June 19th is World Sickle Cell Awareness Day

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Were you aware that June 19th is World Sickle Cell Awareness Day? In fact, June 19th has been set aside as World Sickle Cell Awareness Day for more than a decade. Beginning in 2008, World Sickle Cell Awareness Day has been observed on a yearly basis in order to help boost the general public’s fund of knowledge and increase awareness of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).

In addition, the World Sickle Cell Awareness Day observance brings some much needed attention to the painful, time-consuming battles that the afflicted people and their loved ones go through on a regular basis. SCD affects millions of individuals globally, including both adults and children. In the United States, nearly 100,000 individuals are afflicted with SCD.

SCD, the most prevalent form of a genetically inherited blood disorder that causes the shape of red blood cells to be abnormally crescent-shaped like a sickle, is a potentially lethal disease process. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), SCD is one of the leading causes of early death among children under the age of five in multiple African countries.

Healthy people who are not affected by SCD have normal, round, dome-shaped red blood cells that possess enough flexibility to move swiftly across small blood vessels without causing blockages. The abnormal hemoglobin that characterizes SCD leads to sickle ‘C’-shaped red blood cells. Sickle-shaped cells are inflexible and often become stuck in small blood vessels, resulting in occluded blood flow, blood clots, chronic pain and infections.

The blood clots that form in the bodies of people with SCD can lead to horrendous pain in many areas such as the hands, feet and trunk. The occluded blood flow can also result in damage to the bones, muscles and organs (WHO, 2017). SCD sufferers frequently have fatigue, weakness, tiredness and pallor. They sometimes seem to have a pale or ashen appearance and the whites of their eyes and skin often have a yellowish undertone.

To observe World Sickle Cell Awareness Day, people can use the hashtags #ConquerSCD!, #WorldSCDawarenessDay and #WorldSCDay to spread awareness about the burdens of sickle cell disease on social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. People can also visit local a children’s hospital due to the reality they may encounter one or more chronically ill children who have been hospitalized because of SCD.

REFERENCES

World Health Organization. (2017). Sickle Cell Disease. Retrieved June 10, 2019, from https://www.afro.who.int/health-topics/sickle-cell-disease

June 14th is National Wear Blue Day

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June 14th is National Wear Blue Day, and the month of June has been designated as Men’s Health Month. Throughout this month, the general public and members of the healthcare community can observe Men’s Health Month by displaying a warm show of support for men and the health issues that are most likely to affect their lives.

Men’s Health Month is the optimal time to encourage men and boys to seek routine checkups from healthcare providers. Obtaining checkups and physical exams from physicians and other healthcare providers can increase the likelihood of preventing health problems and/or catching health issues before they become life-threatening.

To become a part of the healthcare community, consider training to become a nursing assistant (CNA). Legacy Healthcare Careers offers quality two-week CNA training programs at an affordable cost. Call (682)626-5266 to schedule a tour, ask questions, or enroll in CNA training classes at Legacy Healthcare Careers in Texas.

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month

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June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. In other words, the month of June is the perfect time of the year to show unwavering support for the millions of unfortunate sufferers globally who are afflicted with Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia. The month of June is also a prime time to acknowledge caregivers for the diligent work they do behind the scenes for those struggling with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

According to the UCSF Memory and Aging Center (2019), dementia is a general term that describes any disease process that causes changes in memory skills and/or thinking skills that is severe enough to impair an individual’s daily functioning. Some aspects of daily functioning that can be profoundly affected by dementia include routine tasks such as driving, grocery shopping, managing household finances, maintaining employment, communication, and so forth.

In addition, multiple types of dementia are in existence. The most common type of dementia is Alzheimer’s dementia, better known as Alzheimer’s disease.  The part of the brain that contributes to the formation of new memories tends to be affected very early on in the Alzheimer’s dementia disease process, and this is one of the reasons why short-term memory loss is normally one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s (UCSF Memory and Aging Center, 2019).

Since June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, what can people do to show their support for the millions of persons who suffer with dementia, as well as their brave caregivers? There are a number of actions people can take during the month of June to show support and spread awareness regarding the truly devastating Alzheimer’s disease epidemic. Some ideas to display steadfast support for dementia sufferers and their devoted caregivers have been listed below.

  1. Wear purple to show support for the themes and purpose that revolve around Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month. Purple is the official color.
  2. Offer to volunteer at a memory care center or nursing home that specializes in dementia and memory care issues. These residents often enjoy volunteers.
  3. Utilize the hashtags #EndAlzheimers and #EndAlz on social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to spread awareness.
  4. Participate in a walk to end Alzheimer’s disease. These walks are organized and held in more than six hundred communities across the United States yearly.
  5. Discuss preventive and protective techniques. Measures such as regular exercise, healthy eating, low alcohol intake, ample rest, maintenance of good sleep/wake cycles, stress reduction, and social engagement are all excellent ways to potentially prevent Alzheimer’s disease and practice self care at the same time.
  6. Do not forget about the myriad of other health problems that have a detrimental impact on the brain. Illnesses that can negatively affect the brain, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, need to be treated if present (UCSF Memory and Aging Center, 2019).

REFERENCES

UCSF Memory and Aging Center. (2019). Dementia & the Brain. Retrieved June 9, 2019, from https://memory.ucsf.edu/dementia-brain

Do you want an invigorating career as a paid, professional caregiver? Think about becoming a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Legacy Healthcare Careers offers two-week CNA training programs at their Mid Cities area school. Job placement assistance is available, so call (682)626-5266 to enroll.

The Top Five Abilities Needed For a Career in Healthcare

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Many people know that healthcare is an enormous industry in the US as well as around the world. This essentially means that healthcare is home to a large number of job openings that must be filled with qualified candidates on a regular basis. Also, most of these jobs come with advantages such as steady income, benefits, flexible work schedules, great colleagues, and a refreshing sense of fulfillment that most people can only achieve from providing assistance to others in need.

Therefore, the healthcare and medical fields have the potential to offer lucrative job opportunities to masses of people on a tremendously massive scale. In addition, the majority of people will always require healthcare and medical services throughout the length of their lifespans. This is true with or without regard to peoples’ health statuses. Still, several defined abilities exist that persons would be wise to learn if they are seriously thinking about joining the ranks of the healthcare sector.

The following list contains some descriptions of the specific abilities that people need in order to succeed in healthcare and the medical field on a long term basis. Smart readers will soon recognize a very noteworthy pattern: none of these abilities are hands-on procedural skills. This is because a worker can be outstanding in the realm of performing medical procedures and, at the same time, act in an utterly horrid manner toward the same patients who need those procedures.

The Top Five Abilities People Need For a Career in the Healthcare Industry

  1. Problem Sensitivity is the ability of an individual to determine when something is wrong or is highly likely to go wrong. This ability does not have anything to do with actually working toward resolution of the problem. Rather, problem sensitivity only deals with accurate recognition of actual and potential problems. An example of a healthcare worker displaying problem sensitivity is a nursing assistant who recognizes that something might go terribly wrong when he sees a confused patient trying to pull out her IV line.
  2. Deductive Reasoning is the ability to move from generalizations to specifics in order to formulate solutions and solve problems in the workplace. For instance, a nurse might have generalized that people with good cardiovascular health work out routinely. The nurse then meets a 90-year-old lady in good cardiovascular health before using deducting reasoning to come up with the specific conclusion that this elder probably exercises routinely. The nurse uses deductive reasoning to design a fitness initiative in her community hospital.
  3. Inductive Reasoning is the ability to assemble specific bits of data and information to formulate general conclusions about occurrences in the workplace. An example of someone in the medical field using inductive reasoning is a clinic manager who notices that a certain medical assistant always arrives to work at 8:30am. This particular medical assistant is never late to work. The clinic manager comes up with the general conclusion that if the medical assistant continues to arrive at work at 8:30am, she will never be late to the workplace.
  4. Adaptability refers to one’s ability to deal with change, approach different situations as they arise, and work either alone or with other people as part of a team. The ability to adapt is a notably broad trait that most employers prefer workers to possess. In essence, adaptability is the ability to manage workplace changes and respond in a beneficial manner. Since the healthcare field is constantly evolving, healthcare workers must have the ability to adapt to changes.
  5. Prioritization is the ability of a person to properly rearrange workplace activities in order of importance relative to each other. In the context of the medical field, the ability to prioritize is crucial in clinical workplace settings that call upon workers to multitask. In these workplace environments, healthcare workers must juggle various priorities and figure out which tasks are most important during each workday. For instance, one patient’s complaint of chest pain must be prioritized over another patient’s request for pancake syrup.

Join the ranks of the healthcare field in just two weeks at Legacy Healthcare Careers by completing the two-week CNA training program. Call (682)626-5266 to enroll.

The Top Skills Needed to Work in the Healthcare Field

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Healthcare is a huge, vast industry in the United States. In other words, the healthcare industry is bursting at the seams with plenty of job openings that need to be filled. Furthermore, the majority of these positions come with perks such as steady pay, fringe benefits, flexible shifts, cool coworkers, excitement, and an invigorating sense of purpose that can only be derived from giving of oneself to help other people make it through their days with big smiles.

In essence, the healthcare field has the capacity to provide extremely good employment opportunities to millions of people in the United States because it is so very enormous. Many people in this country require direct care and other indirect services related to healthcare. Nonetheless, there are a number of top skills that people should either possess or work hard to develop if they are considering a healthcare career.

The following is a list and description of the general skills that are needed in order to be successful in the healthcare industry on a long-term basis. Astute readers should take note that none of these are hands-on procedural skills. After all, a person can be excellent when it comes to performing medical procedures while being totally awful to the people who require those same procedures to be performed on them.

The Top Five Skills Individuals Need For a Career in the Healthcare Industry

  1. Service orientation is a skill that is totally necessary to survive as a healthcare worker on a long-term basis. Service orientation is defined as a mindset that calls upon a person to actively seek ways to provide assistance (a.k.a. service) to others. A major aspect of working in the healthcare field is ensuring the provision of assistance to patients, their families and others. In a nutshell, healthcare workers deliver services to people.
  2. Communication skills are absolutely imperative for working in the healthcare field. Communication skills include verbal communication, which is the act of speaking and voicing things to other people to get one’s points and information across in an effective manner. Communication skills also involve nonverbal communication, which is the act of using body language, gestures, tone of voice, facial expressions, shrugging, eye movement and posture to convey messages.
  3. Observation is the skill of paying attention to and analyzing the behaviors of oneself and others with the ultimate goal of improving or making corrections as needed. Healthcare workers must continually observe their own actions; also, they observe patients, coworkers, supervisors, families, vendors, visitors and an array of other people. Thus, healthcare workers need to have a keen sense of observation.
  4. Active listening skills are very important to have in the healthcare industry. Active listening skills are the series of deliberate actions people take so they will be able to devote complete attention to what other persons are saying. Some examples of active listening skills include taking the time to comprehend the points individuals are attempting to make, questioning others as needed to gain more clarity, and not interrupting conversations at improper times.
  5. Social awareness is crucial when dealing with people as a healthcare worker. Social awareness can be defined as the skill of comprehending and appropriately responding to the reactions of others and their interpersonal struggles, as well as knowing why they may be reacting in that manner. A socially aware healthcare worker remains fully aware of his or her surroundings and correctly interprets the emotions and actions of the multitude of persons that he or she has met.

If you are in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, get a healthcare career in as quickly as two weeks at Legacy Healthcare Careers. Train to become a nursing assistant (CNA). Call (682)626-5266 to register for CNA classes at our state-approved school.

Healthcare Career Spotlight: Psychiatric Aides

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Depending on the policies and customs of the specific facility, psychiatric aides are also known by a variety of other formal titles such as psychiatric nursing assistants, behavioral health aides, psychiatric nurse aides, mental health technicians and psychiatric orderlies. A psychiatric aide’s role involves providing assistance to patients with mental or behavioral health issues under the direct supervision of licensed nursing staff and/or physicians.

A psychiatric aide performs a wide assortment of workplace duties that may include provision of assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs), facilitation of therapeutic group activities, responding to behavioral outbursts and/or catastrophic reactions, and transporting patients to and from examinations and treatments via wheelchair or stretcher. On occasion, psychiatric aides might restrain combative patients.

Psychiatric aides also conduct physical safety checks, measure and record vital signs, observe patients for harmful behavior, report changes in condition to nursing staff, serve meals as needed, participate in the admissions and discharge processes, obtain finger stick blood glucose readings on diabetic patients, disinfect rooms, maintain cleanliness of shared patient quarters, and provide emotional support to patients.

Psychiatric aides need to possess outstanding communication skills due to their very frequent encounters with patients, visitors, nurses, physicians, counselors and other members of the multidisciplinary care team. In addition, psychiatric aides should have a nonjudgmental demeanor and the ability to remain calm in the presence of stressful situations and/or combative patients. Psychiatric aides must also be able to manage multiple tasks at once in busy environments.

To become a psychiatric aide, an interested candidate usually needs a minimum of a high school diploma or GED before completing on-the-job training to prepare for the workplace role. In many instances, certification as a nursing assistant (CNA) is desired or preferred for many psychiatric aide job positions. Psychiatric aides typically work at freestanding psychiatric hospitals, psychiatric wards contained within general acute care hospitals, and chemical dependency centers.

Are you interested in this healthcare career? Call Legacy Healthcare Careers at (682)626-5266 for healthcare career training in the DFW area of Texas.

Healthcare Career Spotlight: Orthopedic Technicians

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So, what exactly is an orthopedic technician? An orthopedic technician, also known as a certified orthopedic technologist, is an allied healthcare professional who assists physicians and orthopedic surgeons with a variety of tasks in a number of clinical settings. Orthopedic technicians may assist with a wide array of tasks such as rooming patients, helping doctors with minor procedures, and applying and removing casts, splints, sutures, surgical staples and incision dressings.

Orthopedic technicians might also provide assistance to doctors and physicians in the adjustment of patients’ joints and bones. Depending on the workplace setting, they may also be entrusted with providing aftercare education and helping patients learn to properly use specialized braces and orthopedic devices. Meanwhile, the orthopedic technician charts patients’ responses to the devices as well as the education provided.

Employment opportunities for orthopedic technicians can be found in an impressive assortment of workplaces that provide healthcare services. Orthopedic technicians can secure employment in places such as clinics, doctors offices, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care centers, freestanding emergency rooms, multi specialty orthopedic practices, medical supply laboratories, hospitals and post acute physical rehabilitation centers.

Ideally, an orthopedic technician should be able to perform under pressure due to the different demands that come from patients, bosses, doctors, vendors and others on a daily basis. In addition, orthopedic technicians should have some empathy for the painful conditions that their patients might be experiencing. Orthopedic technicians should also be patient, extremely organized, calm and caring.

Individuals who are interested in becoming orthopedic technicians need to have earned a high school diploma or GED. The next step is to complete a certified orthopedic technology training program. Many employers also prefer that candidates complete a medical assistant (MA) training program or nursing assistant (CNA) training program in order to learn additional patient care skills that might not be fully covered during the course of orthopedic technology schooling.

REFERENCES

The Doctors Clinic. (2008, October). Orthopedic Technican Sample Job Description. Retrieved May 20, 2019, from http://www.thedoctorsclinic.com/pdfs/jobdescriptions/Orthopedic%20Technician.pdf

National Nurses Week 2019: Where to Get Free Food!

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Legacy Healthcare Careers proudly joins the lengthy list of organizations to celebrate National Nurses Week 2019, observed during the week of May 6th through May 12th. The point of this week-long observance to bring attention to the importance of the nursing profession and make the public aware of the central role nurses play in the provision of healthcare to people across the country.

National Nurses Week takes place once a year beginning on May 6, also known as National Nurses Day, through the end of the day on May 12, the date of birth of Florence Nightingale, founder of the modern day nursing profession. National Nurses Week is a time for all stakeholders to take note of the useful contributions and beneficial impact of America’s 4 million registered nurses and 1 million licensed practical nurses

Moreover, National Nurses Week 2019’s theme is “4 Million Reasons to Celebrate.” Join Legacy Healthcare Careers in celebrating the unspoken contributions of nurses in the US, who remain at the helm of enhancing patient care and changing the healthcare system for the better. After all, nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system in the US, so they deserve recognition for all the great things they routinely do.

Some nurses may be wondering where they can receive free or deeply discounted food items during National Nurses Week. Well, these bargain-hunters are in luck because the following retailers are offering freebies to licensed nurses this week.

  1. Cinnabon will give out one free MiniBon roll or a four-count order of BonBites to nurses who display their workplace ID badges until Friday, May 10th.
  2. Cotton Patch Cafe will grant nurses a whopping 20% discount on all orders until Friday, May 10th when they display their workplace ID badges.
  3. Some participating Dunkin’ Donuts locations will give out one free 16 ounce roast iced coffee between the hours of 4:00pm to 10:00pm through May 12th to all nurses who display their workplace ID badges.
  4. Nurses who wear their scrubs or work uniforms will receive a free fountain drink or cookie at the Potbelly sandwich shop throughout this week. Also, the Potbelly is offering a buy one /get one free deal on sandwiches for nurses this week.
  5. Einstein Bro’s Bagels will give a free breakfast to nurses on May 11th as long as they are dressed in scrubs or present their workplace ID badges.
  6. Chipotle is offering a buy one-get one 50% off deal for healthcare professionals on Wednesday, May 8th.

May is Mental Heath Awareness Month

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Since mental health issues can directly affect a person’s body, mind and spirit, this piece brings up the importance of getting rid of the pervasive stigma associated with mental illnesses. This month-long observance had been started 70+ years ago by Mental Health America to boost awareness regarding mental health issues and emphasize the significance of optimal mental health for all people.

The observation of Mental Health Month has several goals. For one, this observance is a respectful way to support the millions of nameless Americans whose lives are affected by mental health issues. One more goal of Mental Health Month is to bolster the public’s understanding of the intricacies connected with mental illness. Finally, Mental Health Month is a way to eliminate myths and educate people on mental health issues.

Those who work in the healthcare field are exposed to patients and clients with mental health issues all the time. In fact, it is estimated that approximately half of all elderly nursing facility residents are afflicted with depressive disorders. Depression is the most prevalent mental health disorder since it affects an estimated 300 million individuals; in addition, it tends to strike women more often than men (DuBois-Maahs, 2018).

Other common mental health conditions that are seen in the healthcare system with striking regularity include bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and dementia. Clients who are afflicted with these mental health issues deserve to be seen in a nonjudgmental manner by healthcare providers and allied healthcare workers who have solid understandings of their afflictions.

To spread awareness of Mental Health Month and show support for the millions of sufferers of mental health problems, individuals can take the following actions.

  • Utilize the hashtags #MentalHealthMonth2019, #mentalhealth, #anxietysupport, #MentalHealthMonth and #depressionsupport when posting on social media outlets such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter as much as reasonably possible during the month of May.
  • Re-post and repeat informative facts on mental health issues. For instance, people might be surprised to find out for the first time that depression is the most common mental health problem for women, and that women are afflicted with depression at twice the rate of men.
  • Send supportive greeting cards and/or letters to your local psychiatric hospital. Direct these greeting cards and letters to the attention of patients and patient care staff so they will be more likely to be received by the intended recipients.

REFERENCES

DuBous-Maahs, J. (2018, October). The Top Five Most Common Mental Illnesses. Retrieved May 3, 2019, from https://www.talkspace.com/blog/the-top-five-most-common-mental-illnesses/

National Council for Behavioral Health. (2019). Mental Health Month. Retrieved May 3, 2019, from https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/mental-health-month/

 

CNAs Regularly Get Promoted in the Long Term Care Setting

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The title of this piece says it all: certified nursing assistants, better known as CNAs, are often promoted to specialized, supervisory or lower management positions in the long term care setting. The varied positions that CNAs are promoted to generally come with alluring perks such as increases in pay, daytime work hours, some authority, chances for career mobility, and more desirable job duties and responsibilities.

So, what types of promotions can CNAs in the long term nursing facility setting receive? CNAs who start their careers in the long term care setting can be promoted into the roles of staffing coordinator, restorative nursing assistant, medical records clerk, shower aide, and central supply manager. These roles all entail some degree of autonomy and require the CNA to be a motivated self-starter with an eagerness to learn new things.

CNAs Can Be Staffing Coordinators

Staffing coordinators are utilized by both hospitals and nursing homes to be responsible for the smooth coordination of schedules and staffing by making sure all shifts at a healthcare facility are covered with adequate numbers of staff members. They closely work alongside nurse managers and supervisors to predict staffing needs and ensure the projected numbers of staff members will be available to cover shifts.

CNAs Can Be Restorative Nursing Assistants

A restorative nursing assistant, often called a restorative nurse aide, is a multi-skilled allied healthcare worker who is trained in the provision of restorative care tasks to patients under the supervision of a licensed nurse. A restorative nursing assistant delivers interventions and implements multiple therapies to patients as delegated to them by the nurse who oversees the nursing facility’s restorative nursing program.

CNAs Can Be Medical Records Clerks

A medical records clerk, sometimes known as a medical records technician, works to ensure patients and residents have accurate medical records. Duties involve assembly, processing, maintenance and proper storage of medical records in accordance with medical, administrative and and regulatory mandates to render them easily accessible between healthcare providers, insurance companies, and the rest of the facility staff.

CNAs Can Be Central Supply Managers

In the long term care setting, central supply managers are tasked with purchasing and obtaining supplies that are needed for patient care such as gloves, personal protective equipment, scales, mechanical lifts, beds, linens, mattresses and other medical supplies. A central supply manager stays in constant contact with vendors and suppliers, adheres to administrative budgets, rents equipment, and checks pricing prior to placing orders.

CNAs Can Be Shower Aides

A shower aide is responsible for the task of providing showers and/or baths, as well as other routine grooming care, to specifically assigned residents in the nursing facility setting. Shower aides typically help residents with personal hygiene and grooming. In addition, they sometimes assist with other daily care tasks for residents. They ensure residents receive showers and/or baths in accordance with predetermined schedules.

Do you want to be promoted into one of these healthcare roles one day in the near future? Become a CNA by enrolling in one of Legacy Healthcare Careers’ two-week nurse aide (CNA) training programs. If you are in the DFW area of Texas, call (682)626-5266 to get started.