by Tera Tuten on June 4, 2013
Would you want a robot dispensing drugs for you and your patients? Odds are, that’s long since been the case, to one extent or another:
Robotics have been used to help dispense medication in some pharmacies since the 1990s and robots for delivering medication have been used in hospitals for a decade.
And even before that, machines have been used for decades to count pills for dispensing – Such technology is now the standard in more than 30,000 pharmacies worldwide.
But will technology ever replace pharmacists completely? [continue reading…]
by Tera Tuten on May 28, 2013
Home health care is becoming more common, more necessary, and more flexible.
The days of medical personnel making house calls with limited resources has morphed into innovative new ways to bring many of the diagnostic, administrative, and human resources of a large hospital to people who can’t get to one. [continue reading…]
by Tera Tuten on April 16, 2013
If you’ve thought of IT careers related to the medical industry, you may have only thought in passing. But such job opportunities are among some of the fastest growing in healthcare… [continue reading…]
by Tera Tuten on April 2, 2013
An online medical content web site lists the average 2010 pay for nurses in Massachusetts at $23.38/hour (or $48,630 annually.) YET, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that in May 2009, registered nurses in Massachusetts earned an average hourly wage of $39.32/hour ($81,890 annually.) Did pay rates for nurses in Massachusetts really drop 50% in one year?
Over the last few years, we’ve looked at nursing pay rates, America’s nursing shortage by the numbers, and which states need the most nurses in 2013 and beyond…But what’s the final word on how (and what) nurses actually get paid under various circumstances? [continue reading…]
by Tera Tuten on March 19, 2013
Whether you can’t get enough of them or whether you never watch them (“who wants to stress out more about patients after work” and “they’re so fake!” are frequent refrains), medical dramas have started to shape public and medical professionals’ perception of the healthcare industry.
But just where do TV medical shows cross paths with real life careers of doctors and nurses (and where don’t they?)
A 2004 study published in the Journal of Surgical Research found evidence to suggest that TV shows like ER and Grey’s Anatomy affected surveyed medical students’ decisions to enter surgery.
Some of the students interviewed in the study basically thought surgeons were self-absorbed jerks, who either didn’t have families or had horrible relationships with them.
But how close are these TV-based perceptions to reality?
Here’s a look at five portrayals of life as an intern, resident, and first-year nurse on TV, as well as how closely they line up to reality: [continue reading…]
by Tera Tuten on January 15, 2013
You could argue that the medical profession is by far the most eventful major employment sector, with an unrelenting stream of patients, thousands of variables to every procedure, and the high-adrenaline rush of urgent situations like time-sensitive surgeries and the emergency room.
So it’s no surprise that in most hospitals (and many clinics), there’s little time for contemplation, reflection, or thoughtfulness.
For that reason, maybe it’s even more important to take a minute to come up with a game plan for some key things to say to your co-workers to help improve your performance and theirs:
“Can you help me?”
You may think you’re doing this sufficiently but – within reason – you can’t say this enough. As busy as you and everyone else is, saying “can you help me?” isn’t just asking for help for yourself, it’s complimenting the person you’re saying it to by showing you value their abilities. [continue reading…]
Would you want a robot dispensing drugs for you and your patients? Odds are, that’s long since been the case, to one extent or another:
