Second week with the NHS and things are moving along nicely. I've spent time with each of the relevant community health care groups. My own, the 24/7 team, is analogous to a medical ward in a hospital. Services are provided around the clock to patients who could very easily wind up in a hospital if not monitored and treated. Some patients get up ...

Recently I was told if there is no denial of claims and patients are making progress, the physical therapy department is a success.  This got me to thinking about success in a rehab department.  What exactly is the criterion for success in rehab? Good communication between disciplines should be part of that success and, of course, ...

Over the last few weeks my department has been undergoing some changes. After reviewing our numbers over the last few months, our manager realized we haven't been complaint with the three-hour rule. For those who don't work in a rehab setting, the three-hour rule means patients must receive three hours of therapy five times a week for a facility ...

The devil's in the details.  Not always.  Sometimes the devil is in your attitude.  If you find yourself saddled with a negative outlook, there's no better time for an attitude adjustment than Thanksgiving. Below are some opposing viewpoints to common circumstances at work and at home.  Which end of the spectrum do you find ...

We have a new girl who just finished orientation in the NICU. She's good, really good, and has the potential to be great. She's handled most situations so far with calm and grace, and no one has a doubt she will be a great therapist. Last night, we had a very busy night, one that made the veterans sweat. We were all crazy busy as one thing after ...

Florida's NPs have been fighting a long fight to win controlled substance prescriptive authority in the state. One roadblock is the proliferation of ''pill mills'' in Florida - clinics of ill repute where seemingly anyone can purchase prescription medications. Read some recent news about pill mills in Broward County, Fla., which some are calling ...

(Editor's note: This is a guest blog written by Valerie M. Chapman, RN, MSN, a pediatric nurse for 25 years. She is a 3-year breast cancer survivor and lives in Medford, NJ, with her husband and two children.) I am a wife, a mother of two awesome kids, a daughter, a sister, and a nurse. I am also a  survivor. At the age of 43 a ...

This week I learned that solitude and silence can be very relaxing. Two tests, three papers due within the next one to two weeks, taking my NATABOC, meetings, work, massage-a-thon, family issues, my purse being lost/stolen along with keys, vital medications, paychecks that were to be cashed that day, etc., irritation with peers' lack of ...

A friend of mine is an MD, and he often does other work using his MD education as a basis for other jobs.  He serves as an ''expert opinion'' in some court trials, does consultation work for medicine companies, and teaches lectures occasionally.  Although he isn't practicing medicine, he indirectly uses that background in other career ...

Last weekend I finally got the chance to attend an NDT course.   Even though some of the material was basic, it pulled things together for me.  For the first time I feel like I might have a chance at passing the NCS exam in a year or two. Listening to the lectures made me realize how much of what we do goes back to NDT.  I'd ...