 15% of Gen Xers and 10% of baby boomers, according to the AMN survey. Ten percent of millennials said they would pursue travel nursing, while only 6% of Gen Xers and 5% of boomers agreed. More than a third of millennials seek a leadership role, compared to 27% of Gen Xers and 10% of boomers. To learn how to increase recruitment and retention, visit SelfCare for HealthCare™. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
Exercise, even a little, can lengthen your life. Norwegian researchers also found that too much sitting was associated with a higher risk of early death. The study analyzed data from eight studies that included more than 36,000 adults, aged 40 and older, who were followed for an average of almost six years. During follow-up, nearly 6% of the participants died. After adjusting for other factors, the researchers concluded that any amount of physical activity, regardless of intensity, was associated with a significantly lower risk of early death. Death rates fell sharply as total activity increased to an amount that was similar to average activity levels in U.S. men and about 10% to 15% lower than activity levels in Scandinavian men and women. A similarly steep decline in death rates was associated with increasing amounts of light physical activity up to about 300 minutes (5 hours) a day, and moderate-intensity physical activity of about 24 minutes per day. The largest difference in early death risk, about 60% to 70%, was between the least and most physically active, with about five times more deaths among inactive people than among those who were most active. The researchers also found that spending 9.5 hours or more each day sitting was associated with a statistically significant increased risk of early death. Examples of light-intensity activity include slow walking or household tasks, such as cooking or washing dishes. Moderate activity includes brisk walking, vacuuming or mowing the lawn, while vigorous activity includes jogging, carrying heavy loads or digging. Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week. These findings provide important information for public health recommendations and suggest that the message might simply be “sit less and move more, and more often.” To learn about healthy habits and how they can increase your overall health, contact SelfCare for HealthCare™. Planning your virtual event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to book your healthcare speaker! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
If you’re trying to eat more healthfully or exercise regularly, researchers have a surprising tip: consider making both changes at the same time. It may seem counterintuitive. Changing diet and exercise habits both require time and motivation. But research has shown people have more success when diet and exercise are tackled simultaneously. A study at the Stanford University School of Medicine tracked groups of people trying to establish healthy habits. One group added exercise, one group improved their diets, and one group made both changes. The study showed that people who worked on both exercise and diet at the same time had more success in meeting their goals. One explanation for the success may be that the positive results build on each other. “You’re going to feel better doing both,” researchers said. “If you’re focusing on just one, you might lose motivation and never get around to the other one. But if you’re motivated to make changes and do both, you can more quickly develop this healthy lifestyle that feels so good, you’re motivated to continue.” A lot of people in the study came with low energy and low libido, and felt tired all the time. But by changing exercise and diet together, they experienced so many benefits — from weight loss to improved heart health, and from better sleep to an improved mood. The two together can make a big difference. Planning your virtual event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to book your healthcare speaker! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
People who are sleep-deprived during the week often try to make up for it on weekends. But a new study suggests the tactic may not work. Researchers found that weekday sleep loss had negative effects on people’s metabolism and “catch-up” sleep on the weekend didn’t reverse it. In fact, there were signs that the extra weekend sleep could make matters worse, said senior study author Kenneth Wright, a professor at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The bottom line, according to Wright, is that people need to consistently get sufficient sleep. “If you want to lead a healthy lifestyle,” he said, “that has to include good sleep habits.” The study, published online in the journal Current Biology, included 36 healthy young adults who were randomly assigned to one of three groups that all spent nine nights in the sleep lab. One group was allowed to sleep for up to 9 hours each night. A second could sleep only 5 hours. The third group was allowed 5 hours of sleep for five days, then a weekend “recovery” period where they could sleep in as late as they wanted; after that, they returned to 5 hours of sleep for two nights. Researchers found that in both sleep-deprived groups, people lost some of their sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. They also began to eat more at night and gained some weight. The group that was allowed to sleep in on the weekend saw one benefit: There was less late-night eating on those days. However, they went right back to post-dinner munching once they returned to 5-hour nights, and their insulin sensitivity remained impaired. They showed decreased insulin sensitivity in the liver and muscles, specifically. Over time, decreased insulin sensitivity can be a precursor to type 2 diabetes and obesity. Experts recommend adults get 7 or more hours of sleep each night for the sake of their overall health. Yet, studies show that more than one-third of U.S. adults fall short of that goal. What are the ‘sleep stealers’ in your life?” Wright said. “Are you up late watching TV or on your computer?” Sleep is vital for a range of body processes, not only metabolism. It can decrease alertness and mental performance, which cannot be erased with a couple of nights of catch-up sleep. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
Any amount of physical activity — even two minutes — can add up to huge benefits for your immediate and long-term health, according to the new edition of the U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Previously, the guidelines stated that unless physical activity lasted 10 minutes or longer, it didn’t count toward a person’s recommended weekly activity goals. But research shows any small amount of activity provides a solid contribution to a person’s health, according to guidelines unveiled at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting. “Physical activity is about finding opportunities to add movement throughout the day as part of a bigger commitment to healthy living,” Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Inactivity causes 10 percent of premature mortality in the United States. That means if we can just get 25 percent of inactive people to be active and meet the recommendations, almost 75,000 deaths would be prevented in the United States.” Only 26 percent of men, 19 percent of women, and 20 percent of teenagers currently get their recommended weekly amount of physical activity, according to HHS. The first edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines came out a decade ago, in 2008.The new edition also highlights a broader array of short- and long-term benefits from physical activity, all based on scientific evidence:
Examples of moderate activity include brisk walking, ballroom dancing, water aerobics or pulling weeds, according to the AHA. Vigorous activity can involve running, swimming laps, bicycling fast, aerobic dancing or working a shovel or hoe in the garden. The guidelines now recommend that children aged to 5 be active throughout the day to enhance growth and development — at least three hours a day. Kids aged 6 through 17 are recommended to have at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Exercise is the best and cheapest prescription in the world, but most people don’t want to fill it. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
In the timeless Disney movie, Bambi, Thumper gives great advice. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Wouldn’t the world and our work environments be better places if we all heeded the wisdom of that wise little rabbit? I tried to ignore the problem of lateral violence in the healthcare workplace because I was embarrassed and a bit ashamed that this behavior could be present in our benevolent caring profession. We’ve consistently ranked No. 1 in Gallup’s annual poll of Honesty and Ethical Standards in Professions for the past 15 years. How can we, then, be perpetrators of lateral violence? I was shocked and mortified to learn that 45% of nurses have been verbally harassed or bullied by other nurses, according to a 2017 survey by employment agency RNnetwork. Forty-one percent said they have been bullied by managers or administrators. Thirty-eight percent reported being verbally harassed by physicians. More than half of the nurses who reported work harassment indicated they were considering leaving the profession all together. Bullying and disruptive behaviors capture the attention of patients, providers, and visitors, which can extend to the community. Worse yet, it can impact patient outcomes. According to an article published in FierceHealthcare, a 2013 study in the UK reported that one in four doctors and surgeons and one in three nurses said bullying has caused them to behave in ways that are bad for patient care. Seventy-one percent of doctors and nurses linked incivility to medical errors, and 27% tied it to a patient’s death! So, what exactly is going on? And how do we stop it? The Workplace Bullying Institute says bullying is repeated, harmful mistreatment by one or more perpetrators who target their victims with conduct that is threatening, humiliating, abusive, isolating, and/or sabotaging. While some forms of bullying are overt, others are more subtle, such as:
Unfortunately, bullying can also be more overt. For example:
Although anyone can be a target of bullying, often they are the coworkers who are the most positive, kind, cooperative, well educated, well-liked by upper management, or skilled at their jobs. These people are even more prone to suffer greatly at the hands of bullies, sometimes feeling embarrassed and inadequate, resulting in symptoms that may include:
But there are ways to address bullying and create a better work environment for everyone. When targeted by a bully:
Call it what it is Acknowledge that you are being psychologically harassed. Speak up Politely and quietly call out the incident when it happens. State the problem and the possible consequences if it doesn’t change. For example, “If you continue to behave this way toward me or speak to me in this manner, I will have to speak with our manager and make a formal complaint.” If the behavior continues, follow through. I taught my kids the difference between being a Ralph Reporter and a Tommy Tattletale. For the sake of a healthy work environment for all, you have the responsibility to report this conduct. Without action, it’s unlikely the bully will change, and certainly not as quickly as needed. Document it Bullies rarely treat someone badly in front of supervisors. Without obsessing about it, document each incident. Record the date and time of each event and eyewitnesses, if any. If bullying is digital or written, make copies. (Before making a digital recording of the abuse, make sure you reside in a single-consent recording state, meaning it’s legal for you to record verbal exchanges without his or her knowledge.) Report it Once you document the bully’s behavior, take it to your immediate supervisor. If your supervisor is the bully, report them to their manager. When making your case, frame the issue on how it impacts care and productivity. Even though your emotional toll is legitimate, it’s best to emphasize how the bullying affects team morale, work performance, and patient care. Expect possible retaliation It’s likely the bully will hear about your report. Don’t be surprised if they get back at you in subtle ways, even if they’ve promised your manager they will make amends. Record these incidents too, should they occur. Practice selfcare Being the target of bullying is extremely stressful. Make your health a priority. Be vigilant about getting good nutrition, sleep and exercise. Practice the Stress Reduction tips and selfcare strategies in your SelfCare for HealthCare™ program. Remember to use your skills of deep breathing, positive thinking, laughter. Forgiveness will be a crucial tool, as well as connecting with your Higher Power. If you are not a victim of lateral violence, but you witness it, you can have an impact on improving your work environment.
Wise people have known for years that the secret for harmony in the workplace and everyplace is the Golden Rule. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is the Christian version. But did you know it is the “rule” in most faiths? “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” Buddism “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man.” Judaism “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.” Islam “Blessed is he who preferred his brother before himself.” Baba’i Faith Though simple, this message is radical and contrary to human nature. Human nature is to treat others the way they treat you. But doing so puts them in control. Theirbehavior determines your behavior. The Golden Rule puts you I control. Let’s control our own behaviors, communication, and workplace environments. Another strategy before speaking or acting is to apply the Rotary International’s Four-Way Test. Of the things we think, say or do, ask the following four questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Nurses and all healthcare workers endure difficult working conditions, often going for prolonged periods without food, drink, or even bathroom breaks (in spite of my nagging!) Perhaps worse, they generally cannot step away for a breather when emotions run high or the atmosphere on the unit is tense. They must stay and keep working, to focus on patients who depend on them. But this is no excuse for unkind disrespectful behavior. We are all responsible for creating positive, healthy, joyful work environments. Nurses must be able to work as a team and to depend on each other. We are empowered to keep patients safe, provide high quality care, and deliver a positive patient experience. If bullying or incivility is a common occurrence in your workplace, these outcomes will be compromised. And we took pledges to heal our patients, ourselves and each other. Let’s do unto others as we would have them do unto us. And if we can’t say something nice, let’s not say…or do…anything at all. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
People who consume three servings of milk daily have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality than those consuming lower dairy levels, according to a study in 21 countries. The findings, which were published in The Lancet Journal, run contrary to dietary guidelines for people to minimize consumption of whole-fat dairy products. “Our findings support that consumption of dairy products might be beneficial for mortality and cardiovascular disease, especially in low-income and middle-income countries where dairy consumption is much lower than in North America or Europe,” Dr. Mahshid Dehghan, a senior research associate in nutrition Epidemiology at McMaster University, Canada. One standard serving of dairy included a glass of milk, a cup of yogurt, one slice of cheese, or a teaspoon of butter. Researchers analyzed data on 136,384 people between age 35 and 70 collected between January 2003 and July 2018. Participants were followed up for an average of 9.1 years. When compared with those no consuming milk, the high intake group had lower rates in five categories — total mortality, non-cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular mortality, major cardiovascular disease, and stroke. Researchers noted that the guidelines to consume low-fat dairy are based on saturated fats on a single cardiovascular risk marker of LDL cholesterol. But they also point out that evidence suggests some saturated fats may be beneficial to cardiovascular health. And dairy products may also contain other potentially beneficial compounds, including specific amino acids, unsaturated fats, vitamin K1 and K2, calcium, magnesium, potassium and potentially probiotics. They concluded that “consumption of dairy products should not be discouraged.” Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! By LeAnn Thieman. This was originally published on LeAnn's blog.
In 2013, about 30 percent of Americans said they slept six hours or less at night, but that number increased to 33 percent by 2017, according to findings published online in the journal Sleep. Sleep experts recommend that most adults get 7 to 8 hours of good quality sleep each night. The University of Southern California in Los Angeles researchers said many factors could account of lack of sleep. Some people are troubled by economic insecurity. Some feel they are working longer and harder for less. There is also a growing stress level associated with our increasingly connected world. People are glued to their cellphones, reading news and Twitter and Facebook, and seeing world, national and local troubles delivered right to devices in their hands. In addition, people are staying up binge watching TV or movies on tablets and cell phones. Hispanic and black Americans showed the largest increases in inadequate sleep. The number of black study participants who said they slept less than six hours rose from 35 percent in 2004 to 42 percent in 2016. Among Hispanics, it went from 26 percent to 33 percent during that time period. Among white people, those reporting short sleep increased from 29 percent to 31 percent over the same time. By 2017, a 10 percent difference existed between blacks and whites. Not getting enough sleep is tied to increased risk for obesity, decreased mental functioning, dementia, heart disease and diabetes. In addition, getting too little sleep can increase the risk for car crashes, accidents at work and troubled relationships. To learn more about how to increase sleep and improve your selfcare, visit LeAnn at SelfCare for HealthCare™. Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success! |
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