At 国产主播, the journey from classroom to career is a transformative experience, and no one understands this better than Diana L., our Career Services associate director at the Orange County campus. With a passion for student success and a background in HR and recruitment, Diana has dedicated the last four years to helping students not only achieve their career goals but also discover their “why” in the healthcare field. 

A Passion for People: From Recruitment to Career Services 

Diana’s journey to 国产主播 began in the healthcare recruitment industry, where she connected with aspiring nurses and healthcare professionals. Her role allowed her to delve into the personal stories of candidates, understanding their motivations and aspirations. This interest in people鈥檚 stories is what drew her to a career in Career Services at 国产主播. 

“I was always interested in getting to know the candidates’ stories and understanding why they became nurses,” Diana explained. “When I learned about what 国产主播 does to prepare its students for the job search, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.” 

Transitioning from recruitment to Career Services was a natural fit for Diana. It allowed her to continue her passion for guiding individuals on their career paths while also playing a more direct role in their professional development. 

“I love getting to know all my students, learning about their journeys, and helping them with the skills they need to excel in their interviews and job search,” she said. 

The Heart of Career Services: Understanding the Student’s “Why” 

For Diana, one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is understanding each student’s unique reason for pursuing a career in nursing. 

“Every student has their own story, often rooted in personal experiences,” she shared. 

Whether it’s a former CNA who discovered their calling through hands-on care or a volunteer who found their passion in the hospital setting, these stories are what drive Diana to provide the best support possible. 

She emphasizes the importance of helping students articulate their “why” during the job search process. 

“Employers want to know why a candidate chose nursing as a career, and it鈥檚 our job to help students convey that passion in a way that resonates during interviews,” she explained. 

From Student to Professional: A Journey of Growth 

Diana described Career Services as the “endpoint” in a student’s journey at 国产主播, where all their hard work culminates in landing their first nursing position. This journey is often filled with emotions 鈥� nerves, excitement, and a sense of achievement.聽

“It’s incredibly rewarding to receive that call or email from a student saying they’ve received an offer,” Diana said. “Seeing their growth from their first day in nursing school to the moment they accept a job offer is one of the best parts of my role.” 

She takes pride in the fact that her team is there every step of the way, from preparing students for interviews to celebrating their successes. But Diana is quick to remind students that their success is ultimately due to their hard work and determination. 

“I always tell them, ‘It was all you.’ They put in the effort, excelled in school, and presented themselves well during interviews,” she added. 

A Collaborative Culture Focused on Students 

What makes 国产主播 truly unique, according to Diana, is its student-centric approach. 

“Every decision we make in Career Services is with our students in mind,” she said. 

Whether it鈥檚 planning workshops, organizing employer events, or providing one-on-one support, the goal is always to enhance the student experience and prepare them for success in the real world. 

This student-centric focus is supported by a collaborative culture across all campuses. Diana highlights the teamwork that exists not only within the Career Services department but also with other departments like Student Affairs, the Nursing department, and the NCLEX team. 

“We all have different roles, but at the end of the day, we work together with a common goal: our students,” she explained. 

The post 国产主播’s Career Services Elevates Graduate Success聽by Empowering Students appeared first on 国产主播.

If you want to make a meaningful impact across populations on both a local and global scale, a public health degree opens the door to exciting opportunities 鈥� from tackling disease outbreaks to improving your community鈥檚 wellness. Public health employees in the healthcare, government, education, and nonprofit sectors, doing work that upholds and/or directly shapes policies.

Professionals with a public health degree commonly pursue a few of the following roles:

• Biostatistician: Analyzes statistical data to identify trends.
• Epidemiologist: Investigates disease outbreaks, patterns, and causes.
• Public Health Educator: Creates programs to improve community health.
• Health Services Manager: Oversees healthcare facility operations and staff.
• Substance Abuse Counselor: Assists individuals in overcoming addiction.
• Environmental Health Specialist: Monitors and ensures environmental safety.
• Public Health Research Assistant: Supports research through data analysis.

It鈥檚 crucial to recognize that the type of job you can pursue in the field of public health greatly depends on your education. Certain sectors 鈥� such as healthcare and government 鈥� may also require relevant work experience. Enrolling in a Bachelor of Science in Public Health program or a Master of Public Health program allows you to hone your knowledge and skills through hands-on experience.

What is Public Health?

Public health is the branch of science dedicated to protecting and enhancing the health of populations 鈥� ranging from local neighborhoods to entire global regions. This multidisciplinary approach brings together professionals from diverse backgrounds who leverage their education, research, and policy making skills to assess, prevent, and address health threats on a daily basis.

By investigating factors such as environmental conditions, community settings, and social determinants, public health experts create and carry out measures designed to improve health outcomes. The field is a crucial cornerstone for essential initiatives, such as vaccination campaigns, educational outreach, and the maintenance of regulatory standards, all of which aim to foster healthier communities and curb widespread disease.

Public health also plays a pivotal role in addressing health disparities and enhancing healthcare access for underserved populations. Its broad scope touts significant achievements such as the eradication of smallpox, reduction of tobacco use, and implementation of strategies to improve maternal health outcomes. Through its proactive approach, public health continues to drive progress and contribute to a healthier future for all.

Skills Needed for Public Health Careers

Pursuing a career in public health requires a unique blend of skills tailored to address health challenges. This might mean monitoring a novel influenza strain at the start of winter or working toward reducing a sudden uptick in overdoses; each day is unique. Some of the most common skills you鈥檒l need as a public health professional include a few of the following:

• Communication: Effective communication is essential for conveying critical health information and engaging diverse audiences. Public health professionals constantly collaborate with healthcare providers, organizations, government officials, and the general public, so all information must be disseminated accurately.
• Leadership: Managing teams, driving initiatives, and coordinating efforts across stakeholders and organizations are crucial for achieving impactful public health outcomes.
• Research: Designing, conducting, and interpreting studies is essential for informing evidence-based practices and policies in public health.
• Adaptability: Public health professionals must navigate dynamic landscapes, meaning they must be able to swiftly respond to emerging health challenges. Flexibility allows for resilient responses to unforeseen crises like disease outbreaks or natural disasters.
• Problem-Solving: Analyzing complex health issues, developing innovative solutions, and pinpointing community health needs are essential tasks for public health workers. Quick problem-solving also allows for effective crisis management and response in critical situations.
• Advocacy and Cultural Competence: Influencing policy decisions, championing community health needs, and ensuring equitable access to healthcare resources are vital aspects of advocacy. Public health servants are also expected to understand diverse cultural perspectives.

Where Can Bachelor鈥檚 in Public Health Graduates Work?

A Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) is an undergraduate program that prepares you to find entry-level employment (though some organizations hire BSPH graduates for mid-level roles) in sectors such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions. When selecting a BSPH program, consider its key components, such as the learning format (online or in-person), program length, and transferability of your credits.

Graduates with a BSPH may find employment and conduct the following tasks across a few of these :

• Healthcare Facilities: Assist in management or serve as public health educators within hospitals, clinics, and community health centers.
• Government Agencies: Implement public health policies across local, state, or federal levels, conduct outreach programs, and manage data analysis.
• Nonprofit Organizations (Local Focus): Contribute to initiatives aimed at community health improvement, disease prevention, and health education.
• Academic Institutions: Assist with developing and implementing health education programs in public schools or universities.
• Research Institutions: Support research efforts in public health, epidemiology, or health behavior studies.

Credits from a Bachelor鈥檚 in Public Health may transfer directly to a Master of Public Health program. Earning a public health degree is also an excellent stepping stone for medical school as it provides a solid foundation in understanding health systems, epidemiology, and community health.

Where do Master of Public Health Graduates Work?

A Master of Public Health (MPH) is a graduate program that helps prepare you to find mid-level and advanced positions in sectors such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and academic institutions.

Those with a Master of Public Health have advanced skills and knowledge that qualify them for leadership roles in public health practice, policy, and research. This is typically due to the broader range of specializations in graduate programs. Common employment settings for MPH graduates include:

• Government Agencies: Graduates with a Master鈥檚 in Public Health are more likely to spearhead program development, policy formation, or epidemiological investigations than those with an undergraduate degree.
• Global Health Organizations: Directly address global health challenges such as infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and public health emergencies.
• Healthcare Administration: Oversee healthcare programs or departments within hospitals or healthcare systems, focusing on operational efficiency and program implementation to enhance population health outcomes.
• Academic Institutions: Primarily lead or assist with research efforts in public health, epidemiology, or health behavior studies within universities, research institutes, or think tanks.
• Nonprofit Organizations (Global and National Focus): Advocate for health equity, develop community health initiatives, and address specific health issues affecting vulnerable populations. Contrasted to BSPH graduates, MPH graduates are often better equipped to navigate roles that extend beyond local communities and encompass broader-reaching initiatives.

Earn Your BSPH or MPH at WCU

Looking to enroll in a public health degree program? To help you fit your education into your
busy schedule, 国产主播 offers an online Bachelor of Science in Public Health
program and an online Master of Public Health program. Both programs allow you to earn your
degree at an Accelerated pace or Working Professional pace to accommodate your needs.

Learn more about the BSPH and MPH program to get started on your exciting career journey.

The post Jobs You Do Get With a Public Health Degree appeared first on 国产主播.

Every business has its management challenges, and a healthcare organization is no exception. Good patient outcomes require healthcare professionals to pursue and maintain synergy in communication and collaboration. This doesn鈥檛 just mean within each team 鈥� intercommunication 鈥� it requires active communication between teams: intra-communication.

Hospitals in particular operate at a scale where synergy is both essential and challenging to maintain, and confronted with new challenges in recent years. It is therefore incumbent upon healthcare administrators to provide hands-on and adaptive oversight to ensure healthy synergy. So what can a healthcare administrator do to promote synergy?

To create today鈥檚 exploration on this essential health administration skill, we consulted with 国产主播 MHA Professor and former hospital CEO Jake Redden for some insights from his vast experience as a leader in healthcare administration.

Here we鈥檒l talk best practices, practical examples, and current challenges to creating a smooth, synergetic healthcare organization, from connecting the dots to maintaining communication and morale between hospital staff.

The Case for Synergy in Healthcare

In the healthcare profession, stakes are high. At the same time, the size and complexity of a large healthcare organization can feel Byzantine. At a high level, good healthcare management requires removing the 鈥渋nvisible wall鈥� between administration and provider. But true synergy must involve cooperation all the way down to the patient-facing level (and back up again), across disciplines and competencies, organizational structure, and even cultural boundaries.

So how does an effective healthcare administrator keep everyone connected?

Professor Jake Redden emphasizes that 鈥渢he majority of that is setting the vision. As we start to articulate what that vision is, you have to get everyone in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. But that only comes from continually selling that same vision.鈥�

Setting a clear vision as a healthcare leader and including your staff in realizing that vision keeps everyone informed and 鈥� equally important 鈥� passionate. A passionate workforce fueled by a collective, aspirational objective helps connect everyone with the same sense of purpose. Invigorate your team with both inspiration and clarity, so everyone can get down to the work of it. This is where you let your natural leadership and hard-earned administrative acumen shine.

The Vital (Literally) Importance of Good Synergy

The stakes in healthcare are life and death, with a collective focus on pursuing the former and combating the latter. One statistic that puts the importance of synergy in healthcare in sharp and immediate terms is mortality. Medical error is the . This figure highlights the urgency in maintaining workforce symbiosis, and maintaining connective practices between teams to avoid errors attributable to lapsed communication.

Let鈥檚 look at it from a single-patient perspective. One recent survey found that Many of these patients will return to the same hospital repeatedly for treatment of a single condition, and will see multiple providers over the course of treatment. A continuous and thorough flow of information during the transition of care is critical to this patient鈥檚 outcome. In a boots-on-the-ground example, this could mean implementing the bedside handoff at nursing shift change. But what about the larger group?

鈥淲e can do huddles, we can do debriefs, we can do pre-briefs, encouraging those, embedding those into policies,鈥� says Redden. But he also stresses that 鈥渨hat my real job is, is to build capacity in other leaders.鈥�

Which brings us to one of the most powerful skills in a good health administrator:

Empowering Teams and Fostering Leadership

Since synergy is all about sharing, let鈥檚 talk about sharing responsibility. A great leader is an authority but not an authoritarian. Mentoring and teaching the emerging leaders in the team is one of the primary ways a healthcare administrator builds strong communication and community among staff. So how do you empower your team to learn and exercise leadership and confidence among each other? Redden provided an example of how he creates an empowering environment for his teams:

鈥淚n discussion, sometimes I’ll play the novice, and not have an answer to allow someone else to give me the answer,鈥� Redden says. 鈥淭his is to empower them so next time they can take a lead, so they can watch out for each other and stop each other from making those errors before they hit the patient. And instead of me having to be the fixer, I’m building a workforce of fixers. And that’s a force multiplier in how we make monumental change across healthcare.鈥�

Empowering your staff so they don鈥檛 feel powerless when you aren鈥檛 there to 鈥渉ave the answer鈥� helps reduce a team鈥檚 dependency on you, and build the confidence to work together, communicate, and share knowledge and responsibility. Helping a team mature into independence and interdependence to build that trust to work, act together, and share expertise for a greater whole.

Institutional Knowledge: A Shared Responsibility

Speaking of shared expertise, the speed of advancements in healthcare and technology have changed how institutional and medical knowledge lives and travels in a team.

鈥淚t used to be, 50 years ago, you probably had 80% of your healthcare knowledge inside a physician’s brain,鈥� says Redden. 鈥淎nd today the amount of information is doubling every two and a half years. And even right now, 80% of the healthcare knowledge that we have has been discovered in the last 10 years. So it’s impossible for any one person to be really great by themselves. It requires a team approach.鈥�

This means encouraging an atmosphere of curiosity among staff 鈥� an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions, and everyone is generous with their knowledge. To Redden鈥檚 point, this applies crucially to medical expertise, but it can also apply to practical knowledge, even something as simple as showing a newbie where supplies are kept.

But the newbies have knowledge to share, too, and more seasoned staff should be taught openness to receiving new knowledge from their younger colleagues, who might be more tapped into recent thinking, technology, or even cultural sensitivity.

Technology and Communication: Bridging the Generation Gaps

As a leader in healthcare, you鈥檒l be dealing with staff from multiple generations. And each of these generations grew up with different communication technologies and preferences. This can lead to some disruption in synergy when your team has different comfort levels with different mediums of communication, from analog to high-tech.

Advances in healthcare information technology (HIT) create significant advantages to both providers and patients, but the pitfalls come when that same if personnel aren鈥檛 adequately trained or versed in the information-sharing tools being used.

鈥淭here are some people who like emails, some like written policy,鈥� says Redden, 鈥淪o you have to get to know your individual staff, recognize where they look for that communication to occur, and then you gotta do the check backs to make sure they understood what you put out or what that policy is.鈥�

Developing a comprehensive communication strategy that supplements digital and papertrail documentation with in-person checkpoints, handoffs, and huddles is a worthwhile extra step to make sure nothing gets lost in translation, or lost in the inbox, for any of your staff.

In Summation鈥�

We thought an anecdote Redden relayed provided a nice endnote any healthcare administrator can always tap back into when thinking about how synergy in healthcare should work:

鈥淭here’s a great story I love about a tour that was happening in NASA and they opened up a door and there was a janitor cleaning the floor and they asked the janitor, 鈥榮o what’s your job here?鈥� And the janitor looked up and said, 鈥業 help put people on the moon.鈥欌��

So as you lead your team, remember that all of you are reaching for the moon, together.

The post Administration Station: Creating Synergy Between Healthcare Teams appeared first on 国产主播.

WCU鈥檚 Guide to the Pre-NCLEX Nursing Test for Prospective RNs

The is one of the
standard tests graduating nursing students will take in preparation for the nursing licensure
exam 鈥� the NCLEX-RN, which all nurses must pass in order to achieve licensure and begin
practicing professionally.

The ATI Predictor is an alternative to the HESI Exit Exam. (Nursing schools individually determine the exam their students will take near the end of their academic program, which indicates the individual students鈥� likelihood for success on the NCLEX exam.) Both of these test options evaluate graduating nurses鈥� readiness for licensure requirements.

The ATI Predictor has a dual purpose: First, it is designed to predict a student鈥檚 likelihood of passing the NCLEX-RN; and second, it helps direct efforts in remedial study for areas where a student has underperformed on the test. In both senses, this exam鈥檚 intent is to ensure you are set up for success when you take the must-pass NCLEX.

In short: It鈥檚 the test before the big test.

What鈥檚 on the ATI Predictor Exam?

The ATI RN Comprehensive Predictor tests you on the subjects and competencies you can expect to be included on the NCLEX. It includes 180 scored questions (most multiple choice) with a limited number in other formats that appear on the NCLEX, such as fill-in-the-blank and ordered-response questions. All questions will focus on , including:

• Safe and effective care environment
  • Management of care
  • Safety and infection control
• Health promotion and maintenance
• Physiological integrity
• Psychosocial integrity
  • Basic care and comfort
  • Pharmacological and parenteral therapies
  • Risk reduction
  • Physiological adaptation

The test is administered and proctored by your nursing school and is four hours long. This means you have more questions and less time than you鈥檒l face on the NCLEX-RN, which has up to 145 questions with up to six hours allowed for completion.

ATI Scoring

The ATI scoring relies on intricate weighting and calculation of the value of questions. Each question is graded according to a scale of difficulty 鈥� not all questions will carry the same scoring weight.

When you receive the results of your ATI exam, you won鈥檛 just see scores. You鈥檒l receive a detailed list of 鈥淭opics to Review鈥� based on the missed answers in your test. This list won鈥檛 just include each topic, but also a breakdown of specific subtopics so you can focus your additional study with surgical precision.

Getting Your Virtual-ATI 鈥淕reen Light鈥�

The ATI offers and administers a program called that many graduating nursing students enroll in to prepare for the ATI and, in turn, the NCLEX. This is a 12-week guided review of NCLEX-tested content, with one-on-one access to a nurse educator.

The coursework is self-paced and individualized so each student will have a custom study plan. VATI participants also have access to BoardVitals, which is a bank of test quizzes, including customizable and adaptive quizzes. At the end of 12 weeks, each student鈥檚 nurse educator assesses their readiness and either assigns additional remedial review or gives the 鈥済reen light.鈥�

At WCU, VATI and BoardVitals are included in your tuition as part of your curriculum. You鈥檒l complete 50% of VATI before you graduate, and the additional 50% afterward. We want all of our students to have access to this comprehensive resource, so you鈥檒l be set up for success and confidence when you sit for the NCLEX exam.

Steps for Taking the ATI Predictor Exam

You can, and should, begin preparing for the ATI Predictor Exam as early as you can. Since the exam is administered by your educational institution, some procedures will vary, as will scoring requirements for graduation. Nursing schools may also require this test for LVN graduates, using a variation of the ATI. In general, though, this would be the approximate chronology of steps you鈥檒l take:

• Enroll in an accredited nursing program.
• Begin preparing for the ATI Predictor Exam by the final year of your program.
• Register for the exam according to your school鈥檚 guidelines.
• Take the ATI Predictor Exam.
• Receive your results.
• If your score predicts success, begin taking steps to take the NCLEX.
• If your score indicates more study is needed, begin remedial study to retake the ATI.

Your program鈥檚 administrators and counselors may provide some additional timelines, steps, and guidance.

At WCU, We Help You Prepare

Here at WCU, our goal is your goal: to set you up for success and help you lay the foundation for a thriving career. That鈥檚 why we help our nursing students prepare for their upcoming nursing exams.

With guaranteed access to VATI and our continuous resources and support throughout your education, you should be able to take both the ATI Predictor Exam and NCLEX with confidence. And thanks to the 鈥済reen light鈥� aspect of VATI, any concerns about potential failure can be addressed well in advance.

If you would like to learn more about the various types of exams that nurses take, we invite you to visit our nursing exams overview post.

The post Overview of the ATI Comprehensive Predictor Nursing Exam appeared first on 国产主播.

If you鈥檙e interested in a career in business, you鈥檒l need to learn more than economics, marketing, and management techniques 鈥� you need to learn how to network. What is business networking? It鈥檚 simply making connections that can nurture your career, and there鈥檚 an art form to it. Whether you end up meeting a possible hiring manager or an entrepreneurial partner, every connection you make holds possibility.

Some people are natural networkers, but for others, it鈥檚 an acquired skill. The good news is the more you do it, the easier it gets 鈥� and if you鈥檙e driven to succeed in business, you鈥檒l be doing a lot of it.

We鈥檝e compiled some best practices and networking tips for students, so you know what to do and鈥攅qually important鈥攚hat not to do. Use this primer of business networking do鈥檚 and don鈥檛s to get ready to put yourself out there.

DO: Start Early

It鈥檚 never too soon to start networking. Even on your first day of your first year of business school, start building relationships at every opportunity. Look for like-minded peers and foster relationships. Accept every opportunity to meet with people in your chosen profession. Put out the word to friends and family, create student groups, and get to know your professors.

As you prepare for networking, you should start by building your personal brand. Think about what sets you apart and what you have to offer, be it a special skill, a cultural perspective, or just a great idea. Practice your 鈥渆levator pitch,鈥� or a 30-second speech for selling yourself and your qualifications for a particular job or opportunity.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Only Network With 鈥楬igher-Ups鈥�

Good networkers know how to play the long game. Not every person you meet is a job offer waiting to happen鈥� yet. You want to build connections that will benefit you throughout your career, and often that comes from creating relationships that may not have an immediate professional payoff.

That classmate might be the next big disrupter with a hot tech property or become an SVP of a big brand. Find people you respect now, and stay in touch for later.

DO: Create a LinkedIn Profile

Make it a priority to get your LinkedIn profile up and running. LinkedIn is the professional network, and you鈥檒l be expected to have a presence. It鈥檚 not just pervasively used by recruiters seeking talent, but it鈥檚 also a turnkey tool for job hunting and building out a wider network.

For a crash course in getting your LinkedIn going, we have a whole post on LinkedIn profile tips.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Be a Stalker

People need professional space in the same way they need personal space. When you follow up (and you should), do it through contact information you鈥檝e been given directly, or find the person on LinkedIn. If you鈥檙e looking for points of common interest, you can take a peek at someone鈥檚 other social media, but don鈥檛 make it weird. Bringing up someone鈥檚 kids or commenting on their vacation destinations can be intrusive and off-putting.

DO: Request an Introduction

Know somebody who knows somebody? Don鈥檛 be shy about asking for an introduction. Connections in common are great professional capital 鈥� use them!

Networking through your existing personal network can get you access you wouldn鈥檛 have on your own, and being vouched for is a priceless shortcut to making a great first impression. Remember to thank whoever does the introducing.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Get Too Personal

Avoid a common error many people make in professional conversations: don鈥檛 get too personal or overshare. When you network, remember this is a professional relationship you鈥檙e pursuing. Even if you really hit it off with someone, don鈥檛 let the conversation get too familiar. This doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 make small talk about the weather or share an anecdote about a recent trip. Just use your instincts in conversation and observe 鈥減ersonal鈥� space.

DO: Be an Active Listener

A good rule of thumb the first time you meet someone is to listen more than you speak. Not only does this demonstrate courtesy, but you learn more about a potential connection. Yes, you鈥檒l want to sell yourself and present your pitch, but make sure that鈥檚 all couched in two-way conversation.

Practice being present when you鈥檙e talking to someone new. And if you鈥檙e not good with names or faces, teach yourself how to use memory techniques like mnemonic devices. People are flattered when you remember them, and often turned off when you don鈥檛.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Be a Stranger

When someone becomes successful, lapsed friends and colleagues tend to come out of the woodwork. People notice if they only hear from you when you want something, or when their ship has come in. Don鈥檛 be a fair-weather friend; make sure to keep in loose touch not just when there鈥檚 something you need, but also when you have something to offer, even if that鈥檚 just a no-strings-attached congratulations on someone鈥檚 promotion or achievement.

DO: Network Everywhere

Yes, you should attend networking events, but elbows can be rubbed in almost any setting. In fact, making a connection outside of an event may help you stand out from the sea of hand-shakers at an organized meet-and-greet.

So next time you鈥檙e on a cross-country flight or waiting at the DMV, strike up a conversation. You never know who might be sitting right next to you. And even if it鈥檚 not a professional connection, it鈥檚 great practice for your people skills.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Get Discouraged

We mentioned networking is a long game, and it sometimes requires patience. It鈥檚 also, to some degree, about volume. Meet as many people as often as you reasonably can. If you haven鈥檛 seen practical returns on all your networking efforts yet, hang in there. Keep at it, and keep in touch with those you鈥檝e met so far. Someone you met a year ago might pop up in your inbox tomorrow, or someone you meet next week might be an instant click.

DO: Pay It Forward

If you鈥檝e been offered opportunities by others, make sure you do the same when you鈥檙e in the position to do so. This applies even before you鈥檙e established; for example, let鈥檚 say one of your connections has an opportunity you鈥檙e not quite right for, but you know someone who is. Help them bot out with a referral. People in business have long memories for favors, and a reputation as a generous colleague will pay for itself.

顿翱狈鈥橳: Lie About Your Background

Play up your experience, but don鈥檛 make up your experience. This is for your own good. As you start to network over time, your connections will begin to overlap. If you have been lying or exaggerating about past jobs or education, eventually you鈥檒l get caught. Someone will know someone who worked at the same company or went to the same school, and you鈥檒l be left with a broken connection and a damaged reputation.

DO: Follow Up

When a networking opportunity leads to an exchange of contact information, consider it an invitation to follow up. A follow-up is often expected, so don鈥檛 squander the opening. Reach out within a few days to reconnect and continue the conversation. Remember to keep your outreach friendly, brief, and reference what you discussed when you first met.

Now Get Yourself Out There!

The biggest 鈥淒O鈥� in networking is, well, doing it. Now that you have your etiquette down, start making those connections. Use every channel available, from LinkedIn to networking events to Friendsgiving dinner. Be brave, be bold, stand out. And stick with it!

The post Job Hunter: Networking Do鈥檚 and Don鈥檛s for Business Students appeared first on 国产主播.

As a nurse or future nurse, you will interact and engage both with patients and their loved ones. Sometimes that loved one plays a major role in your patient鈥檚 well-being, in the form of a caregiver.

Caregivers tend to be the most unrecognized individuals in healthcare. They are sometimes referred to as the 鈥渋nvisible workforce鈥� of care. Taking on this role requires extraordinary personal sacrifice. A family caregiver is responsible for a patient who requires continuous care between office visits and treatments. The caregiver devotes extensive time and effort to assisting, protecting, and nourishing an ill, elderly, or disabled loved one, and they deserve our highest esteem.

Most caregivers鈥攕ometimes called 鈥渋nformal caregivers鈥濃�攁re unpaid. With an , many caregivers are elders themselves. Most have little, if any, professional training and a strong emotional investment in an ailing, aging, or disabled loved one. These loving, generous people deserve appreciation, but beyond that, they desperately need support.

A caregiver鈥檚 physical and mental health has been shown to have . It is therefore incumbent upon healthcare professionals to be cognizant of the physical and psychological health of their patient鈥檚 caregiver.

In this post, we鈥檒l explore how you as a nurse can provide essential support to the informal caregiver. Beyond the partnership you develop, how can you ensure that this individual is receiving the information, guidance, and even emotional support they need to fulfill their important role in their loved one鈥檚 health?

The first step in understanding how to support caregivers is to understand their situation, which brings us to鈥�

Causes of Caregiver Stress

Beyond the emotional toll of caring for an aging parent or disabled family member, caregivers are subject to physical and psychological strain that can affect their health. Of the many , physical strain is the most prevalent. This is unsurprising since caregivers are often caring for patients with limited mobility, which requires frequent lifting and moving of the patient. Commitment to someone else鈥檚 care can significantly impact one鈥檚 own lifestyle and health. Common stressors and risks for caregivers include:

• Anxiety
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping
• Weight fluctuation
• Headaches or body pain
• Irritability or depressed mood
• Alcohol or substance abuse
• Mortality

These risk factors compound with other lifestyle challenges like maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and a social life. Other common factors that add to caregiver stress include patient behavioral issues, and in many cases, financial hardship. Caregivers may or may not have financial stability or a family support system. It鈥檚 a lot to deal with.

While you as a nurse cannot mitigate many of these factors, there are a number of things you can do to support a caregiver so they are equipped to give the best possible care to the patient while finding some life balance and self-care of their own.

The Nurse Role in Caregiver Care

As a nurse, your contact with a caregiver may be limited to a single office visit or a repeated touchpoints during ongoing care. Either way, you enter into a partnership of sorts with the individual who is looking after the patient. You are both responsible for the health and well-being of that patient.

You may meet a caregiver while they鈥檙e figuring out how to access healthcare services for the patient, during end-of-life decision-making, or at any point in between. In each of these scenarios, the relationship is strongest when there is a consistent flow of information between nurse and caregiver.

In the midst of care, this means actively dispensing any information to the caregiver on each discharge, as well as requesting any updates from them. Creating a communication-rich relationship where a caregiver feels invited to ask questions helps remove the weight of uncertainty and powerlessness. Remember that some people are intimidated by a healthcare environment and may need to be encouraged to communicate freely.

End-of-life decision-making can be very stressful on a caregiver, and they may lean on the patient鈥檚 healthcare team for clinical guidance necessary to decide 鈥渨hen it鈥檚 time.鈥� This should be appropriately handled with the patient鈥檚 primary healthcare provider, but you may be a part of this conversation as well.

During all of these phases of the nurse-caregiver relationship, you should actively and freely encourage the caregiver to pursue support outside of the healthcare facility. There are abundant resources available from which they can benefit, particularly when there isn鈥檛 a strong family support system in place. These types of external support may include:

• Informational resources: There are numerous resources available for those who know where to look. lists many helpful organizations and websites, and it鈥檚 a great place to start.
• Positive activities: This can be any wellness or self-care activity. Caregivers need to make time for organized exercise, hobbies, or pastimes as simple as quiet reading or a nature walk.
• Social support: Beyond , which can be found online or locally, caregivers should make time for friends and family, and ask for encouragement and help when they need it.

Many resources are accessible at the local level and should be relatively easy to find through online searches, but you may want to educate yourself on some of the more reputable nearby organizations so you can point a caregiver in the right direction. Remember that you should never endorse a service unless it鈥檚 a pre-approved affiliate, but you can provide guidance and a starting point for someone to find the right kind of help.

Empowering Caregivers Through Education

Many caregivers are thrown into a job they weren鈥檛 trained for. They may lack preparation or appropriate expectations for what the work will require. You probably know more than they do about what they need to succeed. A little knowledge can empower a caregiver to care more effectively for their loved one, and also avoid some of the negative personal outcomes that can accompany taking on this role.

When you meet a caregiver, don鈥檛 assume they know basic options. If they are struggling, you might offer some education on the following:

• In-home respite care: This is bringing a professional nurse or caregiver into the home temporarily to provide relief to the family caregiver.
• Short-term nursing homes: Some residential care facilities will accept patients for briefer stays, like when a caregiver has a vacation planned or needs a break.
• Adult care centers: Many communities have facilities available where trained professionals can take over care for the day, and the patient also gets a chance to socialize.

Another educational opportunity is speaking with a caregiver about in-home equipment and assistive technology. While the patient may already be using a cane or walker, there are many products available to help with mobility and hygiene. Some are small investments that may make a big difference; others like adjustable hospital beds can be rented and may be covered by insurance or Medicaid. Here are just a few examples of products a caregiver might be unfamiliar with:

• Transfer sling gait belt: This is a strappy device that is designed to help move a patient with limited mobility in and out of bed, and provides a caregiver with a more ergonomic, safe way to transfer their patent.
• Reusable waterproof underpads: For patients with incontinence, there are mattress-protecting pads that can go above or below sheets, are absorbent to prevent wetness and discomfort, and easy to just wash with sheets.
• Toilet risers: Add a riser to the home toilet with or without handles can make bathroom trips easier for both patient and caregiver, and they are a relatively inexpensive retrofit.

There are a host of other products and devices that can help a caregiver streamline and organize home care, from medication timers to reaching tools.

Nurse-Caregiver Boundaries

While it鈥檚 in your patient鈥檚 best interest that you engage with and educate their caregiver, it鈥檚 never your job to act as a caregiver鈥檚 therapist or absorb any of their responsibilities. It鈥檚 important that a caregiver doesn鈥檛 come to depend on you, emotionally or otherwise. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) considers it to be when a nurse-patient relationship gets confused and the nurse鈥檚 needs supersede those of the patient, even momentarily or inadvertently.

Boundary-crossing is also something to look out for in the nurse-caregiver-patient relationship. You鈥檙e there to nurse a patient, and if the caregiver鈥檚 therapeutic needs are superseding those of the patient, you should reevaluate your boundaries. Setting firm boundaries doesn鈥檛 mean you don鈥檛 care, and getting too close to a caregiver can create problems for you both.

Protecting professional boundaries requires maintenance and discipline. Nurses are compassionate by both nature and trade, and eager to help someone who is struggling. The blurring of lines can start small. If a caregiver makes a minor personal request, even seemingly in the interest of the patient, it sets a precedent that you are available for off-menu support. Instead of taking on the emotional or physical burden of the caregiver, empower them to pursue the resources they need to stay healthy and energized so they can properly care for the patient.

A good response to an inappropriate ask or interaction with a caregiver is to redirect them to a more appropriate source of aid. If, for example, a caregiver is coming to you to talk about depression or anxiety, you might suggest a support group or therapist. If they are having financial difficulties, you might encourage them to look into any state or federal programs for which they could be eligible.

Don鈥檛 be a hero. These kinds of issues are neither your responsibility nor your purview, and they should be left to their respective experts.

Showing Appreciation on National Caregivers Day

Beyond the clinical and educational support you provide your patients鈥� caregivers, don鈥檛 hesitate to voice appreciation and acknowledgement. Remember that in many cases, a caregiver isn鈥檛 receiving thanks for their work.

Tell a caregiver how important they are, what a great job they鈥檙e doing, and how meaningful their efforts are to the patient. Simply acknowledging someone鈥檚 sacrifice and hard work can have an enormous emotional impact.

And remember to wish them a happy National Caregivers Day every third Friday in February!

The post Jobstacles: How Nurses Can Support Patient Caregivers appeared first on 国产主播.

Pro tip for job seekers: Before you send out your resume, before you call your connections, before you fill out any applications, set up your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is the social network for all things career, and one of the main ports of entry to the business world, so treat it like your first impression.

For many potential employers, LinkedIn is where they look you up right after viewing your resume. In fact in one survey, cited LinkedIn as their preferred online talent sourcing hub. So even if social media isn鈥檛 your thing, make an exception for LinkedIn if you鈥檙e serious about finding a job.

LinkedIn鈥檚 oversized market share in professional online networking is actually good news, because it creates one central hub where you can set up and maintain a profile easily. The app also gives you a lot of control over your professional online presence, from what you choose to share and whom you want to connect with.

So what should a LinkedIn profile include? In this post, we鈥檒l go through the basics and then look at some LinkedIn best practices. Let鈥檚 start with getting set up.

What to Include in Your LinkedIn Profile

When you create a LinkedIn account, the app will walk you through the basic profile setup, so this should be pretty intuitive. It鈥檚 best to complete your profile before you make it public. LinkedIn鈥檚 own research shows that users with completed profiles including a are to get opportunities through LinkedIn. So, fill in all your info (this includes your photo) before you publish.

You鈥檒l be asked to submit your name, pronouns (optional), a headline that sums up what you do, current position, industry and education. Most schools and large companies have their own LinkedIn presence, so you鈥檒l start seeing fellow alumni and current or former coworkers pop up as recommendations.

You鈥檒l also be asked for your contact information. People will be able to contact you through LinkedIn, so you don鈥檛 have to share your phone number or messaging app handles directly if you鈥檇 rather not. This is also where you鈥檒l see your personal LinkedIn URL, which employers will often request.

The Strategic Art of LinkedIn Profile Writing

Writing your LinkedIn profile is equal parts art and science. You want your words to be clear, concise, intelligent, and optimized for LinkedIn鈥檚 search algorithm.

Unlike other social networks, you want to keep your LinkedIn profile very professional. It doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 have any personality in your profile, but it does reflect how you draft language and interact with others. This also depends somewhat on your line of work.

One way to put it in perspective is to think about how you would dress for the job you want, and how that might translate into how you write your profile. For example, if you鈥檙e looking for a job at a financial firm where you would wear business-professional attire, keep your tone and details more conservative and ultra-professional. If, by contrast, you鈥檙e a brand marketer seeking to join a creative team at a startup where everyone wears jeans and hoodies, a more writerly tone might make sense.

In general, no matter your industry, don鈥檛 get too cheeky. While this might appeal to a recruiter or hiring manager here and there, it鈥檚 likely to be a turn-off to some, or make you seem like an unserious candidate. Stay straightforward and find subtle ways to make your language shine. Speaking of language鈥�

Use Search-Friendly Language

All the SAT words in the universe aren鈥檛 going to do your profile any favors if you haven鈥檛 used language that LinkedIn鈥檚 algorithm is designed to find. So you should use words that help it find you. Keywords are key!

Before you get fancy, make sure you鈥檙e using familiar titles for your roles. Make your headline an industry-standard job title or description that represents the work you do or want to do. So, for example:

DO: Marketing Data Analyst

顿翱狈鈥橳: Upbeat Marketing Data Guru

You鈥檒l also want to use specific words that might help you come up in a refined search (e.g., 鈥渇ashion,鈥� 鈥渟ocial media,鈥� 鈥淪EO鈥�). This includes adding five or more skills. According to LinkedIn鈥檚 own research data, . So get your skills and search words in there first, and then you can go back and insert words like 鈥渋ndefatigable鈥� if you must.

Pro tip: If you need inspiration for your keywords, or you鈥檙e just looking to come up in the searches of particular recruiters, find a few job postings for positions that you would want to match with. Make sure the skills highlighted in the description are included in your own profile (as long as you actually have these skills!), and then browse the posting for recurring words that you might want to add to your summary or job history.

Don鈥檛 Wax Poetical

Speaking of word choice, one of the hallmarks of great writing is economy of words. This doesn鈥檛 mean boring words, but it does mean removing extraneous ones. Recruiters are going to skim for the highlights; don鈥檛 make them pull out their thesaurus.

Once you鈥檝e finished writing, go back through and see how many editorial adjectives you鈥檝e used and get rid of most of them. The recruiter wants information, not an ode to your achievements. A well-placed adjective where you鈥檙e describing yourself is a great opportunity to show some personality, but they鈥檒l stand out more if you haven鈥檛 overdone it elsewhere.

Synonyms Are Your Friend

The above notwithstanding, flexing your vocabulary in a restrained way is a very good thing. Going through resumes can be tedious, particularly when applicants rely on the same words over and over again. Words and phrases like 鈥渆xperienced鈥� and 鈥渄eadline-oriented鈥� get pretty stale for recruiters reviewing profile after profile.

So, instead of describing yourself as creative, say you’re a 鈥渂lue-sky thinker鈥�; instead of 鈥渋ndependent,鈥� say you鈥檙e 鈥渟elf-directed.鈥� Below is a in resumes. We鈥檝e provided alternatives, but get creative (blue sky?) with your own:

Your LinkedIn Profile Picture and Background Image

If you鈥檙e wondering whether you should upload a profile picture, the short answer is yes. Everyone likes to attach a face to a name, and showcasing yourself in this way personalizes you to whomever is taking a look. Plus, profiles with photos get than those without.

That said鈥攖his might seem obvious but it bears repeating鈥攃hoose (or take) a nice, professional photo of yourself. It doesn鈥檛 necessarily need to be a corporate headshot (though if you鈥檙e at an executive level, that鈥檚 probably best). However, it should be a good, clear picture with a background that is not too distracting.

Make sure you鈥檙e in color, fully clothed, that your face is taking up most of the frame, and you鈥檙e wearing a friendly expression. No selfies, full-body shots or group shots.

Lastly鈥攁nd this becomes important in the event you鈥檙e asked to interview in person or over Zoom鈥�make sure your profile picture is recent and genuinely resembles you. Showing up to an interview looking like an entirely different person isn鈥檛 the best, well, look.

When choosing a background banner (the image across the top and behind your profile pic), look for something that either showcases your industry or lends your page a little bit of your vibe. It might be more difficult to find something you can use in your personal photos, because of the shape of the banner. Instead, do an image search and choose a landscape or skyscape of where you live or have traveled, look for an image that represents your industry of choice, or choose something else entirely. Just use good judgment.

Next Steps鈥�

You鈥檝e completed your profile, optimized your language, and uploaded a little imagery. You鈥檝e given recruiters a polished, LinkedIn-optimized preview of you as a business professional. What鈥檚 next?

Once you鈥檙e set up, LinkedIn will start doing its thing, suggesting connections based on your school and work history, and suggesting you to others. You鈥檒l be able to search and apply for jobs, and you may even get some incoming requests from recruiters.

Stay engaged. Now that you鈥檝e joined the Internet鈥檚 equivalent of the job seeker鈥檚 town square, keep your profile up to date and begin networking and engaging with fellow members, recruiters, classmates, friends, and coworkers past and future.

The post Job Hunter: How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile appeared first on 国产主播.

There are many reasons you might decide to seek a new nursing position. Motivations can range from the personal (like a desired relocation) to professional (like new openings for nurses in your specialty). Or maybe you鈥檙e timing your career move around a recently completed degree or certification, or a particularly strong job market.

Regardless of why you鈥檙e swapping jobs, knowing how to negotiate your salary as a nurse can be as intimidating as it is important.

How aggressively you can pursue your salary demands depends on where you are in your career as well as the trends of the current job market. For example: If the job you鈥檙e being offered has been open for a long time, you might infer that it鈥檚 been difficult to fill. Maybe you鈥檒l use this additional leverage to push for a higher salary. Conversely, if you鈥檙e a brand-new nurse with no experience and you鈥檙e trying to land your first position, you might opt not to negotiate at all.

If you鈥檙e feeling awkward about negotiating your salary, remind yourself that this is a normal part of the hiring process for nurses with experience and advanced degrees. An employer for this type of role will typically expect you to negotiate, and they may keep your initial offer on the lower end of the range budgeted to leave room for adjustment. Plus, self-advocating shows confidence and initiative鈥攂oth attractive qualities in an employee. So don鈥檛 be shy!

To help you understand and plan for this important part of your job hunt and how to respond to an initial offer of employment, we broke down some of the ways you can prepare and set realistic expectations for a successful salary negotiation:

1. Research: Know What You鈥檙e Worth

How much could you be making? This is the burning question for most job candidates.

In recent years, pay scale trends have become more transparent. It remains relatively uncommon for coworkers to discuss their compensation with each other, but it鈥檚 possible to do research on what the going average salary is for a job title you鈥檙e applying for. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for example, provides statistical , which are updated annually.

The BLS is a good place to start, but these numbers are too broad for you to rely on as your sole source of salary data. You鈥檒l see nationwide averages and employment statistics by state, but since numbers can shift considerably at a local level, and compensation can be tied closely to an advanced nurse鈥檚 area of focus, it鈥檚 important to get specific in your salary research project.

There are a couple of ways to do this: One tool you can utilize is a salary calculator. You can easily find one of these online, through a website like or . Like the BLS, you shouldn鈥檛 consider these to be the final authority on what you can and should be paid in your new position. However, these salary calculators can add to your knowledge and some will allow you to drill down into more specifics about what nurses like you are making.

It鈥檚 important to remember this is a range, and it varies according to a number of individual distinctions. Because there are so many considerations when it comes to hiring and salary, be flexible in your expectations. There鈥檚 no standard salary that accompanies a job title.

Compensation can be higher or lower than the average depending on:

• Your level of experience
• Your educational credentials
• The location/region of the job opportunity
• The size and age of the organization
• Job market demand

For example, if one advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) has 10 years of work experience, they may be able to negotiate a higher salary than a more recently graduated advanced nurse.

To get as close as possible to an appropriate salary expectation for your job title, experience, region, and specialty, you can take your research a step further by reaching out to a nursing association or organization that represents your particular degree and discipline. The more specific you can get in your research, the more well-positioned you鈥檒l be to make a salary counter-offer when the time comes.

2. Salary 鈥淩equirements鈥� vs. 鈥淗istory鈥�

Salary negotiation sometimes begins well before you receive a job offer, often even during your first conversation with a recruiter when you鈥檒l likely be asked about your 鈥渟alary requirements.鈥� This should not be confused with your salary history. In fact, it鈥檚 actually for a potential employer to ask about current or past compensation. You may, however, be asked for your salary 鈥渞equirements鈥� or 鈥渆xpectations.鈥�

Because this typically comes early in the interview process, often during the prescreening stage with a recruiter or even over an initial conversation, you might feel compelled to lowball yourself in answering this question. You don鈥檛 want to be taken out of the pool of applicants before you鈥檝e even had a chance to prove yourself in an interview, and recruiters do use this question to narrow down applicants only to those who would accept a salary that falls within the organization鈥檚 budgeted range.

There are a few ways to answer this question. You can choose the approach that feels best to you:

• Offer a range: Use your research here and give the recruiter an educated range you鈥檇 consider. This is often your best course of action because even if your range isn鈥檛 a perfect match, there will likely be some overlap, which can keep you in the mix until the time comes for an actual negotiation.

• Ask for the company鈥檚 range: Feel free to respond to the question with a question. Know that you may not receive an answer. A company may not want to show you their cards this early in the process: it鈥檚 better for them to know your range so they don鈥檛 offer you more than they have to. But you can ask, and in some cases, you might get the information you鈥檙e looking for.

• Disclose that you鈥檙e flexible: Whether you offer your salary requirements or not, you can let a recruiter know that you鈥檙e 鈥渇lexible.鈥� This usually signals to a recruiter that you might be willing to accept a lower salary in exchange for other benefits or forms of compensation. In fact, you should negotiate these considerations regardless. See below for more on this.

Remember that no matter how you choose to field this question, try not to sell yourself short. Give a range that you would actually accept, even if you think it might remove you from the running. If the job salary isn鈥檛 going to be suitable, it鈥檚 best for all involved to know that upfront.

3. Benefits and Other Compensation

Most compensation packages include more than just your base salary, so you can consider negotiating benefits and additional forms of compensation as well. If your prospective employer is balking at your salary expectations, discussing these additional elements can help 鈥渇ill the gap鈥� in ways that are meaningful to you and feasible to your new employer. 

Often an organization will have a set benefits package for all incoming employees, which includes health benefits, paid time off (PTO) for vacation and sick days, and sometimes additional perks like a bonus structure or an employee discount. Parts of these packages (such as health insurance options) are less likely to be negotiable while others (such as additional PTO) are commonly visited during salary negotiations.

Let鈥檚 take PTO as an example: Perhaps you鈥檙e leaving a job where you enjoyed three weeks of PTO a year. If your salary requirements aren鈥檛 being met at your new prospective job, you may ask the new employer to match your previous arrangement.

Other benefits that you may be offered could include 401K plans, additional insurance options (like life insurance or disability), a signing bonus, or a bonus structure that is tied to company performance, and even perks like discounted gym memberships.

Depending on the organization and how rigid its pay structure is, you can also ask about negotiating your job title. If you鈥檙e able to secure a more senior-level title, this may set you up for a stronger negotiating position in your career ahead.

4. Responding to Your Initial Offer

Once you receive a job offer, it鈥檚 completely acceptable to ask for time with the offer before you respond with an acceptance or a counter-offer. Be sure to thank whomever has extended you the offer, reiterate your enthusiasm for the role, and ask for a few days to consider it. Again, this is well within the employer鈥檚 expectation. This gives you time to compose your response and negotiation requests.

You may notice the offer is on the low side of the appropriate range. This is also normal, since the employer is extending an offer they assume you will want increased. Look at your offer as a 鈥渟tarting bid鈥� of sorts. You鈥檒l have to use educated judgment in negotiating its increase. For some jobs, adding 15% to the original offer is reasonable, but for others, something like 7% might be much more realistic.

You can leave the salary up for negotiation by saying you would like to discuss the offer further. You may choose to put the ball in the prospective employer鈥檚 court by proposing a higher salary or better benefits. If you鈥檙e fielding multiple offers, you may opt to use these competing offers as leverage, but beware of inventing a nonexistent competing offer鈥攊f the recruiter calls your bluff, you could be left without any offer at all.

Overall, if both parties negotiate in good faith, and with mutual respect, you should be able to reach an agreement that works for both nurse and employer. And with a long career ahead, once you have negotiated once, it will be that much easier the next time.

Before starting salary negotiations, please reach out to your local WCU Career Services department (if you鈥檙e a WCU student or graduate) so we can help you add a broad perspective on industry trends and salaries. We can be a sounding board for any and all of your offer-related questions!

The post Job Hunter: A Guide to Salary Negotiation for Advanced Nurses appeared first on 国产主播.

When you work in healthcare, meeting new people is a regular part of the job. This is where you create the provider-patient relationship: You want your patients to like you, and you need them to trust you.

As a healthcare provider, you have to make first impressions often鈥攕ometimes on a daily basis. The new patient introduction is more complicated than just a handshake and a hello because the person you鈥檙e meeting is in a vulnerable position. They may be stressed or even fearful鈥攁n actual diagnosis for this is 鈥�,鈥� in which the patient has developed physical symptoms like high blood pressure in a healthcare setting.

Meeting your patient for the first time is your opportunity to set the tone that will inform every interaction that follows, whether you鈥檙e a physician assistant, an occupational therapist, or a nurse practitioner. When done right, you can put your patient at ease, earn their trust, and open a healthy line of communication that is essential for adherence to treatment plans and improved patient outcomes.

Here are some best practices for a patient introduction:

1. Respect Their Time

Wait time is consistently a top concern for . Of course, you can鈥檛 always control for this, but you can make sure you actively consider your patient鈥檚 time during your interaction with them.

This means efficiency during the actual consultation, examination, or treatment of your patient, so your patient isn鈥檛 there any longer than necessary and others do not have to wait longer than needed. This also means allowing ample time to explain treatments, hear concerns, and answer questions, so your patient feels they have your full and unrushed attention.

If your clinic, hospital, or office is busy and a longer patient wait time is inevitable, do what you can to manage expectations. One easy way to do this is at check-in鈥攕ee if the receptionist is able to give patients an approximation of how long until they鈥檒l be seen. You can also make quick contact with the patient yourself to show that you know they鈥檙e waiting and you鈥檒l be with them as soon as you can.

2. Be Intentional in the Meet and Greet

Once you鈥檙e able to meet your patient, be methodical in your introduction. Make sure you鈥檙e the one who initiates the introduction, and do it as soon as you walk in the room. Take charge of the interaction immediately, and personalize yourself with your name and your role.

In introducing yourself, it鈥檚 important to know your social signals: eye contact, facial expression, speech, and space. Let鈥檚 go through these one by one:

• Eye Contact: Meet your patient鈥檚 eyes right away. Direct eye contact demonstrates that you鈥檙e confident and you鈥檙e paying attention to your patient. It shows your patient that you see them, and that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e there for.

• Facial Expression: Don鈥檛 hesitate to smile at your patient. Patients, particularly those who have a concerning condition, are trying to read you for worrisome cues. Keep your expression warm, calm, sincere, and reassuring.

• Speech: How you speak to a patient says as much about you as what you say. Speak politely, clearly, and with empathy. Use Mr., Mrs., Ms., or if you aren鈥檛 sure of someone鈥檚 pronouns, you can use a first name. This bit of provider-patient etiquette might seem formal, but a small sign of respect can be meaningful to a patient who feels vulnerable.

• Space: Even though providing healthcare often requires you to get up close and personal with your patient鈥檚 body, during your introduction, give them some room. Personal space has been studied鈥攊t鈥檚 called 鈥攁nd it varies culturally, but a good rule of thumb is to give your patient at least an arm鈥檚 length of personal space while you鈥檙e getting acquainted.

Making sure you are mindful of your social signals during an introduction will go a long way toward creating and maintaining the right impression with your patient. Over time, it will become second nature鈥攑art of your muscle memory.

3. Come Prepared to Care

Check the chart or file before you walk in the room. A patient will trust you more if they believe you鈥檝e already been briefed on their needs. Show the patient that you know why they鈥檙e there, and explain to them what they can expect. Knowing information and giving the patient some agency over what happens next will help them feel secure and empowered.

Make sure you have everything you need with you, and as you come to the end of the appointment, explain what will happen next. Invite the patient to ask questions鈥攎ake it a two-way conversation鈥攁nd ask them if there鈥檚 anything they need.

Remember: Your departure is almost as important as your introduction. Don鈥檛 rush your exit. Before you leave the room and complete your first interaction, thank the patient by name. If you鈥檒l be seeing this patient again in the future, you have laid a solid foundation for trust and comfort. And if another healthcare provider will be taking it from here, you鈥檙e leaving your patient with a solid plan for ongoing continuity of care.

4. Make a Follow-up Call

One gesture that can help you stand out from other providers is a personal follow-up to your patient鈥檚 first appointment. A call, email, or message via your patient portal or clinical management system will show the patient that your concern for their health extends beyond the confines of your office or clinic.

You can do this even if there鈥檚 no new information to relay. Your follow-up communication can be as simple as an invitation to stay in touch with questions, or an inquiry about progress.

Another benefit of the follow-up is that it creates continuity between visits. This has dual benefits: It encourages patient compliance with instructions for better patient outcomes鈥攁nd for private practice or healthcare business owners, it reinforces your value as a business and may differentiate you from other providers.

Since a follow-up call is low- or no-cost, it鈥檚 both a smart and considerate improvement you can make to your patient鈥檚 experience.

In summary: You want to create a first patient experience that is respectful, open, and professional. Adhere to these guidelines during your introduction to a patient and you鈥檒l not only make a positive and professional impression, you鈥檒l also lay the groundwork for a healthy provider-patient relationship going forward.

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Your preceptorship is an exciting time and a rite of passage for all students in nursing school. This is where you begin the work in earnest. This is what you prepared for. Under the guidance of your preceptor, you鈥檒l learn on the job how to put your education into practice.

It can also be a nerve-racking time 鈥� a time of uncertainty and even self-doubt. But it鈥檚 also your time with your own dedicated mentor, to absorb and learn in the field and graduate with confidence. Don鈥檛 waste this time. Make the most of it.

But how? We鈥檒l tell you.

In this post, we鈥檒l explore some of the standard practices of what makes a good preceptorship, as well as some of the more case-by-case challenges and opportunities you might encounter. You鈥檒l learn how to shine as a preceptee, how to maximize your learning, and also what not to do.

Every practicum experience is different, but beginning with confidence and knowledge is your best first step to success. Start here.

Note: The following tips are intended for students in nursing graduate programs 鈥� not precepting in the BSN program.

How to Be a Good Preceptee

When entering into your preceptorship and learning the role of a preceptee, remember The Four Cs: Be curious, be courteous, take cues, and communicate.

Creating a good relationship with your preceptor starts with your attitude and your work ethic. Keep an open mind and heart, and come ready to learn both academically and socially.

Be prepared. This, above all, will set you up for success.

鈥淧receptors appreciate preparation and initiative,鈥� advises Chelsea Vandine, Manager of Clinical Education at 国产主播. 鈥淐ome prepared. Take notes. Don鈥檛 make your preceptor repeat themselves. Be fully present.鈥�

You can even go above and beyond and consider coming in early to prep what you can that鈥檚 on the schedule. (Of course, do only what you鈥檝e been authorized to do on your own.) Be ready to adapt to a new culture and set of rules. Make sure you鈥檙e queued up to absorb.

Understand Expectations

In your first meeting with your preceptor at the beginning of your practicum, try to nail down expectations on both sides.

Start with outlining your process as preceptor/preceptee. Perhaps you鈥檒l meet at the end of each week for a review and feedback session, or maybe your preceptor will prefer to touch base daily. An example of something you might want clarity on is whether you can ask questions while with a patient, or whether you should hold them for the end of the day.

Basically, you鈥檙e asking your preceptor for house rules. Get all your initial questions answered, and then ask your preceptor if there is anything else you need to know that you haven鈥檛 already asked.

Also, let your preceptor know what you鈥檙e hoping to learn and accomplish through your clinical experience. They want to be a good preceptor as much as you want to be a good preceptee, so give them any useful information about your expectations and needs.

What to Expect on Week 1

It鈥檚 your first week. You鈥檙e eager to dive in and participate. Maybe you鈥檙e a little nervous, maybe you can鈥檛 wait to get started, maybe both. The truth is your first week is likely to be the most uneventful鈥攁t least when it comes to your role.

Every preceptor is different, and some may throw you into the deep end right away. However, the more likely scenario is that you鈥檒l spend your first day, or even week, shadowing and observing.

Use this time to get used to get your feet wet and fully understand all the policies and protocols. You鈥檒l get more out of your preceptorship by taking the time to absorb information, so try not to feel impatient or rush into work you鈥檙e not quite ready for.

Watch for Cues

Naturally, incidents will come up over the course of your practicum that you hadn鈥檛 thought to ask about, and this is where taking cues is important. Observe your preceptor for any clues for how to interact with patients and other nurses and doctors. Watch for any particular work habits your preceptor repeats and follow their lead.

Try to determine how much or little to interject or participate, especially early on 鈥� and if it鈥檚 not implicitly clear, just ask.

Don鈥檛 Take Anything Personally

You can enter your preceptorship as informed and prepared as possible, but you won鈥檛 be able to predict the culture and methodology of your assignment until you鈥檙e in it. Don鈥檛 be shocked if you hear a morbid joke or insensitive remark at the nursing station.

You might also discover that your preceptor is curt with you, looking over your shoulder more than you鈥檇 like, or coming off as judgmental. Again, don鈥檛 take this personally. This probably isn鈥檛 about you.

鈥淜eep in mind providers are protective of patients,鈥� Vandine advises. 鈥淚f they seem harsh, remember that it鈥檚 not personal; they鈥檙e just being a good nurse.鈥�

The same goes for the methodology you encounter when you arrive 鈥� every preceptor is different. Be ready to adjust and be adaptable. It might not be as warm and fuzzy as you like, but you鈥檙e there to learn.

Of course, if discourse during your preceptorship wanders into the abusive, discriminatory, or medically unethical, you may feel compelled to speak up. If you鈥檙e a nursing student at 国产主播, this is a great time to consult with your clinical coordinator. They can listen to your concerns and help you determine how to respond. Discomfort when you鈥檙e in a subordinate position can be scary, and you don鈥檛 have to navigate these situations alone.

Remember That Your Preceptor Is Human

At the end of the day, your preceptor is just a person with a personal life who goes home and feeds their fish like anyone else. Don鈥檛 expect perfection, and don鈥檛 put them on a pedestal. Neither revere nor fear your preceptor. Don鈥檛 be afraid to ask questions and make requests. Two-way communication is a path to mutual respect.

And remember that like any human, your preceptor is flawed. You may witness your preceptor make a mistake, or even be reprimanded by their superior. Don鈥檛 judge. This is a moment for empathy. You may be in a similar situation someday, so this is a great learning opportunity for you.

If your preceptor is harsh with you, or even punitive, it鈥檚 important to remember that as their preceptee, the buck stops with them. Your mistakes become their mistakes, and the consequences for them can be very real because their license is on the line. Mistakes are natural, but if you fail to follow HIPAA, break regulations, or make a major mistake, they鈥檒l be held accountable. Be sensitive to this, and take that responsibility seriously.

Dropping or Swapping Preceptors

You may be wondering about the likelihood or circumstances that could lead to ending your preceptor relationship early. This is extremely rare. Even when the preceptor-preceptee dynamic is imperfect, be it bad chemistry or real difficulty working together, most preceptorships find their way to completion.

Exceptions occur in cases when a preceptorship cannot continue due to impossible circumstances like illness or loss. Or occasionally, a preceptor may leave their job in the middle of your preceptorship, in which case you鈥檒l likely be transferred to another preceptor. These circumstances are rare enough that you don鈥檛 need to think about them too much. Instead, be prepared to make your preceptorship work, and if you absolutely cannot, or circumstances beyond your control lead to a shortened preceptorship, work with your clinical coordinator to find a solution.

The Key Takeaway

In summation: Make the most of your preceptorship by showing up, being prepared, and making it work. Remember that everything about this time is meant to prepare you for more autonomous nursing, so every victory and every frustration is a learning opportunity. Carry your anticipation and enthusiasm with you into the first day, and then enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience.

For more helpful tips, check out our recent post on how to find a nurse preceptor.

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