No, I’m not trying to create a title for a new paranormal
romance novel but I thought the title was appropriate for my comments. Blood is the river of life that surges within
us, transporting nearly everything that must be carried from one place to
another in the body (Marieb, 504).
The blood is composed of various elements, leukocytes, platelets
and erythrocytes that are suspended in a fluid called plasma. Erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBCs) develop
in 5-7 days and live for 100-120 days.
Leukocytes or white blood cells (WBCs) that make up our body’s defense
against disease has five types: the granulocytes family has neutrophils,
eosinophils and basophils. The agranulocytes
have the lymphocytes and monocytes. Neutrophils develop in 6-9 days and live 6
hours to a few days. Eosinophils also
develop 6-9 days and live 8-12 days.
Basophils develop 3-7 days and the life span can range from a few hours
to a few days. Lymphocytes develop over
days to weeks and have a life span of hours to years (boy is immunity
important!). monocytes develop in 2-3
days and have a lifespan of months. Platelets
develop in 4-5 days and have a lifespan of 5-10 days (Marieb, 511).
Each cell type has a specific function and satisfies a
specific need. So now that I have completely
lost your interest and bored you with the exciting world of blood you want me to
ask me why am I talking about blood. No new
romance story between the eosinophils and the monocytes.
As you can see from the days there is a time for
replenishing. As blood cells age, new
ones develop and take their place to keep the body functioning and healthy. We monitor WBC, RBC and platelet levels,
among other important lab results, to assess our patients’ health.
As a new nurse I know I am a new blood. I am developing and preparing to be launched
out into the plasma and work where I am needed.
A new grad can hope to work with matured blood, experienced nurses that
have been on the front lines of patient care.
We have all read or heard about the nurses shortage and how
there is an extreme need. As a new
graduate registered nurse yet to receive her first position, I am ready to help
alleviate the need but getting in the door is proving challenging.
I posted on Twitter how my wish: A place where new nurses
can keep their skills current while waiting for their first nursing positions. I think hospitals and medical centers are
hurting themselves but reducing the availability of new grad positions and
nurse residency opportunities.
If the body does not have a replenishing of blood, it is put
at risk. Our hospitals are at risk for
having a large influx of well-trained but inexperienced nurses. This of course could affect patient centered
care efficiency.
A smart solution would be to make sure all new graduate
nurses were under the proctorship of an experienced nurse. One this would make sure that the new nurse
learns the healthcare system’s culture and two, this provides an appropriate avenue
for the transfer of vital information.
The economy and just the way the capitalistic culture of our
country doesn’t always allow for what would be “smart.” For example I would love to be on a unit
right now working with a nurse who is planning on retiring in the next year or
so. To be able to glean his/her vital
knowledge would not only be a benefit to me but it would be an asset to the
healthcare institution.
I am thankful for my mentors. I utilize every opportunity to ask them
questions and have them share their experiences. I volunteer on a regular basis to help keep
my skills sharp and I try to read about a
new patient centered care implement every week.
I do hope that my fellow new graduates will continue to
remain hopeful and ready for the new opportunities coming our way. As we move along in our careers as nurses I
hope we will make sure to implement passing the touch and keeping the infusion
of new blood into our organization so we can stay on the cutting edge of
evidence based practice protocols and patient centered care changes. May we impress upon our future employers and
the people who spend a great deal of time thinking about “the money” will
recognize experience is important but also new graduates will bring important assets
to the table as well. May the next
generation remember that a mixture of new and matured is vital to providing the
best health environment for our patients and anything less means we’re failing
not just ourselves, our profession and industry but also our patients.
Reference:
Marieb, E., & Mallatt, J. (2003). Human anatomy. (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Benjamin Cummings.
This career article from Beyond.com further supports my position that new grads need to be intermixed with the experienced staff. KE
ReplyDeleteWhat You Can Learn from New Healthcare Grads
As new graduates enter the workforce, they will be taking healthcare jobs that have changed considerably over the past several decades. While nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals used to spend much of their time writing notes by hand and searching through paper files to find needed information, today's new graduates will never know what that was like. Because the healthcare programs of today emphasize the use of technology and other important skills, even experienced healthcare professionals can learn from those who have recently graduated.
One thing you can learn from recent graduates is the importance of linking costs and patient outcomes. Approximately ten years ago, many patients really had no idea how much healthcare services cost. As a result, there was no way to link the cost of such services with the quality of the services. Now that this information is available online, patients and healthcare providers can link the two metrics. New physicians and nurses know the importance of controlling costs and ensuring that patients receive quality services for the money they pay, which is something you should be concerned about as a health professional.
Recent graduates often have a great deal of technical knowledge, especially if they majored in healthcare administration or a related subject. Younger workers can teach experienced workers about the importance of using technology for healthcare jobs. Mobile technology makes it possible for healthcare professionals to look up the costs of medications, calculate drug dosages, communicate with specialists in other countries, and share information about patients. In the United States, the National Institutes of Health have even been funding projects to determine the impact of mobile technology on patient care. Because changes in technology have affected all healthcare jobs, it is important for experienced workers to learn new skills in this area.
Recent graduates can also teach experienced healthcare workers the importance of diversity. Many of today's graduates grew up with people of other races, colors, and ethnicities, but that was not as common for members of older generations. Cultural knowledge and awareness have been identified as important traits for nurses and other healthcare workers, so it is important for experienced workers to learn from younger workers when it comes to issues of tolerance and acceptance. Success in any healthcare job also demands the ability to consider cultural differences when conducting patient assessments. For example, members of some cultures eat certain foods that may contribute to an increased risk of hypertension or other chronic conditions.
Working with recent graduates gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to bridge the generational gap, but it takes hard work on both sides of that gap. Older workers must be open to learning about technology, diversity, and finance, while younger workers must be open to learning from experienced workers who have held healthcare jobs for several decades.