Never forget that your employees are your greatest asset. None of us succeed without others above and below supporting us in our effort to manage and lead.
Just a note to let you know that I am still in the blogsphere! I am still on blog sabbatical but will be back soon!
In thinking about the questions surrounding Michael Jackson’s death and the alleged drug addiction, most are quick to point the finger at the physician. While the media is on a “war path” to find and to accuse, I wonder if any of the reporters consider that healthcare providers are required to assess and control a patient’s pain.
In a 2008 statement by the Joint Commission Accreditation Health Organization (JCAHO) stated, “Effective pain management is a crucial component of good health care, and treating pain is the responsibility of all caregivers.” Anyone who has worked the Emergency Room (ER) can tell you stories all night about patients complaining of pain…is it real or not? Pain is not necessarily something that can be objectively measured, rather it is subjectively conveyed by the patient to the physician.
So there you are…working in a hospital…abiding by the JCAHO guidelines and also weighing the possibility that the patient is a “drug seeking” addict. Some might argue severe pain can result from drug addiction withdrawal.
Then of course on those occasions that drug seeking patients who are denied drugs in the ER…they often call hospital administration, state department of health, etc…. accusing the hospital, nurses, and/or physicians of poor care. Meanwhile, innocent healthcare providers are left to defend themselves against the “hearsay” of the addict.
In patient satisfaction surveys, patients are asked, “Was your pain controlled?” The patient has the ability to rate the hospital and the physician lower if they believe their pain was not controlled. Let’s be realistic what situations involving emergency treatment or hospitalization are supposed to be painless? Therein lies the problem…pain control versus painless.
One of the great things about working in healthcare is that it typically attracts caring people. As we strive to provide excellent patient care often team-building sessions occur. Often facilitators of these team-building sessions attempt to get the participants to know each other better. Certainly, it is nice to know some basic human-interest information about your co-workers, but it should not require participants to bear their soul.
There seems to be a growing number of leadership consultants that approach large hospitals, corporations, or other businesses looking to energize and unite their management teams. Many of these leadership consultants fall into the category of “evangelists” peddling their latest “how to book” on leadership and preaching their “hell fire and brimstone” seminars.
I can’t count the number of leadership evangelists that I have ran across in the last 7-8 years. The ones that really blow my mind are the “experts” that are from areas of the U.S. that have the most industry failure in the nation.
What ever happened to the leadership that was hired to run the organization? Leadership, vision, and organizational enthusiasm cannot be delegated nor can it be bought. Save your money…try hiring and promoting good leaders. What a novel idea!
~ Jessica Bond
Having a personal career and life strategy is key. You are the CEO of your career and life - no one else can do that for you.
The Weekend Edition of the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports details of Steve Jobs’ recent liver transplant. While I am still puzzled as to how such articles pass the federal laws on Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Mr. Jobs’ health information continues to be in the public domain.
