Tag: nurses

Lateral Violence in the Workplace

Lateral violence has been defined as “nurses covertly or overtly directing their dissatisfaction inward toward each other, towards themselves, and toward those less powerful than themselves,” which can take many forms.

from On the Pulse

The media often portrays the discord between physicians and nurses, but little attention is given to the issue of nurse-on-nurse discord, or lateral violence in the workplace, yet it is estimated that 46 to 100 percent of nurses’ experience lateral violence (i.e. incivility and bullying).

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Nurse Be Nimble, Nurse Be Quick

The notion of pivoting in your nursing career isn’t a new one, and that readiness to pivot can emerge from a nimbleness of mind and a willingness to read the tea leaves of your career. Are you nimble?

From Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway

The notion of pivoting in your nursing career isn’t a new one, and that readiness to pivot can emerge from a nimbleness of mind and a willingness to read the tea leaves of your career. Are you nimble?

Being nimble in terms of your career means that you’re willing to think beyond what’s right in front of you. It also means doing the work of preparing and paving the groundwork for something that you want — and if you don’t know what you want, you’re at least asking the right questions.

Many nurses appear to settle into an area of nursing, rest on their laurels, and think less of the future than perhaps they should. These nurses don’t necessarily think a great deal about what they may want in five or ten years; thus, when they’re suddenly feeling unhappy and itchy for change, there’s much more work to be done due to the years they’ve spent avoiding any forward movement or thought for the future.

In a post from 2015, I wrote:

Listen to the voices that you hear. Pay attention to the ever-evolving zeitgeist of your industry. Know what other people are thinking, and if you work in an evidence-based profession, follow the evidence when it pertains to you and your area of expertise.

The Consequences of Non-Action

In Buddhism, the concept of non-action is an important one. You know the old adage, “Don’t just sit there, do something”? Well, in certain circumstances, it’s sometimes better to turn that around, and say, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” However, when it comes to your career and its ongoing trajectory, I prefer action, even if that action is listening, thinking, and asking salient questions.

Let’s say you’re a nurse like me who worked in home health for the first decade of your career. You’ve never worked in the hospital, and while you love home health, you’ve actually been feeling called to finally take the plunge and enter the world of acute care. This may be a tough row to hoe since you’ve been in outpatient nursing for your entire career, but there’s no saying it’s not possible.

During these past ten years when you’ve been focusing exclusively on home health, you haven’t done any networking, your resume is a mess, and you have few contacts beyond your small universe of home care colleagues. All along, you’ve never considered that any of the hospital staff whom you’ve met could be helpful to your career in any way, so you haven’t connected with anyone on LinkedIn, built relationships, or otherwise laid the groundwork for the future.

In your mind, you’d like to jump right into the ICU, but common sense says that without any hospital experience since nursing school, you’re going to have to pay some dues, prove your mettle, and begin with a position in med-surg, step-down, or a sub-acute floor. Sure, you’d love to land an ICU position, but you simply don’t have the nursing skills or the connections to get you there. Your road will be challenging, but it’s not impossible — it’ll just take time, and diligent action on your part.

Reading the Inner Landscape

Being nimble of mind means being open to possibility. It also means that, in terms of your career, you’re steeped in curiosity and expansiveness, rather than wearing blinders.

As a nurse who is nimble of mind and quick to grasp opportunity, you not only read your immediate surroundings and the healthcare landscape around you; you also read the landscape within your heart and mind.

If there’s an inkling in your head or heart that what you’re doing now won’t hold water for you in a few years, now is the time to take inspired action in a new direction. That inspired action can simply be chatting with a nurse or manager who you know and trust, reaching out to a career coach for inspiration or ideas, or seeking informational interviews with professionals who are holders of information that may be helpful to you.

If you maintain awareness of how you’re feeling about your career and work life, you’re more likely to take preemptive action that will foment change, rather than being reactive when the going gets tough.

Remain Awake and Aware

We can all get sleepy and lazy at certain points in our lives. We feel comfortable, we settle into the status quo, and we conveniently forget or ignore the fact that we may want something more down the road.

You must remain awake and aware to possibility, understanding that every colleague who you meet could be a source of brilliant information that will wake you up to something new. If you’re feeling complacent in your career, there’s no time like the present to do something about it and take a forward step.

As professionals, there’s always the micro and the macro. The micro is the minutiae of the day to day, the details of our lives and work. Meanwhile, the macro is the bigger picture, the bird’s eye view, and this is where we need to keep at least a little attention. It’s easy to get caught up in the web of details, but those details can blind you to the wider career horizon.

Being nimble and quick doesn’t necessarily mean turning on a dime or being blown in some new direction with every wind that comes your way. Being nimble and quick means that you’re listening, that you’re willing to change, and that you are quick to perceive that change may be in the air.

Is your workplace unstable? Are you becoming unhappy in your role? Do you feel limited or stuck? Is there something you’ve always wanted to do as a nurse? Is your current specialty area drying up and being supplanted by new technologies or skills?

I’m glad if these questions make you uncomfortable, because a little discomfort will galvanize you towards change, if change is what is called for.

Nurse be nimble, nurse be quick. Nurse, consider your future, and keep your eyes wide open.

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway. Please visit his online platforms and reach out for his support when you need it most.

Keith is co-host of RNFMRadio.com, a wildly popular nursing podcast; he also hosts The Nurse Keith Show, his own podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses.

A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of “Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century,” and has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. Keith has written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiViews News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, the ANA blog, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online publications.

Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, online nurse personality, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known successful nurse entrepreneur. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely and talented wife, Mary Rives.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

We Need Nurses More Than Ever. Why Are We Letting Them Burn Out?

The combination of an exodus of RNs and an influx of aging patients could create a health care crisis.

from Huffington Post

About 10 years ago, Elizabeth Scala was a young RN, working on a psychiatric floor of a busy Maryland hospital. She’d been in the role for two or three years, and she’d risen to a position of authority, coordinating her colleagues’ activities as a charge nurse on the unit. From the outside, it looked like she had everything together, but inside she was so stressed out she was nearly falling apart.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The Crucial Nature of Nurse Volunteerism

In recent weeks, we’ve heard of flooded nursing homes and hospitals, emergency evacuations, heroic deeds, and thousands of people — including nurses — going above and beyond the call of duty.

From Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway

As the United States grapples with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, I am reminded of how nurses’ collective and individual dedication to volunteerism and community service are central to the fabric of society, as well as to the notion of who we nurses are and what we are capable of. Nurse volunteerism serves many purposes, and its importance is worthy of intensive discussion.

Viewing the devastation that Harvey has wrought in Houston, eastern Texas, and parts of Louisiana, I want to call attention to the many nurses and healthcare professionals who were on the ground from day one, slogging it out in the wet trenches of emergency response as the rain fell and the waters rose.

Stories abound of flooded nursing homes and hospitals, emergency patient evacuations, heroic deeds, and thousands of people — including nurses, of course — going above and beyond the call of duty in order to save lives and protect property.

Nurses continue to give of themselves as the flood waters recede and the rebuilding efforts begin in earnest, and there are undoubtedly countless untold stories of heroism and gallantry that will go unrecorded but not forgotten. No matter, the collective experience is burned into our memories, and many in Texas and beyond will continue to volunteer and give in ways small and large for years to come.

Nurses and Disasters

Nurses have been part of disaster relief since the notion began. Clara Barton, nurse extraordinaire, formed the American Red Cross in 1881. While President Rutherford Hayes dragged his feet vis-a-vis allowing the United States to join the International Red Cross, Barton took it upon herself to found the American Red Cross, and as its first President she dedicated its mission to disaster response as well as war relief.

Over the many decades, innumerable nurses have volunteered with Doctors Without Borders, as well as smaller organizations like Global Outreach Doctors. (Andrew Lustig, the head of Global Outreach Doctors, has appeared as a guest on RNFM Radio to discuss his organization’s amazing work in some of the most dangerous places on earth.)

When disaster strikes around the world, nurses snap into action. Some may respond within the walls of their place of employment (like Houston nurses working in flooded hospitals and nursing homes), while others may jump in their cars or on airplanes to meet disaster head on in far-flung locations. Whatever the scenario, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that nurses always appear when and where they’re needed most.

Day-to-Day Volunteerism

Beyond the more “newsworthy” incidents of nurse volunteerism, I recognize that nurses volunteer on a regular basis for all manner of events, organizations, and causes. Whether through faith-based outreach or wholly secular efforts, nurses have a general mindset geared towards contributing to the well-being of others. How do nurses volunteer? Let me count the ways:

  • Staffing first aid stations at races and other events
  • Joining the Medical Reserve Corps and other organizations
  • Participating in local, regional, and national disaster drills and emergency preparedness exercises
  • Volunteering for hospices and other facilities
  • Sitting on the boards of directors of non-profits
  • Volunteering for nursing and healthcare organization activities
  • Contributing nursing skills at soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and for street outreach and other services
  • And more activities than we can readily name

When we think of nurse volunteerism, what comes to mind are established organizations or efforts to which nurses lend their skills, expertise, and knowledge. Having said that, we also know that nurses are the consummate good samaritans who respond in the course of their daily lives to car accidents, falls, injuries, and medical emergencies on airplanes, in stores, on sidewalks, and generally any situation wherein human vulnerability and frailty manifest. I can myself recall car accidents where I’ve stopped to lend a hand; bicycle accidents I’ve witnessed and responded to; the fainting of an elderly person in a restaurant; a child stung by a bee in a park.

Nurses are trained in assessment, critical thinking, triage, and taking prudent action, and that training makes us invaluable members of any community or society.

Volunteerism and Your Nursing Career

As a career coach, I recommend that nurses perform volunteerism in the interest of their careers. Volunteering is honestly a very good resume-builder, and also demonstrates that a nurse believes that he or she has something to contribute to society as a nurse beyond what happens at work.

While volunteer positions won’t make or break a nursing resume, a nurse engaged in valuable extracurricular volunteer activities makes a statement about that nurse’s character.

In terms of networking and meeting other like-minded professionals and non-professionals, volunteering puts nurses in touch with individuals beyond their usual social and professional spheres. When participating in meaningful volunteer efforts, that shared experience can produce bonds potentially far stronger than those formed in the workplace.

Staffing a first aid station at a breast cancer walk, volunteering at a camp for autistic children, or meeting in the face of a disaster like Hurricane Harvey can be a landmark moment in many nurses’ lives, and lifelong friendships can be formed even under the most stressful and difficult conditions.

The career value of volunteerism goes far beyond resume enhancement; nurses who volunteer derive satisfaction and personal fulfillment from giving back and serving others, as well as the opportunity to meet and bond with other volunteers of similar mind and motivation.

Nurse volunteerism can be the building block of a personal and professional network, as well as an example of a nurse’s dedication to community and society. Some employers highly value such characteristics in potential employees.

In the End, Do it for Yourself

While building a resume or being a more attractive job or school candidate are reasonable purposes for volunteering, I urge nurses to use volunteer opportunities as tools for personal growth and fulfillment. Volunteerism is laudable and noble, and it behooves us to allow our volunteer efforts to build our character, bring us satisfaction, and broaden the reach and depth and width of our nursing career and lives.

The potential for personal and professional growth is a powerful antidote to professional boredom, career disenchantment, and nursing ennui. Volunteering — no matter the cause or organization — can be a key to a more meaningful life inside and outside of one’s nursing career and identity.

[To listen to the companion podcast to this blog post, please click here.]

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway. Please visit his online platforms and reach out for his support when you need it most.

Keith is co-host of RNFMRadio.com, a wildly popular nursing podcast; he also hosts The Nurse Keith Show, his own podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses.

A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of “Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century,” and has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. Keith has written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiViews News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, the ANA blog, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online publications.

Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, online nurse personality, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known successful nurse entrepreneur. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely and talented wife, Mary Rives.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

How to Help Your Fellow Nurses Deal with Disaster Relief

The American Nurses Foundation is collecting donations to support nurses in their disaster response and recovery following the recent hurricanes.

The American Nurses Association has begun collecting donations via the American Nurses Foundation to help nurses who have been affected by the recent natural disasters in the United States, including Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. 100% of the funds raised will directly support nurses in their disaster response and recovery efforts in southeastern Texas, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and more, and will be distributed to charities on the ground to benefit those in need as soon as possible.

To make a donation or share the donation link, please visit givedirect.org/donate/?cid=1680, or learn more about the American Nurses Foundation at anfonline.org.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Nurses Rally Behind Nurse Arrested for Protecting Her Patient’s Rights

Last week, a disturbing video came to light in which a Utah charge nurse, Alex Wubbels, was arrested for refusing to draw the blood of an unconscious patient at the request of Salt Lake police detective Jeff Payne. As Payne did not have a warrant or meet the mandatory criteria needed to take blood from the patient, Wubbels chose to protect the patient’s rights and not comply with Payne’s request, and was subsequently arrested in her work area at University Hospital, pulled outside, and placed into a patrol car for about 20 minutes. The video of Alex Wubbels’ arrest quickly went viral, and so has the support of other nurses in the days since under the hashtags #IStandWithAlex and #FireJeffPayne.

In the days since the video’s release, the University of Utah Hospital has also shown their support for Wubbels by imposing new restrictions on law enforcement, including barring officers from direct contact with nurses and from patient care areas in the hospital.

What about you, do you stand with Alex?

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

How Many Patients Per Nurses? Correct Nurse To Patient Ratio.

from Nurse Buff

Nurse to patient ratio is probably one of the most talked about issues in nursing. And apparently, it’s also one of the most common reasons why nurses leave the profession. When an institution suffers from short staffing, bad things start to happen. Nurses become grumpier and the quality of care they deliver decreases. Infections increase and patients stay longer in the hospital. These things don’t only affect nurses and patients; they can be bad for the health institution, too.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

The Nurse, The Martyr and The Oxygen Mask

Many of us are nurses because we’re caring people, and when someone asks why we became a nurse, we might say something like, “Oh, I like to help people”. And that sounds nice. But we know there’s more to it than that, don’t we?

From Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway

Over the years, I’ve known a lot of different nurses. I’ve known new nurses, seasoned nurses, frightened nurses, burned out nurses, and nurses who were so jaded they couldn’t even see their patients if they were right in front of their noses. I’ve known nurses who clocked out at the end of their shift and never looked back, and I’ve known others who consistently clocked out two hours late and then were up all night hoping their patients were OK. It takes all kinds.

Many of us are nurses because we’re caring people, and when someone asks why we became a nurse, we might say something like, “Oh, I like to help people”. And that sounds nice. But we know there’s more to it than that, don’t we?

Now, when we like to help people, that can truly be a double-edged sword, can’t it? We care, we care some more, and then we find that we’re caring so much that we can’t—or don’t–care about anything else. We eat poorly, we sleep even worse than we eat, and maybe we drink, smoke, or we don’t exercise because we’re too busy caring. Maybe, because we’re so caring, everyone around us at home and in our neighborhoods feels free to ask us to care some more. And we do. Again and again.

And then, one day, we wake up after all of this time caring for others so well, and we realize that we haven’t been caring for ourselves. We’re tired, we’re depressed, we’re overweight, and our relationships have actually suffered (perhaps because we were busy caring so much about everyone but ourselves).

Take “Nurse Jackie”, for instance. Maybe you’ve seen it and maybe you haven’t. I know I castigated the show here on Digital Doorway back in its first season, but it turns out that the series has made some very good points about nursing and healthcare, as unrealistic as it may often be.

Having said that, Nurse Jackie cares a lot. She goes the extra mile, stealing meds for patients, giving them money, visiting them at home, and otherwise doing what she feels is right. Meanwhile, she lies to everyone in her personal and professional lives, and more or less continues to “nurse” a pretty hefty addiction.

So, what addictions do you nurse? Is it an addiction to caring? An addiction to being needed? Or is it an addiction to being so busy that your thoughts, emotions, needs and desires are completely sublimated to your identity as a nurse and a caring person?

I’m speaking from experience, here, folks. I’ve been there. I’ve been burnt out. I’ve ignored my body, eschewed my spiritual growth and otherwise thrown a wrench into my life in the service of being a caring, compassionate nurse.

In the end, it all comes down to that same old “oxygen mask theory”. Remember? When you get on a plane and the flight attendant demonstrates how to put on your oxygen mask in case of a sudden change in cabin pressure, they always say to put your own mask on first before you try to help anyone else. And why? Because you’re useless to those who depend on you if you’re not caring for yourself.

So, if some of us are prone to embody the archetype of the nurse as hero or martyr, we’re always free to do that, but we can also rise above the caricatures and stereotypes and do something radical by honoring ourselves along the way.

Yes, we can choose to be the walking wounded, or we can choose to be the walking well, living our lives with integrity, and making our own self-care and wellness of equal importance to all of those others whom we serve and care for.

It’s nice to be needed, and it’s nice to be loved and appreciated. But if we’re getting so-called “secondary gain” out of being a nurse martyr, then at some point we need to wake up, smell the coffee, and put our own well-being back on the front burner.

In the course of my career, I’ve been all over this particular map, and my personal mission is now about creating a life that’s balanced, sane, healthy, and focused on my own well-being as much as anyone else’s. Sure, I still catch myself trying to be the “uber-nurse”, helping everyone and doing everything and more. But that’s the point: I catch myself, redirect my energy, and make sure that I’m not burning my wick at three ends with no thought of the ‘morrow, as they say.

So, my friends, choose health. Choose your own well-being. Choose to do enough, but not too much. And choose to be the kind of nurse who cares for his- or herself in order to care for others better. It’s the right thing to do, and that proverbial oxygen mask will serve you—and others—for years to come.

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway. Please visit his online platforms and reach out for his support when you need it most.

Keith is co-host of RNFMRadio.com, a wildly popular nursing podcast; he also hosts The Nurse Keith Show, his own podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses.

A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of “Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century,” and has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. Keith has written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiViews News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, the ANA blog, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online publications.

Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, online nurse personality, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known successful nurse entrepreneur. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely and talented wife, Mary Rives.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

How Nurses Can Help in the Wake of Hurricane Harvey

As a nurse, a healer at heart, you may have watched with wide eyes as people were pulled from the floodwaters of Hurricane Harvey on the news, and felt just a little bit helpless, itched to be on the “front lines.” There are ways you can help.

Over the weekend, Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm at the time of landfall, began to wreak havoc on the Gulf Coast of the United States—particularly the Greater Houston, Texas area—dropping monumental amounts of rain, and displacing, trapping, injuring, and, sadly, claiming the lives of the people in its path. As a nurse, you may have sat there, watching with wide eyes as people of all ages were pulled from the floodwaters on the news, and felt just a little bit helpless, itching to be on the “front lines.” After all, it is in your nature to help people. You wouldn’t be a nurse, otherwise.

There are ways for you to help, if you want to.

While in most cases, it may be too late to volunteer in the face of this particular natural disaster, as a medical professional with invaluable skills and expertise, your help will be needed in the future. There are multiple organizations you can register with to volunteer to support medical preparedness and response for future public health emergencies or disasters.

Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals

The Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) is a federal program that was created to support states in establishing volunteer programs for disasters and public health and medical emergencies. By registering with ESAR-VHP, your credentials and qualifications will be verified in advance, so you will be cleared to serve at a moment’s notice, wherever the next catastrophe strikes. Registration is free, and by registering, you are by no means obligated to help in any disaster—it solely gives you the ability to do so quickly, if you so choose. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.phe.gov/esarvhp/Pages/about.aspx.

The American Red Cross

In the event of a domestic or international disaster, the American Red Cross is quick to the scene, providing health and mental health support, as well as food and shelter, to those affected. On average, they respond to 64,000 disasters per year, and 90% of their humanitarian efforts are done by volunteers, including 15,000 nurses and nursing students. Licensed RNs, LPNs, LVNs, PAs, NPs, and APRNs are all in demand and are encouraged to volunteer. To learn more about the relief efforts of the American Red Cross, as well as their eligibility requirements, please visit http://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is comprised of volunteer medical and public health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and more, who assist with emergency medical response and public health initiatives. The MRC was formed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when it became clear that medical professionals had no organized way to volunteer for emergency relief efforts and many were turned away, as a result. The MRC now exists due to the willingness of volunteer medical and public health professionals to serve their communities in times of need. To learn more and sign up to volunteer, please visit: https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage.

No matter which organization you choose to volunteer with, be it listed above or another, be sure to do your research to ensure sure you will be partnering with an organization that is a good fit for you. The American College of Emergency Physicians has compiled a list of questions all health professionals should ask and/or consider when joining a disaster relief agency, which can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Laugh, Nurse, Laugh!

Laughter reduces stress, boosts the immune system, and is good for the heart, and using humor to have fun at work builds a sense of community within the team.

from American Nurse Today

When was the last time you heard someone say that he or she didn’t feel good when laughing? Probably never, right? The physical and psychological benefits of laughter are well documented in the literature. A hearty laugh shuts down the release of the stress hormone cortisol and triggers the release of endorphins, reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and pain and improves the immune system and cardiovascular function. When it’s shared, laughter binds people together, increasing happiness and intimacy. And humor can help shift perspective, allowing everyone to view situations in a more realistic, less threatening light that enhances teamwork and diffuses conflict.

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Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.