Maureen Bonatch MSN, RN

Healthcare practices may be open, but it’s not business as usual. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way the world thinks and acts, and this is especially relevant in healthcare. Most practices stayed open but may have had to lay off non-essential staff due to decreased patient volume. Others increased virtual care, while all have had to rethink how they will conduct business to survive financially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Implementing the mindset that patients are consumers, and focusing on providing top-tier customer service, is essential to provider success in a patient-empowered care environment. Patients are consumers of healthcare, and a positive treatment experience impacts overall satisfaction. They’re ready to voice their opinions, let’s make sure you’re doing everything in your power to ensure their chatter showcases your practice in a positive way.

For value-based care to provide truly holistic, coordinated care to patients, it must incorporate behavioral health treatment. This can result in improving the quality of health care for your employees, especially those with chronic medical conditions. Despite the benefits of integrating behavioral health treatment into value-based care, physical and behavioral medicine too often remain siloed in our health care systems — even under value-based care arrangements.

Telehealth would no longer be considered as an emerging category of solutions in the healthcare industry. However, with a global pandemic disrupting our personal and professional lives, the industry is increasing its attention to telehealth for providing continuous care. Almost overnight, telehealth became a requirement in the new standard for care.

My twin daughters were born two weeks before 9/11. Although they entered the world before this tragedy, they grew up not knowing any different when it comes to travel and life before we suffered such shock and uncertainty. My daughters started college last fall and had a semester and a half of college life before COVID-19 caused them to virtually finish the rest of the semester.

As a continuation of our MSN in Administration and Management series, experienced nurse administrator and author, Maureen Bonatch shares some of her insights on what you can do with that specialized MSN degree.
The physical demands of years of working as a floor nurse influenced my decision to return to school. I wanted to work toward obtaining a nursing position away from the bedside. This decision was exciting but led to questions regarding where to focus my education.

Nurse administrators draw from a blend of nursing, business, and leadership skills. Education levels, titles, and settings for nurse administrators may vary, but generally, they often oversee the nursing staff, patients, and administrative duties.
Many nurses move into management or leadership roles with little to no experience. Some may have the misconception that working in an administrative role will not be any different if they are familiar with the nursing specialty.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the job outlook for RN’s is growing 12% faster than average. There might be plenty of nursing opportunities available, but it’s crucial to ensure you’re maintaining — or striving toward — one that matches your career goals.
The demand for nurses could be unevenly distributed across geographic locations; the most desired positions may be limited or face fierce competition.

Recent world events have required practicing social distancing to decrease the spread of the coronavirus. This has resulted in many people being unexpectedly thrust into working remotely, and an increased need for healthcare staffing. Healthcare workers are usually on the front lines, but often healthcare management and administrative staff may work remotely. This can result in a combination of remote, and on site, employees.

Most nurses are familiar with long work days, having to deal with stressful patient situations, short-staffing, and rotating shifts. Many may even assume that it’s part of the job. Some may feel as if their work contributions are measured by how busy they are, or as if admitting to exhaustion or feeling overwhelmed is a sign of weakness,

You might think you’re done dealing with bullies once you graduate high school and enter the workforce. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Bullying can be a significant issue in the nursing workforce. Although nurses provide care to others, they are often the recipient of uncaring behavior from their peers, physicians, management or patients.

Workplace violence isn’t part of a nurses job, yet, the frequency of occurrence has been increasing to the point that in 2018 the Joint Commission identified the risks of workplace violence to health care workers as a Sentinel Event. The incidents of violence may be even more than realized since much of the time acts of workplace violence go unreported.

Whether it’s new technology impacting how nurses provide patient care, fluctuating methods of payment, or medications, changes in healthcare are inevitable. While many can become comfortable after working in a position for a few years and settle into how a routine for how tasks are always done, that’s not usually possible in nursing. Patient care techniques learned in nursing school, or healthcare technology used a few years ago, may no longer be relevant.

Travel nursing can be a great way to explore the world, work in different nursing environments, gain career experience, and make a great living. Although, if you consider yourself an introverted personality type, the thought of traveling, adjusting to ongoing changes in your work environment, and meeting new coworkers, may seem a little daunting.

In an increasingly automated world, machines and smart technology are replacing many jobs. But there is at least one field that is likely to prevail: nursing. Automation cannot replace the interpersonal skills and hands-on care necessary to be a certified nursing assistant (CNA).
The large, aging baby boomer population has resulted in an increased demand for healthcare providers, including CNAs.