Unhappy? Low morale? Try the 5 languages of appreciation in the workplace

Communicating appreciation to staff is critical in healthcare settings today. Five specific Languages of Appreciation have been identified that can be communicated in individualized ways in the workplace to affirm, encourage, mediate stress, and improve employee morale. In tight budget environments, such an employee recognition program doesn't require financial resources or a line item in the budget.     

Demolishing the great wall of biofilms in Gram-negative bacteria: To disrupt or disperse?

Bacterial infections lead to high morbidity and mortality globally. While current therapies against bacteria often employ antibiotics, most bacterial pathogens can form biofilms and prevent effective treatment of infections. Biofilm cells can aggregate and encased themselves in a self-secreted protective exopolymeric matrix, to reduce the penetration by antibiotics. Biofilm formation is mediated by c-di-GMP signaling, the ubiquitous secondary messenger in bacteria. Synthesis of c-di-GMP by diguanylate cyclases leads to biofilm formation via the loss of motility, increased surface attachment, and production of biofilm matrix, whereas c-di-GMP degradation by phosphodiesterases causes biofilm dispersal to new sites via increased bacterial motility and matrix breakdown. The highly variable nature of biofilm development and antimicrobial tolerance imposes tremendous challenges in conventional antimicrobial therapies, indicating an imperative need to develop anti-biofilm drugs against biofilm infections. In this review, we focus on two main emergent approaches—active dispersal and disruption. While both approaches aim to demolish biofilms, we will discuss their fundamental differences and associated methods. Active dispersal of biofilms involves signaling the bacterial cells to leave the biofilm, where resident cells ditch their sessile lifestyle, gain motility and self-degrade their matrix. Biofilm disruption leads to direct matrix degradation that forcibly releases embedded biofilm cells. Without the protection of biofilm matrix, released bacterial cells are highly exposed to antimicrobials, leading to their eradication in biofilm infections. Understanding the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches will allow optimized utility with antimicrobials in clinical settings.     

Constructions of dignity: a pre-requisite for flourishing in the workplace?

yalden b.j. & mccormack b. (2010) Constructions of dignity: a pre-requisite for flourishing in the workplace? International Journal of Older People Nursing 5 , 137–147 Aims. To explore the relationship between nurses’ understanding of dignity and how it is enhanced and developed in their practice environment. Background. Dignity is a ubiquitous concept in an era of healthcare reform yet is referred to almost exclusively in terms of the quality of care delivered to support the experience of the patient rather than the caregivers engaged in the relationships of care. This article focuses on dignity in the professional life of nurses in aged care. Method. This is part of a doctoral study of the implementation of a palliative approach in residential aged care using emancipatory practice development methodology. Constructions of dignity were co-created with participants through creative reflective activities and subsequently analysed using reflexive methods and data from other sources within the study. Results. Constructions of dignity and subsequent actions taken by nurses on their own behalf to articulate their experiences of transforming practice are interconnected with dignity enhancing relationships and emancipatory ways of working in practice development. Conclusions. Dignity enhancing ways of working in an active learning group and workplace have been interlinked with actions that promote person-centredness in developing a palliative approach to care.     

The treatment of neck and low back pain: who seeks care? who goes where?

BACKGROUND: Neck and low back pain are leading causes of morbidity and health care utilization. However, little is known about the characteristics that differentiate those who seek from those who do not seek health care for their pain. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: 1) describe health care utilization for neck and back pain; 2) determine the characteristics of individuals seeking health care for neck and back pain; and 3) identify the characteristics of patients who consult medical doctors, chiropractors, or both. DESIGN: Population-based cross-sectional mailed survey. SUBJECTS: Subjects were randomly selected adults from the Saskatchewan Health Insurance and Registration File. MEASURES: Demographic, socio-economic, general health, comorbidity, health-related-quality-of-life, pain severity and health care utilization data were collected. The main outcome was whether subjects with prevalent neck or low back pain visited a health care provider in the previous month. RESULTS: Twenty-five percent of individuals with neck or low back pain visited a health care provider. Seeking health care was associated with disabling neck or back pain, digestive disorders, worse bodily pain and worse physical-role-functioning. Compared with medical patients, fewer chiropractic patients lived in rural areas or reported arthritis, but they reported better social and physical functioning. More patients consulting both providers reported disabling neck or back pain. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals seeking care for neck or back pain have worse health status than those who do not seek care. Patients consulting chiropractors alone report fewer comorbidities and are less limited in their activities than those consulting medical doctors.     

Meaningful information or a bureaucratic exercise? Exploring the value of routine outcome measurement in mental health

Routine outcome measures have been introduced into mental health services throughout Australia, with the ultimate aim of developing standards for service delivery, and a means to determine the extent to which these standards are being realised in practice. Criticism that the existing measures are not reflecting the aspects of mental health care and treatment considered important by the consumers of those services is common and widespread. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility, effectiveness, and assumptions underlying routine outcome measures used by Victorian mental health services from the perspective of service users. Two focus group interviews were conducted with consumer members of a group known as Psych. Action and Training (a group of consumers and senior nurses with a commitment to consumer participation). The findings demonstrated criticism of the outcome measures routinely used in Victoria. The three main themes to emerge were: assumptions behind routine outcome measures; consumer concerns with routine outcome measures; and consumer perspective: purpose, process and principles.     

Employee satisfaction: code red in the workplace?

Concerns about employee satisfaction are just as critical in the health care industry as they are in other business sectors. This article highlights the commonality of employee opinion survey questions (from 3 sources) that most highly correlate with employee satisfaction. A visual coaching tool for managers will be introduced that enables managers to facilitate constructive work group conversations about their experience of workplace satisfaction and generate ideas they can implement for improvement.     

Meaningful Information or a Bureaucratic Exercise? Exploring the Value of Routine Outcome Measurement in Mental Health

Routine outcome measures have been introduced into mental health services throughout Australia, with the ultimate aim of developing standards for service delivery, and a means to determine the extent to which these standards are being realised in practice. Criticism that the existing measures are not reflecting the aspects of mental health care and treatment considered important by the consumers of those services is common and widespread. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility, effectiveness, and assumptions underlying routine outcome measures used by Victorian mental health services from the perspective of service users. Two focus group interviews were conducted with consumer members of a group known as Psych. Action and Training (a group of consumers and senior nurses with a commitment to consumer participation). The findings demonstrated criticism of the outcome measures routinely used in Victoria. The three main themes to emerge were: assumptions behind routine outcome measures; consumer concerns with routine outcome measures; and consumer perspective: purpose, process and principles.