These eight to-do list apps are trusted by those who know how to get stuff done across industries and find the breathing room to be there for their families, friends, and themselves. With these productivity apps, the end of disorganized chaos is near (and organized, streamlined chaos is on the horizon!). Check out these to-do list app reviews to see which would work best for you.
Available for Download On: Apple App Store | Google Play
Offered By: Doist
What It Does: From your phone to your Apple Watch to your laptop, Android devices, and Windows and Mac computers, Todoist is a powerful to-do list app for anyone requiring seamless integration across multiple devices. Here are some of its most notable task management features:
Why You’ll Love It: This app is great for people who just can’t get started. Itamar Shatz is a Ph.D. student at Cambridge University who writes a procrastination-busting blog; he loves Todoist because it motivates him toward action. Todoist lets him create a distinct separation between projects while allowing him to design a meaningful hierarchy and structure within each task by adding subtasks. He also appreciates the auto-reminders, which keep him on top of daily, weekly, and monthly deadlines. “I especially like the clean, uncluttered layout and the fact that the software works so well on both my computer and mobile device,” he says.
Available for Download On: Apple App Store | Mac App Store | SETAPP
Offered By: Xwavesoft
What It Does: A powerful tool for gig workers, Be Focused is a great to-do list for freelancers that need an individual plan or anyone who works more efficiently when there are clear delineations between the daily tasks. The app is based on the Pomodoro Technique, which separates your day into 25 minutes of focused attention, followed by five-minute breaks. Here are some of its most notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: It’s perfect for people who tend to scratch their heads at the end of the day, wondering where the time went. Kelan Kline, who runs The Savvy Couple finance blog with his wife Brittany, loves this to-do list app because it helps him keep track of his working hours. This app actually helps you figure out where you’re spending your time by doing the how-many-hours-did-I-spend-on-that-task math for you. If time has a way of getting away from you, Be Focused will give you a clear and concise picture of where you’re putting your time each day.
Available for Download On: Apple App Store | Google Play | Microsoft
Offered By: Trello, Inc.
What It Does: Making projects and tasks easy to identify and visually stimulating, Trello is excellent for individuals or teams wanting advanced team collaboration features with a flexible interface. Here are some of its most notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: Trello uses graphs, boards, and checklists to provide easy snapshots of projects and task list presentations on a clean and simple interface, fostering team productivity. If you prefer visual aids over scrolling written lists, you’ll want to use Trello for planning vacations, home projects, and work-specific tasks. Take it from Angelo Frisina, founder and CEO of Sunlight Media. Not only does he swear by Trello’s simple interface, but his very efficient senior high school intern also loves it for organizing and managing her homework and study needs with the project management tools. Alistair Clay, the co-founder of Class PR, calls this app a lifesaver and a stress-beater. “I love that in one snapshot, I can get an overview of where I’m at with all the different moving parts of a project and see which are the priority jobs,” he says. Need more validation? Individuals, project managers, and teams at these companies choose Trello: Google, Grand/Hyatt, coinbase, Visa, Zoom, and eBay.
Available for Download On: Apple App Store | Google Play
Offered By: Purple Cover, Inc.
What It Does: If you need a to-do list app about lists, period, Anylist is an excellent choice. While it has many features that make it the perfect shopping list tool, you can use it for all kinds of list-making and list sharing. Here are some of its most notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: If all you really want from your to-do list app is the simple ability to make comprehensive lists, you will love Anylist. Just ask Jennifer Boaro, founder of The Cat Ball, a cat bed manufacturer. Boaro used Anylist for shopping and loved the ability it gave her to share out her list with others. Then, when her husband was hospitalized suddenly, Boaro used the app to help her keep track of hospital requests and follow-ups. The app helped her by allowing her to focus on her husband rather than on her to-do lists. You can also use Anylist to keep track of to-do lists at work. (Think: invoicing, phone calls you don’t want to make but have to return, and buying supplies.)
Available for Download On: Google Play | Apple App Store | Google Assistant | Chrome Extensions
Offered By: Any.do
What It Does: This award-winning app manages tasks and lists using smart reminders that learn how you work best and does the grunt work of managing a list for you. If you purchase extra features, this is one of the pricier to-do apps on this list, so it may not be suitable for everyone. Here are some of its most notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: Those who’ve tried other popular to-do list apps, including some on this list, say this one is 100 times better. Director of Corporate Engagement Brett M says, “It’s wonderfully simple yet robust. It easily connects to your Google Calendar and your Apple Calendar, and the ‘Plan your day’ feature is key. Any.do is affordable, considering what it provides. I’ve not used it in a team fashion but as a personal and professional tool.” Sales Manager Samantha M shares his enthusiasm: “Organizing my tasks is simple and fast…When I am on the move, it motivates me to get things done faster.”
Available for Download On: App Store | Google Play
Offered By: HabitRPG, Inc
What It Does: Born out of Kickstarter funding, this personal to-do list app uses a role-playing game (video game) style reward system to motivate you to complete the tasks you set up for yourself. Not completing to-do list items on time causes damage to your game avatar, while completing tasks levels them up and earns special abilities you can use in the app’s gameplay. Choose in advance the number of points you earn or lose for completing tasks based on their priority. Here are some of its most notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: If you play games on your phone, computer, or console, the leveling-up system will feel natural and fun but with real-world implications. Micah Saviet, MSW, LMSW, says, “Habitica offers users a fun, exciting way to harness the power of play to accomplish tasks and implement wellness and other goals…Individuals who struggle with time management, goal attainment, organization, and productivity may particularly benefit.”
Available for Download On: App Store | Microsoft | Google Play
Offered By: Microsoft Corporation
What It Does: This app seamlessly integrates with other Microsoft productivity tools and your Microsoft account – and works the way Microsoft users expect based on their experience with other products. Here are some of its notable features:
Why You’ll Love It: To Do isn’t the best all-around tool, but how it works with other Microsoft products can make it exactly what you need if you’re a Microsoft user. IT administrator Leslie K shares, “[I love] the clean, easy-to-use interface. How easy it is to add tasks to the mobile app. It helps me fulfill my verbal commitments by helping me remember them.” For Microsoft users, it’s easy to see how this could become their favorite task management app.
Available for Download On: No mobile application yet. Instead, the service is integrated in other apps you use regularly.
Offered By: Bit Tech Labs Inc.
What It Does: Helps teams and individuals collaborate, create, and organize in one place. Teams can create dynamic notes, projects, client deliverables, documents, and knowledge bases while integrating with your other apps. Some key features include:
Why You’ll Love It: Bit.ai includes task and project management. It’s an all-in-one platform with a dedicated toolset designed specifically for document creation, replacing Google Workspace with premium features made for GTD teams managing group related tasks. For a single user, it’s a well-rounded daily planner app for new lists, an internal task calendar, and task filtering. You can label tasks, divide them for dedicated subtask management for other paid users, and use real-time chat functionality when editing documents. Powerful markdown and keyboard shortcuts open up dedicated features in the Bit editor to add footnotes, superscript, and subscript. Users are notified when others access their documents, see what changes have been made, and have a timeline view. Documents are easily exported to numerous file types.
Plenty of highly useful task list apps exist, but the goal is to rely on a single app. You’ll want to find something with enough functionality without feeling overwhelmed or like a chore. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help narrow down which app to test out first:
1) Does it meet your needs?
Figure out what you want your app to help you accomplish. What problems are you hoping to solve by using an app? What app features can’t you live without? Which app features are unnecessary?
2) Do you like its interface?
Is it easy to use with a simple to-do list? Are necessary details presented in an easy-to-read manner?
3) What’s the developer’s history?
Is the app’s developer well-established with a good track record of to-do list software or project management apps?
4) Are there positive user reviews?
Read app user reviews to get the inside scoop on how good the freeware really is and any bugs that just won’t quit.
5) Is customer support sufficient?
If you need help, can you access advice? Is there an easy-to-use help function?
6) Do you need advanced functionalities?
Does your organization have more complex needs with many users, like more robust task list presentations?
Using a to-do list app can help streamline your workload, but choosing the right one is a big to-do in itself. Do your homework to figure out what you really need. Reading the writeups above and scrutinizing the reviews of your favorites is a great start. Considering these are free apps, you can always try one for a month; if it doesn’t meet your needs, move on to your next favorite.
Originally published on January 3, 2019.
Updated on June 18, 2021.
Updated on June 27th by: Leigh Clayborn.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/baona
Almost everybody feels like a fraud at some point in their career. Imagine you’ve taken a higher position or earned a promotion, but now you’re wondering if you’re worthy of the increased responsibility. You might start to think your coworkers perceive you as less competent, and every fumble or mistake you make just proves them right.
That feeling is called imposter syndrome, and it’s more common than you might think. An estimated 70% of people report experiencing imposter syndrome at different points in their lives. So if you’re feeling that way, it’s OK to relax. Stop beating yourself up. It’s completely normal, and you can take some simple steps to overcome it.
We’ve talked to dozens of psychologists, business coaches, consultants, and HR specialists and asked them to share their best recommendations on how to build confidence and be confident in the workplace. But first, let’s explore what may be behind your self-doubt and discover why it’s important to be confident at work.
There are plenty of reasons to lack confidence other than imposter syndrome. The source could be a bad boss, a difficult teacher, or even an overly critical parent. We’re all a product of our environment and upbringing, but our future isn’t determined by it. One of the first steps to gaining confidence is acknowledging your value.
“Every human being, regardless of status, role, experience, and education, has a contribution to make,” said business strategist Ravi Kathuria, president of Cohegic and author of “Happy Soul, Hungry Mind.” “Often, we do not realize how much potential we have. This point becomes the foundation of confidence.”
And confidence starts within ourselves.
“We may have a fixed mindset and think to ourselves, ‘I can’t do this,’” said Darcy Luoma, of Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting and author of “Thoughtfully Fit.” “When we adopt a growth mindset, we can start building up our core confidence.”
Losing confidence at work can take a toll on your self-esteem and create more anxiety.
Whether it’s imposter syndrome, a fear of failure, feeling overwhelmed, or a stressful environment, not feeling confident in your abilities can hurt your job performance and career advancement. You are less likely to work efficiently and excel at your job when you’re not feeling good about yourself. One study even showed that people who don’t feel confident at work earn less money than those with confidence.
Now, let’s talk about the benefits of workplace confidence.
“Being confident at work, whether you’re an employee or CEO, is critical to your business success,” said Daniel Roberts, cofounder at Think Impact. “It improves communication, your relationships, and work environment, and (it) fosters more positive feedback from the rest of the team.”
Confidence helps you:
Self-confident people feel more empowered to make decisions and act on them. These are qualities that help you stand out as a leader and earn the promotions you deserve.
Maybe you feel pretty good about your work, but your boss or colleague said you don’t have “leadership qualities,” or you keep getting passed over for a promotion. What are you doing wrong? Well, first of all, it might not be you. It might be them. But also really take a look at how you talk and act. Too often, we apologize or wrap our thoughts with qualifiers before making a statement. These subtle speech nuances can make a big impact.
Here’s some advice on what not to say—and what to say instead—from more than a dozen psychologists, business coaches, and consultants. Watch out for words like “sorry,” “can’t,” “won’t,” or “hopefully.” They make you appear tentative or unwilling. Instead, focus on positive phrases that reposition your statements. Here are a few examples:
| Instead of Saying… | Say This… |
|---|---|
| “I’m sorry to bother you.” | “Thanks for your time.” |
| “I won’t be able to do this.” | “Here’s what I need to get this done.” |
| “Hopefully, this will work.” | “Let’s do it.” |
| “I’m confused.” | “Can you clarify what you mean by…” |
| “I think that’s a good idea.” | “That’s a good idea.” |
| “I’ll try to…” | “I will…” |
| “This usually doesn’t work.” | “Let’s give it a shot.” |
| “I suspect that something is wrong.” | “Something is wrong.” |
| “That’s impossible…” | “Let’s try it.” |
| “I’m concerned about this project.” | “How should we handle this?” |
Lose the qualifiers. Instead, make definitive statements, and don’t apologize if you’re not sorry.
“In my early 20s, I worked at a high-pressure international non-profit organization where I constantly felt inadequate and ineffective,” said psychotherapist Catherine Hall, LMSW at Psychology Degree Guide. “The best piece of wisdom I’ve ever received came from an older colleague at that organization, who was fed up with the expectation that she should take responsibility for things she didn’t do wrong. After a particularly fraught argument with a superior, she turned to me and said, ‘I don’t apologize for things I’m not sorry for.’”
Everyone makes mistakes, said Hall.
“But everyone is also faced with circumstances beyond their control that can impact their work product,” she said.
Finally, when you do get a compliment, accept it! Don’t say “It was nothing really,” said communications coach Rosanne Galvan.
“Instead, say ‘Thanks for noticing! I am happy with the way the project came together and proud of the results,” she said.
Automaker Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.”
He was right about that.
When you’re trying to boost your confidence at work, take practice steps to keep the negative thoughts away. Our panel of coaches and business consultants shared these five tips to help build more confidence.
“Knowing yourself means you know your strengths and vulnerabilities,” said certified executive coach Evan Tzivanakis. “That also means you know exactly which parts of your life you are self-confident and which areas you need to develop.”
Then use this knowledge to prepare, he said. Preparation gives you the inner confidence that comes from knowing you put in the work to be ready. Basically, develop the areas where you doubt yourself. Stop dwelling on them and turn them into strengths.
Building confidence can be intimidating. If you’re not quite ready, start with the basics.
“I recommend starting with small tasks, like speaking up and offering a new idea during a meeting,” said Justin Aquino, founder and head coach at Cool Communicator. “From there, you can progress to a more challenging task that builds confidence.”
These small tasks display confidence and let you build up to bigger tasks, like respectfully disagreeing with a colleague or proposing a project to your boss. Think of them as practice runs to build your confidence.
“Just like riding a bike may cause some bumps and falls, new learnings in the workplace will do the same,” said business coach and consultant Lynette Phillips. “Try the stretch assignment, learn a new skill to enhance your current capabilities, and get to know others and how they do things.”
Learning new skills helps give you the confidence that you can take on new tasks and succeed. Take advantage of training and education to always be learning.
Human resource specialist Sherry Knight, president and CEO of talent management firm Dimension 11, suggested volunteering for projects and asking for feedback on projects you’re working on. Knight also recommended lending your experience to other colleagues to help them with their projects. This shows them what you know at the same time as it helps build your confidence.
Consider becoming a mentor to others at work. When you’re helping others learn and grow, your confidence will grow, as well.
“To establish true self-confidence, we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives,” said consultant Denis Waitley, author of “The Psychology of Winning.”
Heard of “fake it until you make it”? Confidence doesn’t happen overnight. So here’s how you can act like a workplace rockstar.
Leah Thomas at FairyGodBoss offered this advice.
She also suggested you always appear positive. Be approachable, friendly, and appear in control—even if you’re not feeling that way at the moment.
“No matter how great your ideas are, no matter how beautiful your slides are, or how well-groomed you are, if your energy is low and you seem unenthused when you communicate (formally or informally), your audience will take a cue and become unenthused about paying attention to you,” said leader development strategist Haley Azulay, founder and CEO of TalentGrow LLC. “Enthusiasm is the ‘secret sauce’ that separates the most successful people in any profession from all the rest.”
While enthusiasm is an outward sign of confidence, you also need to manage your approach. Azulay said you should exhibit “confident benevolence” in the workplace.
“Benevolence means having others’ best interests in mind, approaching others with an assumption that they mean well, and expecting the best of others,” Azulay said. “Confident benevolence means showing your confidence without it trumping your humility and other-focus. It means respecting your own worth while respecting others.”
Everyone falls victim to self-doubt at times. Some doubt may even be a good thing, as it makes us more reflective and keeps us grounded. It’s important to be curious. Could you have done something better? That’s why it’s important to ask for feedback. Get the question out of your mind, and get a real answer! Immersing yourself in constant doubt is self-destructive.
Always remember: they hired you for a reason.
There are hundreds of books to help bolster your self-esteem. The folks at Positive Psychology offered these suggestions:
Image courtesy of iStock.com/Tempura
More than 36 million people are admitted to hospitals every year in the U.S. They come to seek treatments and get better. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always go as planned. One in 10 patients is harmed while receiving hospital care, according to a study by the World Health Organization of people living in high-income countries like the U.S.
By examining hospital records from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Medicare, we’ve put together this list of 10 patient safety risks to look out for, plus some suggestions to help reduce their likelihood of coming up.
Bloodborne pathogens are infectious microorganisms that live in human blood, bodily fluids, organs, and tissues. The most well-known are Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). According to the NIH, people can become infected if they’re pricked with contaminated needles or sharps or if they somehow get infected bodily fluids in their eyes, nose, or mouth (e.g., rubbing your eyes with contaminated hands).
Anyone who works in an industry where they’d be exposed to human blood or “other potentially infectious material” (OPIM) is most at risk of becoming infected by bloodborne pathogens. Safetec of America, Inc. put together a list of these occupations, which includes emergency medical service providers (e.g., EMTs, paramedics), healthcare employees in clinics and physicians’ offices (e.g., nurses, physicians, PAs), and even housekeepers in healthcare facilities.
If you work for a facility that has its own exposure control plan (ECP), OSHA encourages you to take some time to review the protocol your employer put in place for preventing and/or handling exposure incidents. The American Red Cross also has resources for avoiding and responding to bloodborne pathogen exposures.
A CAUTI is an infection in any part of the urinary system (i.e., urethra, bladder, ureters, and kidneys) that’s caused by prolonged urinary catheter use.
“Catheter care is one very challenging area for healthcare providers,” said Nick Jacobs, senior partner at Senior Management Resources in Pittsburgh and founder of the Clinical and Translational Genome Research Institute. “UTIs are always a risk, and proper care of a catheterized patient is always an ongoing challenge.”
The CDC notes that 75% of all hospital-acquired UTIs are associated with catheters. In fact, CAUTIs are the most common type of healthcare-related infection in the U.S. It’s estimated that there are 449,334 such events every year, and that they’ve been responsible for more than 13,000 deaths annually.
Since catheters are necessary for treating a variety of conditions, the CDC published a guide for preventing CAUTIs. Generally, the CDC advises that you only use them when absolutely necessary. And, if you do need to use one, make sure to remove it as soon as possible.
The National Academy of Medicine defines a diagnostic error as “the failure to (a) establish an accurate and timely explanation of the patient’s health problem(s) or (b) communicate that explanation to the patient.” According to the Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine (SIDM), these errors fall into one of three categories:
“Because hospitals are so comprehensively equipped with imaging and laboratory equipment, diagnosing patients becomes more of an interpretative skill than a visceral or intellectual challenge,” said Jacobs. “Unfortunately, if the doctor utilizes only the numbers and ignores the patient, sometimes the diagnosis can be missed. If you don’t ask the right questions, you may not get the answer that is the missing puzzle piece.”
Diagnostic errors have the potential to throw off every aspect of a patient’s care plan. For example, a cancerous tumor that’s mistaken for a boil or misdiagnosed as an ulcer can metastasize before the patient receives proper treatment. These types of errors can also lead to patients receiving treatments that may worsen their condition. The National Academy of Medicine notes that diagnostic errors are responsible for about 10% of patient deaths each year.
Medical errors are now the third leading cause of death in the U.S. An eight-year study by Johns Hopkins revealed that more than a quarter of a million deaths occur every year that can be attributed to mistakes in medical care. Only heart disease and cancer are responsible for more deaths.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published a comprehensive guide on how to prevent diagnostic errors, as well as what to do if a mistake is made. The National Academy of Medicine suggests 10 ways healthcare professionals can help reduce diagnostic errors. Here are a few examples:
Today, more medical devices than ever are connected to the internet. Connected devices have proven to be a vital tool for monitoring conditions and treatments, but have also been targeted by cybercriminals. Glucometers, heart rate monitors, MRIs, and implanted electronic devices, such as pacemakers, have been hacked.
Cyberattacks on hospitals have become more common in the past year. In 2020, more than 46 hospitals and healthcare systems were hit in just one attack, exposing millions of patients’ records.
There are three significant concerns created by these additional threat risks:
In its ”Report on Improving Cybersecurity in the HealthCare Industry,” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urges all healthcare employees to educate themselves on healthcare cybersecurity risks and best practices. With an increased level of awareness, health providers can put themselves in a better position to not only protect their patients, but also to identify potential warning signs in devices’ behaviors and report those issues to the right people at the right time—whether it’s to a superior or the IT department. The American Nurses Association (ANA) also published tips for nurses to support their organization’s cybersecurity efforts. Here are some examples:
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is when a blood clot forms in a vein. If left untreated, the clot can break free and lodge itself in the arteries of the lungs, which would block oxygen from getting into the blood. The CDC defines healthcare-associated VTE as a blood clot that occurs “as a result of hospitalization, surgery, or other healthcare treatment or procedure.”
The CDC estimates that VTE affects about 900,000 people every year in the U.S. and results in about 100,000 early deaths. Additionally, about one in 10 hospital deaths are attributed to blood clots in the lungs. To that point, the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) notes that “60% of all VTE cases occur during or within 90 days of hospitalization, making it a leading preventable cause of hospital death.”
Find out if your healthcare facility has a VTE protocol in place. If it does, familiarize yourself with the guidelines and encourage your colleagues to do the same. You can also review the comprehensive guide on preventing hospital-associated VTE from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
“Thromboembolism killed my grandfather, my grandmother, and caused my daughter’s father-in-law to lose his leg above the knee,” said Jacobs. “Comprehensive measures are taken with special air mattresses, leg devices, medication, etc. to assist in preventing these blood clots. The biggest challenge here is vigilance.”
Every day, one out of every 31 patients in U.S. hospitals has at least one infection that’s associated with their hospital care, according to the CDC. These Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) range from minor infections to pneumonia to fatalities.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia is a lung infection that’s acquired during a patient’s hospital stay. It usually comes on if they’ve been at the hospital more than two days and accounts for nearly 15% of all HAIs with a high mortality rate.
Hospital-acquired pneumonia can be far more serious than community-acquired pneumonia and can even be fatal. Hospital patients are already sick, so their bodies have a harder time fighting off illness. Additionally, germs found in hospitals can be more dangerous because they’re more resistant to antibiotics than those found elsewhere.
The CDC published an extensive resource on preventing the spread of pneumonia, and the NIH shared a list of actions you can take to prevent spreading pneumonia to your patients. Here are some examples:
The National Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention defines a medication error as “any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the healthcare professional, patient, or consumer.” Medcom provided a list of common types of medication errors, which include:
Medication errors in hospitals are more common than you might think. However, just 1% of medication errors result in harm to patients.
“In the inpatient setting, the most common medication errors are errors in dosage calculation and inappropriate preparation of the medication,” said Rachel Kia, BSN, RN, CMSRN. “Barcode scanners are an incredible innovation for preventing these kinds of errors.”
Errors related to inappropriate preparation of the medication are a bit harder to circumvent.
Kia provided this example: “25mg of a medication needs to be given to the patient, but the tablet comes in 50mg. This requires the nurse to cut the tablet in half prior to administering it to the patient. This step can easily be missed if the final verification is not performed at the bedside, or bypassed because the system does not generate an error message when the 50mg tablet is scanned.”
According to the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ), adverse drug events account for nearly 700,000 emergency department visits and 100,000 hospitalizations each year, and about half of them are preventable. These errors could not only prevent patients from receiving proper treatment, but could also prove to be fatal.
Both the FDA and the WHO published useful guidelines for reducing medication errors and improving patient safety. Their suggestions include:
According to the Mayo Clinic, MRSA (Staphylococcus aureus) is an infection that’s “caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.” The CDC adds that it can be spread through direct contact with an infected wound or contaminated hands.
“MRSA is an ongoing challenge,” said Jacobs. “Patients are now tested when they enter the hospital and are appropriately isolated if they show signs of MRSA. The housekeeping staff is carefully trained to sanitize and clean every surface meticulously, and care providers gown and glove appropriately.”
Although MRSA infections have reduced in the past few years, there were more than 323,000 cases in the most recent reporting year and 10,600 deaths.
MRSA is very easy to spread and can cause infections in your bloodstream, heart, lungs, bones, and joints. If left untreated, MRSA can become life-threatening.
MRSA can be difficult to prevent completely, but you can reduce your patients’ chances of contracting it by administering antibiotics both before and after surgery. Following surgery, wash your hands thoroughly before you touch the patient, and make sure that visitors wash their hands, too. The CDC published its guidelines for preventing the spread of MRSA in hospitals.
A post-discharge adverse event is any injury a patient sustains after they’ve been discharged that is a direct result of the care they received. Typically, this type of adverse event occurs about one month after discharge and usually results in the patient being readmitted to the hospital. There are several complications that can happen post-discharge. The most common are hospital-acquired infections and medication errors.
According to the AHRQ, about 20% of patients experience complications within three weeks of being discharged from the hospital—and 61% of those are considered to be preventable issues.
The AHRQ recommends not discharging patients while test results are pending, since those results may indicate that the patient requires further hospital care. You should also ensure that the patient understands their own discharge plan, including what medications they’re taking and the correct dosages for each. Another great resource is the Family Caregiver Alliance, which has published information on how to build discharge plans, as well as tips on what families and caregivers can do to guarantee a smooth discharge process.
The CDC explains that sepsis is “the body’s extreme response to an infection.” Specifically, it causes inflammation and, if left untreated, can lead to organ failure, tissue damage, and even death. Any type of infection can cause sepsis, no matter whether it’s bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic.
More than 1.7 million Americans get sepsis each year, and about 270,000 die from it annually. Additionally, one in three patients who die in hospitals have sepsis. It’s particularly dangerous for older adults and those with weakened immune systems.
Becker’s Hospital Review collected strategies for tackling sepsis from a group of healthcare professionals. One easy thing you can do to prevent your patients from developing sepsis is to make sure their infections are being treated properly and promptly. If any patients have open wounds, be sure to clean them regularly. The Sepsis Alliance also recommends that everyone wash their hands frequently and follow proper handwashing procedures. It’s a simple task, but it will help prevent you from inadvertently spreading infections or illnesses to other patients.
Whether you’re in school to become a healthcare provider or a seasoned pro, you know how crucial risk management is in your industry. Carefully planning for risks allows you to provide your patients with the high-quality care they deserve while keeping them safe. If you’d like to learn more about things you can do to help increase patient safety within your organization, make sure to check out these articles:
Originally written by Michael Walton on September 17, 2018.
Updated by Paul Dughi on June 18, 2021.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/Tempura
Ever have one of those days when you’re like, “What am I doing with my career?” Oh wait, that’s every day lately?! Perhaps when you first started out, the hopes were high that your chosen profession would allow you not only to pay the bills but also achieve a sense of fulfillment. But now it’s Disenchantment City, and it’s clearly not sustainable. But is the feeling of discontentment stemming specifically from your current position or your industry in general? Don’t fret. We’re going to help you understand the cause and find a solution.
Let’s start with the fact that you’re far from alone. According to a 2020 Gallup survey, just 56% of Americans feel completely satisfied with their jobs. Nearly one in 10 feel somewhat dissatisfied, with another third of respondents falling somewhere in between.
This problem is particularly worrisome in healthcare, where burnout runs rampant. This has only accelerated with the COVID-19 pandemic. In Medscape’s Nurse Career Satisfaction Report for 2020, 37% of registered nurses and 30% of nurse practitioners claimed to feel burned out or very burned out — compared to burnout rates of 12% for RNs and 13% for NPs prior to the pandemic.
Even when they don’t feel burned out, many employees describe a concerning lack of passion or fulfillment. This issue can feel overwhelming to address, especially when, as board-certified career coach Keith “Nurse Keith” Carlson, RN, BSN, explains, so many professionals feel as if they’ve been “left to their own devices to struggle,” with little regard from employers for their mental health.
The good news? Change is possible. In this guide, we highlight the top sources of concern among today’s healthcare professionals, as well as concrete steps you can take to improve circumstances at work and in your personal life.
Before you can take positive action to revive or reset your career, you need to determine what, exactly, is getting in the way. Carlson refers to this process as the “root cause analysis.” He said he believes that a thorough assessment is vital. He compared this to the detail-oriented assessments conducted by nurses and other healthcare workers as they seek accurate diagnoses for their patients.
Take these steps to determine what you lack — and to discover what, exactly, you need in order to achieve a more fulfilling career.
Like it or not, finances play a critical role in every career decision you make, no matter how idealistic or passion-driven those choices may be. If you’re constantly stressed about your financial situation, you’ll find it difficult to put your best foot forward, even if you find your work compelling.
Unfortunately, economic struggles represent one of the chief barriers to job fulfillment, with results from the aforementioned Gallup poll indicating that only 39% of Americans are satisfied by how much they earn.
The balance between passion and finances looks different for every person. Consider your current and anticipated expenses. What would be sufficient to cover the basic necessities of life? To what extent would you be willing to compromise on pay if it means chasing a vision you find more compelling?
Your job might pay the bills, but how does it influence your physical and mental health? If you constantly feel stressed or burned out, the implications for your long-term health and well-being could be devastating. Issues like being overworked can lead to a whole host of problems, ranging from high blood pressure to insomnia and even severe mental health conditions.
While the interplay of health status and work can feel a bit like a chicken or egg situation, a deeper analysis of your symptoms may reveal the true impact your job has on your health. Consider whether the onset of your health concerns accompanied any major changes in your professional life. Would targeted lifestyle changes make you feel better? Or are these not possible until you address root problems, such as burnout or a toxic workplace culture?
If you’ve determined that you’re still passionate about your specialty, it’s possible that a problematic workplace environment is responsible for your current professional malaise. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish whether the issue lies with your employer or your career track in general, but Carlson explains that, when your workplace is the problem, you’ll experience a general sense of unease. This may feel “like you’re a cog in the wheel and you have no voice — and you basically feel like disposable cannon fodder.”
Concrete examples may also be available. For example, you might observe specific instances of bullying at your workplace and the failure of your employer to make changes, even after you’ve voiced your concerns. Carlson says he believes that, should you bring instances of harassment or bullying to light and your employer “make[s] excuses or pay[s] lip service,” a change in work environment could make all the difference.
What gets you excited to go to work? Which specialties or niches spark your interest? If you feel lackluster about your current roles and responsibilities, it’s possible that your job doesn’t fulfill your calling.
Finding your true passion will take some soul-searching. Resources like podcasts or professional journals can help. Above all else, Carlson recommends talking to people who actually work in the specific profession you’re looking into – they can help you determine whether you’re a good fit for a particular career track. Try to chat with somebody else who made a career shift that resembles the switch you’re considering.
By this point, you’ve determined why you feel unfulfilled and have decided that you’re ready for a change. Great! Switching careers is an option, but it’s not necessarily the only approach worth pursuing. Depending on your situation, you might find greater success in seeking change within your current position. Either way, you’ll need to dig deep to define your career objectives and your value proposition, which, together, can guide you toward the meaningful change you crave. These steps will help you get started:
It’s easy to get weighed down by details as you determine which changes are most vital to your professional success and personal well-being. Unfortunately, this tendency can cause you to feel overwhelmed, thereby leading to inaction.
If you’re paralyzed by details, Carlson recommends taking a 10,000-foot view. This examines “where you’ve been over the arc of your career, where you currently are, and where you may want to go.” It doesn’t focus on how you feel about your current job, but rather encourages you to consider how satisfied you are with your overarching career and what you’d like to accomplish in the next several years.
At the outset of your quest for professional fulfillment, your path forward may seem impossible to define. A world of possibilities awaits, but the sheer variety can make it tough to know where to start.
Don’t let this convince you to accept the status quo. Instead, begin to draft a list of options. Avoid censoring your initial list, and instead let yourself imagine all possibilities. These could include everything from seeking a promotion to taking on a completely different career path.
Next, begin to narrow your list. Ask yourself which options best abide by the 10,000-foot vision identified above. Once you’ve highlighted the best possible solutions, take a closer look at available information to determine which are the most realistic.
Carlson recommends “gathering data and doing an assessment.” He compares this to the process of buying a home, in which you would typically examine details about neighborhoods, home values, and other parameters. Likewise, switching from, say, critical care to the emergency department means looking first at the availability of jobs in your area, as well as salary information, academic requirements, and scheduling considerations. This process is important, regardless of whether you want to seek a promotion, change employers, or move to a different part of the country.
Once you know your options and understand what, exactly, each solution entails, you can draft a classic list of pros and cons to give you better insight into your preferences. Throughout this process, you should keep your long-term objectives at the forefront.
Now that you have a basic understanding of what you want from your long-term career and which approaches can get you there, it’s time to make a crucial decision: stay with your current employer, or seek a new job elsewhere? Consider reframing this question to focus not on why you should leave your job, but rather on what would make staying a worthwhile option.
Organizational psychologist Karen Beck Wade, Ph.D, RN-BC, recommends looking for the following qualities:
If most of these ring true, it might be worthwhile to find ways to improve circumstances at your current job. This could take the form of seeking more vacation time, a raise, or increased flexibility.
Whether you choose to remain within your current position or seek greener pastures, you’re more likely to succeed if you feel confident in the unique qualities you have to offer as a respected, hardworking professional. These are best conveyed in your value proposition — a helpful concept identified by career development expert Ashlee Klevens Hayes, PharmD/MHA. She defines the value proposition as “how well you can articulate and communicate your value to a potential employer, colleague, or other collaborators.”
As you consider your value proposition, avoid the dreaded four-letter word “just.” (As in, “I’m just a nurse” or “I’m just beginning my career in real estate.”) Instead, identify the unique services and skills you can provide.
The cliche “know thyself” also comes into play. You hold a wealth of experience that goes beyond your specific qualifications. Determine what your employer values most and how you can show that you fulfill these expectations.
If you’ve decided that your current position offers enough benefits to make sticking around worthwhile, don’t settle for the status quo. Take action to change your situation so your job lives up to its potential. If you need help, you can check out our article, “How to Ask for More of What You Need at Work.”
The most impactful solution? Asking your supervisor to address the pressing issues that keep you from feeling fulfilled. Many employees refrain from speaking up for fear of rejection, but employers are often happy to provide the resources or responsibilities workers desire — they just need to be asked. In fact, some management professionals claim that employees who speak up about what they need command more respect in the workplace.
Before you make any requests, pinpoint the top areas of concern. Which changes at your current workplace would spark the most immediate and extensive improvements? Perhaps additional responsibilities would help you feel as if you’re making better use of your professional skills. Or maybe you need better work-life balance so you can feel less overwhelmed as you juggle workplace demands with family or grad school.
If you believe that your employer — and not your broader career path or specialty — is the problem, it’s possible that no requests (no matter how carefully phrased) will deliver the changes you desire. Issues like a toxic workplace culture can be difficult to overcome, so it might be preferable to find a new job with an employer who’s more capable of providing the kind of environment you need.
Keep in mind that a job switch won’t automatically produce the change(s) you’re looking for. After all, a poll conducted by Monster.com reveals that a whopping 76% of job-seekers think of their bosses as toxic. However, definitions of this term vary from one employee to the next, and what you, specifically, regard as unacceptably toxic may influence whether you’re willing to pursue work elsewhere.
As with any major career decision, Carlson recommended gathering and assessing data. With a potential job switch, this means researching potential employers to determine whether their company culture or treatment of staff members might be preferable. Go beyond mission statements and marketing lingo; instead, chat with actual employees to learn more.
Are you genuinely passionate about your profession? When you consider the prospect of remaining within your current career track for several years — or even decades — does it fill you with a sense of opportunity or dread?
If you’re experiencing major ambivalence that has little to do with your specific employer or position, you may benefit from shifting into a new area — or perhaps a completely different line of work. First, however, you’ll likely need additional training, particularly if your preferred specialty requires an advanced degree or specific certification.
Pinpointing your new niche or career field could take significant soul-searching. Again, fellow professionals may provide the best insight. This could come in the form of chats with mentors or even job-shadowing experiences. From there, you can determine which academic program will help you make a much-needed change in your career. Training requires a major commitment, but you may quickly find that you feel more motivated by the simple prospect of learning something new.
Career fulfillment may seem impossible to achieve, but it’s within reach if you’re willing to do the tough, personal work of discovering your calling and your inherent value as a professional. You’ll never regret standing up for yourself and seeking the respect and recognition you deserve.
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You’re determined to meet your career goals while also maintaining a fulfilling personal life. This is a difficult balance to strike, even for highly proactive and confident employees. Still, your most ambitious objectives might be within reach if you simply speak up. But how do you say you need money or more time off or less grunt work—and actually be heard?
Stating what you need seems so straightforward, and yet it’s a huge source of struggle for today’s employees. Results from a PayScale survey reveal that just 37% of workers have sought a raise from their current employer. But even those who are willing to seek more compensation could still be afraid to ask for vacation time or flexible work arrangements.
The first step? Speaking up. As the cliché goes, the squeaky wheel gets the most grease. Don’t let the fear of rejection stand in your way. Phrase your questions correctly, and you can demonstrate that you’re an invaluable asset to your employer.
Below, we highlight a few of the most common situations that might require you to ask more of your employer. We’ll also discuss ways to frame your request so that you receive the support, balance, and compensation you deserve.
You’ve demonstrated your skill and commitment every day on the job, and all that effort has led to exciting new responsibilities and an elevated status. It’s reasonable to ask for a higher salary that better reflects the unique qualities you bring to the workplace. Think of this as an opportunity for your employer to show you that your hard work is appreciated.
Before you ask for a raise, you need to understand why you deserve one. More importantly, you should be able to articulate these reasons quickly and effectively. This is best accomplished after you’ve developed your value proposition, which, as Ashlee Klevens Hayes, of career development company RXAshlee, explains, helps you articulate your expertise and accomplishments with confidence.
For example, if you work in project management, your value proposition might reflect your ability to complete projects on time and under budget. It could go something like: “My MBA and decade of experience in accounting, budgeting, and program development have equipped me to handle complicated workflows, coordinate large teams, and deliver optimal results for clients.”
Once you’ve identified and explained your value proposition, it’s time to dive in with salary negotiations. These should be based not only on your personal qualifications, but also on details you’ve uncovered about “typical” salary and benefits for your position, your level of experience, and your geographic region.
Websites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and PayScale can help, as can direct conversations with recruiters or even colleagues. Don’t let these statistics convince you to ask for less than you’re worth; use them to gain insight into compensation trends so you aren’t taken advantage of by your employer.
When negotiating a raise, resist the urge to quote a specific number. Instead, encourage your employer to quote an acceptable range first. Keep your bottom line in mind as you seek slightly higher than what you actually want, with the assumption that you’ll be viewed as reasonable when that number is eventually whittled down.
Work-life balance is a huge area of concern in today’s constantly connected society. Employees across all sectors work long hours with minimal time off, only to be plagued by emails when they’re off the clock.
Seeking a better work-life balance goes beyond taking a few more days of vacation. It’s about securing respect for your time—both at work and in your personal life. In your request, be sure to explain what a better work-life balance would help you achieve, like increased productivity and creativity.
Keith “Nurse Keith” Carlson, a career coach for nurses and other healthcare professionals, recommends doing a root-cause analysis so you know exactly why your work-life balance is suffering. This will influence how you handle your request. While he says he believes that poor personal habits sometimes influence a lack of balance, he says he feels that the issue is usually “bigger and deeper than that.” Systemic issues such as excessive expectations may be to blame for your current struggles. If that’s the case, it’s worth your while to seek relief.
When you’re ready to meet with your employer, start with a brief explanation of the value of work-life balance, specifically as it relates to your job.
This is another excellent opportunity to highlight your value proposition—but this time frame it as your employer’s need to help you stay afloat so you can continue to put your best foot forward.
An example a healthcare worker employed in the ER could say might be: “I go above and beyond during my 12-hour shifts, performing lifesaving procedures that are physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing. When I’m off the clock, I need the full time to recharge so I can recover from grueling shifts and be ready to start fresh when the next work day arrives.”
Vague requests for work-life balance are unlikely to hold sway with your employer. Instead, articulate specific ways in which your employer can help you juggle a demanding work schedule with your personal life.
How this is achieved will vary significantly from one professional to the next. A nurse or PA with young children at home, for example, may prefer to avoid the night shift. Others may struggle to find true rest or rejuvenation because they’re constantly plagued by work communication or administrative duties. In this situation, the best option may involve working with a supervisor to more clearly define the scope of the job. This will ensure that “time off” actually provides a break from work.
You bring considerable knowledge and skill to your work, but you still don’t have a seat at the table. Greater authority is only possible if you take on more responsibility. If you frame your question the wrong way, though, you could appear as if you’re underplaying the importance of your day-to-day work—or that your current role is unimportant.
Avoid thinking of yourself as “just” anything as you seek new responsibilities. Your self-perception as a skilled professional can determine whether your employer is willing to grant your request. Again, lead with your value proposition, making note of how your unique skills and qualities have equipped you to take on a greater degree of responsibility.
Highlight areas in which you can take on more responsibility, but be willing to negotiate. Just like asking for a raise, it can help to propose something just beyond your preferred level of responsibility and come down to a slightly less ambitious task or project. Never propose anything you suspect might be out of reach, as an inability to deliver could compromise any requests you make in the future.
Consider a specific project or task that you’re interested in. If, for example, your current work as an HR specialist is largely administrative, say: “I’d love to take a greater role in the upcoming recruitment campaign. I have specific ideas that can help us better attract candidates who fit our company’s culture.”
You’re not only ready for a bump in your salary, but you feel ready to take on an entirely new position. This can be a nerve-wracking process, but even when refused, your desire for a promotion signals your commitment to moving ahead in your career.
Demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and credentials you bring to the table. This can be particularly effective if you’ve recently earned a new degree or certification. For example, you could say: “I recently earned my MBA. Given the management skills I gained through my graduate coursework, I believe that I would be an excellent candidate for a senior position in the accounting department.”
Don’t base your request exclusively on tenure. These days, employers are more likely to grant promotions based on merit rather than seniority.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a promotion right away. Few employers are willing to grant these on the spot, but simply nurturing the idea could get you on the path to success. Experts at the Harvard Business Review recommend asking on a quarterly basis, or, better yet, after you reach a major achievement at work.
Everybody needs time off to rest and recharge. Unfortunately, vacation time tends to be minimal in the U.S., even among mid- and upper-level employees who have been on the job for years.
Requests for extra time off can feel intimidating in an always-on society. But as with work-life balance requests, they can be successful when framed as a benefit to your employer.
Familiarize yourself with your employer’s vacation policy, determining when additional days are typically granted, how days rollover, and how much flexibility can be expected. Some tips to keep in mind: Consider asking for extra time after your performance review, particularly if you receive positive feedback. Rachel-Jean Firchau who runs a travel blog for career-conscious women suggests this approach: Requests made right after completing a busy period or a major project may also be more successful.
Firchau suggests having data points at the ready. Have a list of everything you’ve contributed to the team and organization, including any personal goals you’ve accomplished. You might want to include how long you’ve been there, how many days you currently have and how your productivity or innovation might improve under a more generous vacation policy. You might also add stats from sources like USTravel.org that found that workers who use the majority of their vacation days are significantly happier than those who don’t. The State of American Vacation 2018 reports: “Those who travel with all or most of their time are 28% happier with their companies and 24% happier with their jobs than those that travel with little to none of their vacation days. These frequent travelers are also 18% more likely to report receiving a promotion in the last two years.
Timing of your request could be crucial to your request. If the company is crushing its goals, your manager might be in high spirits and be more willing to go to bat for you. Either way, having management know how important vacation is to you will be helpful in the long-run. And, Firchau adds that if you get the approval — get it in writing!
From family obligations to grad school, a number of things could cause you to require more time away from work. Unfortunately, requests for reduced hours are often accompanied by a scaling back of responsibilities. Once lost, these responsibilities can be difficult to regain. With the right approach, you can secure the extra time you need without compromising your standing at work.
Provide a brief explanation of your circumstances. Be sure to highlight whether the time you take off will ultimately benefit your employer. Grad school attendance, for example, will equip you with new skills that prove valuable in the workplace, as well as give you exposure to cutting-edge research and practices. Explain how you can continue to fulfill your responsibilities despite being on the job fewer hours.
If possible, propose a trial period. During this time, you can demonstrate the ability to cover all essential tasks and abide by deadlines, even as you work fewer hours. Other negotiation tactics could include:
At some point, a fellow employee left their job, and instead of filling this vacancy, your employer shifted responsibilities so that you and your coworkers would absorb this role. While you were initially able to handle the increased workload, you’re beginning to fall behind. You need more support to ensure that tasks are completed correctly and on time. This could mean hiring someone else to fill the open position or shifting responsibilities in other creative ways to lighten the load.
Prior to meeting with your supervisor, consider whether any alternative solutions may be available for getting the job done with fewer employees. Sometimes, solutions like paring back unimportant tasks can work. In other cases, automation or outsourcing can fill the gap.
If you’re unable to come up with a viable solution, it’s time to ask for backup. Don’t fall in the trap of feeling like a martyr. You need and deserve help. Remind your employer how previous staffing levels consistently produced better results. Explain how the failure to fill open positions has negatively impacted you and your colleagues.
Propose specific solutions to help you handle work responsibilities without compromising your work-life balance. Your employer will appreciate the thought you’ve put into this request and may even offer alternative options you haven’t considered.
If you suspect your employer lacks the budget for an additional employee, you might suggest an outsourced solution. As an employee in a radiology department, for example, you could say: “I understand that budgetary constraints keep us from maintaining staff to handle diagnostic interpretations after hours. Could an outsourced solution for nights and weekends be a cost-effective way to keep our department running smoothly?”
Making requests of your employer can feel overwhelming, but it’s worth facing your fears and seeking the support or compensation you need. A little due diligence can make a world of difference. With preparation and the proper phrasing, you’ll be surprised what you can get.
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You have ambitious goals for your career, and you’re not afraid to take major steps to ensure you meet these objectives. Staying on track can be difficult when you’re caught up with the day-to-day concerns of your job and personal life.
That’s where an outside perspective comes in handy. This can take numerous forms, but two approaches are especially common among driven professionals: career mentors and career accountability partners. While these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they reference different roles and relationships.
Ready to take your job performance to the next level? You don’t need to go it alone. Below, we explain how resources like mentors and accountability partners can boost your career and why you’ll benefit from both relationships.
At its most basic level, a mentorship involves a mutually beneficial, career-oriented partnership. Typically, one of the professionals involved in the mentorship has more experience or has achieved a higher rung on the career ladder. Still, both parties have much to gain; the mentee receives insight from years of hard work, while the mentor enjoys a fresh perspective.
In his Network Mastery Podcast, Matt Hall explains that the best mentor relationships focus on the long-term, with the goal of promoting success within a shared industry. This relationship tends to take on an informal approach, with compensation rarely entering the picture.
Hall adds that mentors serve a crucial role in professional development.
“[Mentors are] there to be a soundboard, help you brainstorm ideas… somebody you can check in with every week to learn something new,” he says.
Mentorship expert Martina Castro expands on the sometimes casual, yet nearly always transformational nature of this relationship in an intriguing episode from NPR’s Life Kit. According to Castro, mentorship often involves little moments in which a mentor provides a compelling perspective. This can take the form of advice but could also involve a few simple words or a properly phrased question.
Mentors are all around you, and yet the prospect of developing this important relationship can feel intimidating. According to Hall, however, you may already have a mentor and not know it.
In all likelihood, you entered your profession of choice with a mentor already established. Perhaps this individual piqued your interest in a particular field or position. Otherwise, you likely know at least a few people who have provided some element of guidance and are ready to take that next step toward becoming a true mentor.
The Center for Mentoring Excellence’s Lisa Fain echoes this sentiment, highlighting the value of existing relationships as a starting point in your hunt. If this doesn’t immediately lead to a mentor, Fain suggests “letting people know what your learning goal is and asking them who… they know who can help you with that learning goal.”
Once you’ve identified a potential mentor, it’s important to develop a relationship before making any official requests. Fain describes this process as the mentorship equivalent of a first date. This is your opportunity to discover how your mentor will fit into your life. The right pairing is essential, as your goal should be to develop a long-term relationship that will ultimately benefit both professionals.
Finding and developing rapport with a professional mentor is just the beginning. Because this person can play such an important role in your career journey, it is imperative that you nurture this relationship over time. This means checking in regularly and engaging in meaningful discussions that benefit both the mentor and mentee.
However, more important than the amount of time you spend together is the quality of that time. Don’t seek a mentor simply because you want validation.
This is your chance to be challenged as a professional so that you can grow and learn. To that end, it’s important to limit venting and instead focus on what you can realistically change or accomplish. NPR’s Anjuli Sastry points out:
“Mentoring relationships are not therapy,” says NPR’s Anjuli Sastry. “Balance is essential, of course, as it may sometimes be necessary to discuss difficult circumstances so that the mentor understands the full picture.”
Most professionals are familiar with the concept of the career mentor, but the idea of an accountability partner remains misunderstood. Some of this confusion stems from the crossover between these roles, because mentors and accountability partners often hold similar functions.
Securing an accountability partner may require more effort than developing a professional relationship with a mentor. With mentors, the difficulty lies not in finding somebody to take on this role, but rather in actually approaching this person and striking up a natural and useful relationship.
When seeking an accountability partner, you’ll need to do more upfront research, but the process of approaching and asking somebody to serve this role may actually prove easier. This derives, in part, from the accountability partner’s more defined — and often short-term — role in your professional development.
When you need to level up your fitness regimen, you hire a personal trainer. This may cost more than simply maintaining a gym membership, but it will also deliver the motivation and knowledge needed to deliver impressive, long-lasting results.
The same concept can apply to your career. If you hire an accountability partner (often, in this context, referred to as an accountability coach), you can take confidence in knowing that this person is invested in your professional journey and committed to keeping you on track.
What’s more, the exchange of payment brings an extra level of motivation that might not exist without a purposeful transaction.
Accountability coach Katrina Widener explains, “When money exchanges hands, there’s something on the line. You don’t want to waste your hard-earned cash, so you get it done.”
If you’re currently unable or unwilling to invest in a paid accountability partner, you may be able to find similar benefits from a free alternative. This may look, to an extent, like a professional mentorship — but with more structure, and, in all likelihood, a level playing field.
With a free accountability partner, you might set specific goals and timelines, with the intention of helping one another remain on track as you take on specific challenges. As with mentors, you can check in from time to time. Once you’ve achieved your stated goals, you may go your separate ways, or, if you find the relationship valuable, set new objectives and continue to hold each other accountable.
Another key difference between mentors and no-cost accountability partners? With mentorships, one person typically holds more experience and an elevated status. Accountability partners, however, tend to be at or near the same level in terms of education and professional background.
This lends such a relationship unique advantages that might not be present in a typical mentorship. For example, accountability partners may relate to one another and find it easier to commiserate about shared workplace challenges. As with mentorship, it’s best not to focus on venting. But in the right context, blowing off steam can be helpful.
How you take advantage of your accountability partnership will depend, to a large extent, on whether you opt for a paid approach. If you choose to hire an accountability partner or coach, you’ll want to research thoroughly to ensure that this person is capable of helping you meet your most ambitious goals. Prior to committing, determine whether your top candidates have experience working with professionals in your field or at your level on the career ladder.
It’s also critical that you understand your paid accountability partner’s philosophy and general approach. Do you need a brutally honest, tell-it-like-it-is style to keep you motivated? Or would positive, rah-rah interactions serve you better?
Identify key traits you want in your accountability coach and make your final choice accordingly. Don’t be afraid to communicate your priorities and preferences during your initial meeting. Remember, rapport is just as important with a paid service as it is in an organic mentorship journey.
There’s no need to choose between mentors and accountability partners. Because these individuals take such different forms and serve such distinctive purposes, it’s easy and advisable to simultaneously weave them into your professional life.
To ensure both relationships are productive, get specific with what you want from each type of interaction. While some overlap may exist, your meetings with your mentor should look at least somewhat different from your work with an accountability partner. Often, you’ll select short-term endeavors to tackle alongside your accountability partner, while your mentorship journey will focus on the big picture.
To help illustrate the varying roles that mentors and accountability partners can play in a blossoming career, we’ve provided a few inspiring examples:
No matter your field or status as a professional, you deserve a supportive team of advocates prepared to help you achieve both your short and long-term objectives. Your efforts to develop relationships with mentors and accountability partners will pay off with professional growth and greater career satisfaction. Don’t waste this opportunity to take your career to the next level.
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If you’re looking to reach some new goals in your career or maybe even pursue a new career altogether, the first step you should take is to write down a career goal statement. Your career goal statement is a smart way to help you hone in on the specific goals you want to achieve—and then allow you to work on the concrete steps to get there.
So what, exactly, is a career goal statement? A career goal statement is exactly what it sounds like: a specific statement you write down about the career goal you want to achieve. A career goal statement is explicitly clear and includes a goal and an “action plan” step to reach that goal. For instance, “I will earn my real estate brokers license this year by enrolling in an online program.”
The key to composing an effective goal statement is that it needs to be specific, actionable, and clear. While it may be possible for you to pursue more than one career goal simultaneously, each career goal statement should only focus on one goal at a time. That way, you can be crystal clear about the goal you’re pursuing and the steps you need to take to reach it.
In general, there are two types of career goal statements: short-term and long-term. There is no “right” or “wrong” type of career goal statement to make as far as choosing one or the other, and in fact, some experts actually recommend having both short-term and long-term career goal statements. For example, John Crossman, CCIM, CRX, and CEO of Crossman Career Builders, uses a 90-day, a one-year, and a five-year career goal statement for his own goal setting.
Your own, personal career goal statement timelines may differ, especially depending on the goal, but you should consider adding in a short-term and a long-term goal statement so you can envision how the two can work together. This will help ensure the steps you are taking align to where you would ultimately like to end up in your career.
There are a few reasons why you should focus on coming up with a career goal statement as a way to help you take the next step.
The beauty of crafting a career goal statement is that it forces you to hone in on the specific goal you want to achieve—and then devise an action plan to achieve that goal. The problem with having broad career goals, like “moving up the ladder” or “making more money,” is that they don’t actually get you anywhere. With a career goal statement, you have no choice but to zero in on a crystal clear goal that leaves no room for guesswork.
When you sit down to write your career goal statement, you might be surprised to discover that your actual goal differs from what you thought it was. For instance, you might assume that you want to have your own healthcare practice. But once you actually write the action plan, you may realize you don’t have the capacity for that goal at the moment and pivot your plan in a new direction. In short, the career goal statement helps you head in the direction you want your life to take. Your ideal career goal statement should be something that aligns with your resources and vision for your life. It should be based on a top priority, says Crossman.
A career goal statement could help you uncover goals you weren’t even aware you had. And if you aren’t sure you have any goals for your career in the future, a career goal statement can still help you get inspired. Carve out some time to sit with a journal and a cozy drink and test-drive a few career goal statements as a brainstorming activity. It’s a good opportunity to see if any of the career goals you come up with strike some inspiration. Maybe you’ll even stumble upon a career ambition you weren’t expecting!
Lastly, a well-crafted career goal statement is trackable and measurable, Crossman says. That means that just by writing the statement, you are making a plan to be accountable to yourself. It’s a fool-proof solution, especially if you tend to be someone who needs a little extra accountability to hit your goals.
A career goal statement can help you clearly identify your goals for the future and outline realistic, practical steps to get there. A career goal statement typically includes three key components:
You can think about it in the following formula:
Career Goal Statement = Goal + Action Plan (Timeline)
There are plenty of ways to actually write out a goal statement, but the most successful ones typically follow this format:
“I will do [X] by [Y]. I will accomplish this by doing [Z].”
In the above formula, “X” represents the specific career goal you have, “Y” represents the timeline (or deadline) by which you want to achieve your goal, and “Z” represents the various steps you’ll need to take to get there. Here’s an example of how this could look in real life:
“I will open my own practice as a nurse practitioner in 2022. I will accomplish this by finishing my business plan, renting office space, and hiring the employees I need.”
The key to a good career goal statement is that it needs to be as specific and concrete as possible. So, instead of a statement like, “I’d like to move up in my career,” your career goal statement would say, “I will become floor manager within four years by earning my MSN and receiving mentoring from the current manager.”
Also, notice that we use the phrase “I will” in both parts of the statement, rather than softer language like “I’ll try” or “I can.” When you use strong, definite action verbs in your goal statement, you’re making a firm commitment to yourself that this is your goal and here’s how you’re going to achieve it. Of course, you certainly don’t have to use “I will” in your own goal statement, but do try to use strong language that makes you take a firm stance on the goal you’re trying to hit.
A career goal statement can help you clearly identify your goals for the future and outline realistic, practical steps to get there. A career goal statement typically includes three key features:
There are plenty of ways to actually write out a goal statement, but the most successful ones typically follow this format:
“I will do X. I will accomplish this by doing Y.”
In the above formula, “X” represents the specific career goal you have, and “Y” represents the various steps you’ll need to take to accomplish it. Here’s an example of how this could look in real life:
“I will open my own practice as a nurse practitioner in 2022. I will accomplish this by finishing my business plan, renting office space, and hiring the employees I need.”
Notice that we use the phrase “I will” in both parts of the statement, rather than softer language like “I’ll try” or “I can.” When you use strong, definite action verbs in your goal statement, you’re making a firm commitment to yourself that this is your goal and here’s how you’re going to achieve it. Of course, you certainly don’t have to use “I will” in your own goal statement, but do try to use strong language that makes you take a firm stance on the goal you’re trying to hit.
Now that you know the general formula for writing a career goal statement, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of actually creating one.
Your first step will be to choose the career goal (or goals) you want to achieve. Although you may think that your career goals should be only focused on your job status or title, your career goals should also include larger aspects, such as what type of lifestyle you want with your career. Ask yourself the following questions:
The important part of this step is to let yourself freely dream — don’t hold back! Now’s your chance to do some self-reflecting and think about what career goals you want, why you want to achieve them, and how reaching those goals can help improve your life. No goal is off limits here, so don’t self-edit your goals before you even get a chance to go after them.
As you move through this stage, you may notice that you end up with a lot of different goals and that’s OK. As you answer the questions, you will be able to prioritize the career goals that align with the life goals you have. Aim for ending up with one or two key career goals to focus on at a time. Another tip? Focus on five years ahead or less, says John Crossman, CCIM, CRX, and CEO of Crossman Career Builders.
Next, you’ll need to do your homework and gather some general intel about what you’ll need to do to reach those goals. They don’t have to be specific steps yet — you’ll get to that later. For now, just focus on getting a better understanding of what the path to your goal could look like and what you’ll need to do or have to get from Point A to Point B. For example, will you need to go back to school? Will you need to move? Is there a continuing education course you could take or a conference you can attend to sharpen your skills? Will you have to scale back on paid work while you move toward an advanced degree?
This is also a great time to talk to someone who’s currently in the position you hope to have. Set up a coffee date or phone call to chat about how they got to where they are, what steps they took along the way, and any insight or advice they have about getting where they are. “Look to people who are 10-20 years ahead in their careers and study them,” Crossman suggests.
Now that you have a general goal in mind, you’ll need to hone in on what you specifically want to accomplish. Enter: SMART goals. According to this particular goal-setting framework, good goals should be:
Now that you have your target, it’s time to figure out how you’re going to hit it. To do this, you’ll essentially need to start with your goal and work backward to identify each step you’ll need to take and each milestone you’ll need to hit along the way. This will also help you figure out what tools, resources, and possibly even education you’ll need to move yourself closer to your objective. For instance, if you’ve chosen a goal that includes career advancement, you may need to go back to school or gain additional certification in your field. “Start with a vision and then work to develop 5 action steps to take,” advises Crossman.
Here are some other things to consider as you make your plan:
Write down every every aspect of your action plan down in this step, from applying to grad school and networking to scaling down the responsibilities you have at your current job. “I break down my goals into [those achievable in] five years, one year, and 90 days,” notes Crossman.
The beauty of a career goal statement is that it boils down your lofty goal into one simple goal and a few actionable step(s), so it really shouldn’t be longer than one or two sentences. If it’s any longer than that, it will start to become too complicated. As long as your career goal statement includes your goal and a very clear action plan, you’re good to go.
As we mentioned earlier, you can break down your career goal statements into both short-term and long-term career goals. This can be especially helpful if you have a large long-term goal that needs to be broken down into several steps, if you are beginning a new career, or if you are a recent graduate doing some planning for your future. Here are a few examples of what short- and long-term career goal statements can look like.
After you write your career goal statement, you follow it to a T, you reach all your goals in a timely fashion, and you live happily ever after, right? Well, in an ideal world, sure. But in the real world, life can certainly intervene to do its best to thwart your efforts in chasing down your goals.
If that happens, the good news is you can use your career goal statement to reevaluate, reassess, and get back on track, if needed. Your career goal statement is something that is never set in stone and can grow and evolve as necessary.
Use your goal statement for direction and motivation, but don’t be so attached to it that you close off the evolution that may happen as you move through life. Flexibility and adaptability can happen, and that’s actually a good thing. In fact, for long-term goals, especially, you should assess what’s working and what’s not working on a regular basis. That way, you can quickly identify if anything in your life—whether through internal or external factors—has changed your goals and take steps to pivot, as needed.
By now, you’re probably convinced that you need a clear and effective career goal statement. Here are some tips to help make that happen:
For example, use a phrase like “I will…,” instead of “I hope to…” or “I want to…”*
For example: “I will specialize in outpatient surgical services,” instead of “I don’t want to work on Med/Surg.”
While increased income can certainly be an attainable and admirable goal, you’ll find more success if you also align your income with your goals and values.
Although your career goal statement should be specific, you don’t want to get bogged down by including every single detail you need to do to reach your goals.
As aspirational as it may be to reach for the stars, you want to make sure you get there in manageable steps. Otherwise, you may get discouraged and stop reaching all together.
It’s been proven that physically writing down your goals—with actual pen and paper—is correlated with achieving them.
“Written goals are far more likely to be achieved,” Crossman says. “They give you a focus and a purpose.”
Be sure your loved ones know exactly what you achieving your goal might look like for them, as well as what you need from them to succeed. That might mean extra chores from the kids or increased childcare from your partner. Either way, make this a team effort.
Remembering your reason for working so hard will help you keep going even on the days when it’s hard. (And there will be those days. You can count on it.)
Maybe it’s an app on your phone, a calendar on your wall, or, hey, if a sticker chart works for you, then bring on the stickers. The point is, find some way of visually charting your success that helps keep you motivated.
One thing that can be helpful for this is to keep a list of things you can do in 15 minutes (send one marketing email), 30 minutes (draft a proposal), one hour (study), or two hours (complete your certification exam). That way, even if you have a day when all you have is 15 minutes, you can still work toward your goal and not experience the discouragement that comes with losing momentum.
To get where you want to go, surround yourself with the industry you want to be in. Follow the people you admire on social media, subscribe to the journals in your aspired profession, and join groups that will help you stay connected. Immersing yourself in the world you want to be a part of will help you get there and feel confident that you belong.
Originally published on January 5, 2021.
Updated on June 18, 2021.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/HAKINMHAN
All healthcare providers strive for excellent clinical care based on their education, training, and experience. But even the most diligent practitioner could still find themselves defending against a malpractice claim. In fact, when Berxi was talking to recent dental school graduates, one said, “We’ve been told a lawsuit is not an ‘if’ but a ‘when’ situation, so we should always plan and practice with the idea that we might get sued in mind.”
And while preparing for the worst might seem overly cautious, embracing some common-sense strategies now can reduce the risk of errors that could lead to claims, and help you defend yourself against a malpractice lawsuit.
Malpractice claims are a significant risk for healthcare providers. The majority of malpractice claims are made against physicians, according to the National Practitioner Data Bank. Between 2010 and 2020, more than 172,000 claims against physicians were reported. That’s a significant number, and other providers face similar risks. In fact, during that same time period, dentists and dental hygienists faced nearly 36,000 claims, while there were 6,500 claims against physician assistants. Nursing professionals as a whole faced over 266,000 claims. Of these, registered nurses led the way with over 164,000 claims, followed by licensed practical and vocational nurses (nearly 95,000 claims), nursing aides and other para-professional nurses (more than 62,000 claims). Advanced practice nurses, such as CRNAs, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, and other clinical nurse specialists faced nearly 7,000 claims.
Being a defendant in a lawsuit is stressful and takes time away from a healthcare provider’s practice. While providers work to maintain a standard of clinical care that will help reduce the risk of malpractice claims, the clinical side is just one part of it. As a lawyer who regularly defends healthcare providers, I’ve found that these five strategies often make the difference for a successful defense when a claim is made.
Patients with open lines of communication are often more likely to disclose information — even if they think it’s not relevant to their diagnosis and treatment plan. Being comfortable with asking questions also allows patients to seek clarifying information. (How many times have you left a room and realized you had a completely different take-away than the person next to you? This happens in medicine too.) Even the most educated and talented providers are at risk of being misunderstood.
Clear communication isn’t limited to what you tell your patients. It also includes how you listen to what the patient is telling you, as the provider. Avoid dismissing (or appearing to dismiss) your patient’s concerns. Provide clear answers to their questions and set realistic expectations. Always remain calm when a patient or their family member gets upset and try your best to identify the concern and address it. Providers should always avoid interactions with patients that could make the patient feel devalued or misunderstood, which could lead to them being misinformed.
Keep in mind that your patients will communicate with other people on your team, as well. Every interaction a patient has at your practice should affirm their decision that they’ve chosen a competent and capable provider.
You’ll want to write detailed notes both for your patients and your own records. So when possible, leave your patients with instructions and any specifics they could process on their own time. You’ll also need to document your entire interaction — including the written details you gave the patient — in your own notes.
It might seem impractical to write everything that goes on between you and your patients (see these tips for writing great nurses notes), but clear documentation should, at minimum, include the following items. This is otherwise known as “a lawyer tells you what to include in your patient notes”:
If you’re in doubt about whether something is important enough to document, you should document it. In a lawsuit, a provider’s records are used to prove what did or did not happen. Documenting helps avoid opportunities for the argument that something that isn’t in your records didn’t happen. If you want more documentation tips, check out our article, “Nurse Charting 101.” article.
While good documentation will help you if a malpractice claim is made, it might not be enough to simply point to your records and say you told a patient to do something like getting a test or visiting another provider. You also should consider regularly reviewing patient charts to ensure tests, examinations, and referrals have been followed up on appropriately. Some electronic record systems allow providers to set notifications or triggers if an expected follow-up has not been completed. If your system doesn’t have this, assign someone to this task so follow-ups don’t fall through the cracks.
Putting a system in place for follow-ups can help avoid a lawsuit about a delayed diagnosis. If there is a claim made, you’ll be more likely to have the documentation necessary to help defend yourself and your practice.
Policies and procedures serve to reduce the risks of errors that lead to malpractice claims. If you’re a defendant in a lawsuit and you can show you have adequate policies and procedures in place, that could reduce the likelihood that their lawsuit will be successful.
While policies and procedures regarding patient care will be tailored to your practice, every practice should have the following:
Consider having “tip” or “cheat” sheets for staff to reference to identify the key elements of the policies and procedures. It’s important to include the policies and procedures in new employee orientation, as well as to have periodic refresher training. Don’t forget to update the policies if you find they’re not adequate or a standard has changed.
Like it or not, despite your education and training, there are things you don’t know — and even more things you don’t know that you don’t know. It’s also unrealistic for anyone to expect you to know how to treat every symptom of every patient who comes to you for care. As a healthcare provider, you must accept that you won’t have all the answers all the time.
Never decide to accept a patient or begin a course of treatment without having sufficient knowledge or skill to comply with your standard of care. Consulting with another provider or referring a patient to another provider should not be a last resort. This may be (very) frustrating to your patient, but asking another practitioner within your team to step in — or providing an early referral ultimately shows you’re acting in the patient’s best interest.
Beyond developing an understanding of when to accept patients, you also should have an understanding of your capacity to provide care. Taking on too much could lead to poor results. The number of hours in a day are limited. A busy practice is great, but if patient care suffers, you’ve unnecessarily created risk for malpractice claims.
Learn to recognize your staff’s strengths and weaknesses, too. This will help you delegate tasks to staff members who are capable of performing. Always keep in mind that you may be held responsible for your staff member’s conduct.
Malpractice claims may feel inevitable, but they’re not. If you incorporate these strategies, you may help to reduce claims. Even if they do not, and a claim is filed against you (or you get wrapped up in a claim against your team), these strategies will have you well on your way to helping your attorney prepare your defense. As a lawyer who regularly defends healthcare providers, I know that facing a claim can be stressful. Incorporating these strategies will help you feel a greater sense of control and will help me (and any other lawyer representing you) to defend you against the claim.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/Hispanolistic
Everything we do has some measure of risk, including running your own business. Let’s go over some helpful things to know to prepare for common risks facing small businesses.
Business owners with any type of brick-and-mortar presence—anything from a large warehouse to a small café—should consider how their business would be impacted by physical damage caused by occurrences such as fire, flood, or wind. The aftermath of physical damage can be two-fold: (1) the cost to make necessary repairs or purchase replacement equipment, and (2) the financial hit caused by a temporary closure of your business. Fortunately, insurance coverage is available for both of these types of losses.
This helps businesses recoup losses caused by physical damage to the property. When purchasing property insurance, business owners should consider all of its property to ensure that the amount of coverage is appropriate. And remember that “property” includes more than just the building itself, but also the building contents, such as computers, machinery, fixtures, and furniture.
This type of coverage helps business owners to recoup losses for operating expenses and lost income while your business is temporarily closed. This coverage can be critically important, as even a relatively inexpensive property loss could disrupt a business for several weeks.
“Third party” risks involve risks to people other than yourself and your business. The specific nature of liability risks will vary depending on your business, but all businesses have one thing in common: they should be insured against what are known as general liability risks.
“General liability” risks are the kind of exposures facing anyone in any field, such as the risk of a customer suffering “bodily injury” after falling on your walkway, or the risk that a competitor sues you, saying you’ve slandered them. Yes, liability risks also encompass “advertising injuries,” which include, for example, legal claims for slander, libel, or copyright violations.
You can protect your business against the costs of these types of risks with commercial general liability (“CGL”) insurance. In the event someone brings a claim that is covered by your policy, the insurance company will pay for your legal defense and also cover the cost of a settlement or damages award (known as “indemnification”). Having insurance coverage enables you to continue operating “business as usual” by mitigating the impact of expensive ongoing legal fees or a hefty jury verdict.
Of note, policies known as a business owner’s policies (“BOPs”) often combine CGL, property, and business interruption insurance. These types of policies can be less expensive than purchasing multiple insurance policies separately.
Additionally, if you provide professional services, such as a lawyer, real estate broker, or management or technology consultant, you should strongly consider errors & omissions (“E&O”) insurance. Also called “professional liability insurance,” E&O provides you coverage for the cost of claims made by clients for economic damages they say were caused by relying on your expert advice or service.
Let’s face it, your employees—including you—are a risk to your business. People can make mistakes in judgment or get injured on a job site. The following are the types of insurance you should consider to cover such risks:
This covers medical expenses and lost wages for employees who injure themselves in the course and scope of their work. Workers compensation laws vary by state, but every state except Texas requires employers to carry it. Small business owners may be surprised to learn that in some states, having just one employee triggers the requirement to carry workers compensation insurance. Business owners with any employees should check their state requirements to ensure they are in compliance with state law and have the proper insurance in place.
Other employee-related risks are claims against businesses for employment-related claims, such as wage and hour law violations, wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation, and sexual harassment. Similar to CGL coverage, EPLI coverage will provide defense and indemnification for a business against employment-related claims that fall within the scope of the policy. EPLI policies have grown more popular in recent years, and the costs of litigation and settlement can be substantial.
In recent years, cyber insurance has grown in popularity among all types of businesses. Cyber policies are varied and ever-evolving to stay current with developing technology and its related risks. Generally, though, these policies are designed to cover damages resulting from cyber-related issues such as network outages, data breaches, financial fraud, and ransomware.
Most policies provide third-party liability coverage, and defend and indemnify businesses against, for example, a customer’s claims arising out your business’ data breach. More comprehensive policies also provide first-party coverages, which, like property insurance policies, allow an insured business to file a claim of loss directly with its insurer. First-party cyber policies cover your own costs to notify customers, hire public relations and computer forensics experts, and recover data to mitigate the damage from a breach. With the rapid increase in remote work since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, insuring your business against these risks may prove to be a prudent investment.
Insurance is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Every business has particular risks, depending on its size, location, finances, and industry. For example:
Now that you have an overview of common risks and corresponding coverages for small businesses, here are some final tips to get the most from your insurance.
With the right comprehensive insurance coverage in place, you can sleep a little more soundly at night, knowing that you have a safety net to protect your business.
Image courtesy of iStock.com/ridvan_celik
