Whether I am working in the lab, in the school or out at a lecture, I find that using story telling is one of the best ways to convey a point.  It is an art and I tend to use the same experiences over and over to teach. In the end, I have found that if I have rehearsed and rehashed some of them, I can use them in any situation.  Today ...

It seems that the longer I work for this place, the more committees I find myself on. As I mentioned a few blogs ago, there are the weekly ''huddles'' all the departments in my hospital must participate in due to the impending HCAPS reimbursement. Along with those there has been the formation of various ''Service Excellence'' committees, one of ...

  As the number of schools increase that teach the OTA program, are the graduates able to find jobs? One source I follow says no, but others say they are finding job offers. The one common thread I am finding though is some COTAs are completing three or more interviews before landing a job.   I do see changes in Medicare happening, ...

''Do you think it is really worth it?'' This question was recently posed to me by a new grad hire at our hospital concerning my upcoming membership renewal in the AARC. I don't believe she was being sarcastic, she just wanted to know if the AARC was worth being a part of as she embarks on her career as a full-blown RT. I guess I had never really ...

  As a COTA I did enjoy earning a fair wage, however like most people in this economy found it difficult to put a good chunk away for retirement. We have many excuses, but with the financial outlook of Social Security and Medicare it is time to begin taking a serious look at your financial well-being.   It is difficult to save any ...

  ''Marketing is everything,'' a friend of mine is fond of declaring with a tone of finality. Recently when I pressed forproof of such a definitive statement, he pointed to the last Presidential elections. The terms ''non-American socialist''  and ''out of touch rich guy'' came to represent the two candidates to such a degree that after ...

  Were you aware that there are 54.8 million people in the U.S. receiving Social Security benefits? That is 17.6% of our population. With the baby boomer generation adding to those numbers daily, the fund could be depleted by 2033.   Began in 1935 by Congress to provide ''old age benefits'' for families, workers and employers ...

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, I am currently taking a prep course with the goal of obtaining my Asthma Educator credential. I am very excited and thankful for the opportunity to do this, as the hospital I work for is footing the bill, and have no doubts that having my AE-C will be a good thing for me as a Respiratory Therapist and for my ...

In microbiology we learn to use the Gram stain results of a direct smear to check specimen quality (usually by a count of squamous epithelial cells) and any predominating organisms (e.g. lancet shaped Gram positive cocci on a sputum) that suggest what to work up. All good micro techs use the Gram stain. Intracellular organisms are an immediate ...

New tweet list! Interoperability breakthrough near, treating Oklahoma victims, patient-centered medical homes and the Triple Aim, and graduation advice you wish you'd been given. Get daily tweets by following us @ExecInsight. FierceHealthIT CCHIT: Interoperability breakthrough near http://t.co/TemVnX9IPm Gunter F. Wessels SM Hospitals scramble ...