A Word of Encouragement Goes a Long Way

Sometimes you are not in a position to give your employees more in terms of tangible rewards. Increases in pay or benefits, for example, may not be possible. But there is no limit to the intangible rewards you can give them. These “psychological paychecks” require little effort and cost the company nothing. They represent an…

The Importance of Preparation

Winston Churchill said, “To every man there comes in his lifetime that special moment when he is figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered a chance to do a very special thing, unique to him and fitted to his talents. What a tragedy if that moment finds him unprepared or unqualified for the work which…

Wax or Finish

This should help those who get confused… Finish = what we put on the floor. Waxing = the verb used to describe the application of said finish. Wax = What you apply to a car’s paint. Also  used to make candles. Film = What movies were on before DVD’s. We wax a coat of finish,…

Problem: Finish is Too Stick or Tacky

Finish is too Sticky or Tacky Cause Solution Not enough drying time between coats. Under normal conditions, finishes dry in 20-30 minutes. High humidity extends drying time. Restorer not properly diluted or applied too frequently. Follow label instructions. Overuse can leave a sticky residue. Restorer/maintainer not burnished soon enough after application. When dry, restorer/maintainer will…

You Can’t Know Too Much

There’s really no such thing as knowing too much about what you’re doing. The reason’s I joined ASHES, ASHE, The American College of Healthcare Executives, IEHA and APIC are many but all focus on one thing, staying informed. Staying informed is a daily task, and challenge, considering how quickly our world is moving. But not…

How to develop Charisma

How to Develop Charisma: Twelve Key Moves Those who study the phenomenon of charisma say while some people are innately more charismatic than others, there are certain things everyone can do to boost their charisma quotient. Debra Benton, author of Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership offers the following pointers: Expect…

Training Tips

Training ·   Verbally explain ·    Physically demonstrate ·    Use visual aids and include written instruction in employment policies and as envelope stuffers with payroll. ·   Use daily checklist to assist troubleshooting and accountability.   Then repeat everything.

Keep the Faith

Come with me to a third grade classroom….. There is a nine-year-old kid sitting at his desk and all of a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet. He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It’s…

A little song to start the week off

Janitor’s Song (Sung to the tune of “I know an old lady who swallowed a fly”) Lyrics by Wayne and Laurel Johnson I know an ol’ lady Who cleans at night. With all her might, She cleans at night. But that’s all right! I know an ol’ lady Who earns her pay. That’s the way,…

Another Year Comes to a Close

Just a few more days and another year is over. Goodbye 2009 and hello to a new 2010. This promises to be a great year as is is the start of a brand new decade. You still have time to work on your plan and goals for the new year. Get busy.

General Principles of Cleaning

Scrubbing (frictional cleaning) is the best way to physically remove dirt, debris and microorganisms. Cleaning is required prior to any disinfection process because dirt, debris and other materials can decrease the effectiveness of many chemical disinfectants. Cleaning products should be selected on the basis of their use, efficacy, safety and cost. Cleaning should always progress…

Where are hospitals advertising now?

I find more hospitals with blogs every week. One that I enjoy reading is https://runningahospital.blogspot.com/, started by Paul Levy, President and CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. I have also  found many hospitals on twitter. One example is https://www.twitter.com/sierra-view, a great hospital I worked with, and another is https://twitter.com/mayoclinic, the Mayo Clinic….

HealthGrades study: 52 percent lower chance of dying at top-rated hospitals

  Ratings of every nonfederal hospital in the country on www.healthgrades.com GOLDEN, Colo. (October 13, 2009) – The largest annual study of patient outcomes at each of the nation’s 5,000 nonfederal hospitals found a wide gap in quality between the nation’s best hospitals and all others. According to the study, issued today by HealthGrades, the…

Three Skills That Improve Conversation

Three Skills That Improve Conversation By Brian Tracy One key to becoming a great conversationalist is to pause before replying. A short pause, of three to five seconds, is a very classy thing to do in a conversation. When you pause, you accomplish three goals simultaneously. The Benefits of Pausing First, you avoid running the…

October Training Topics

A little late, here are some suggested training topics for October:   Customer satisfaction surveys; HCAHPS, Press Ganey, Picker or your favorite. Don’t forget to add internal surveys and patient rounding results. Department team building. Always very important. Hazardous waste; transportation, handling and storage.