Cath Lab Digest - December 2007 - (Page 28) 28 ACVP MEMBERSHIP PAGE DECEMBER 2007 ribbons. Because accomplishment is usually a group effort, the more people you can recognize the better. The purpose of the white ribbon is to recognize others who have helped in achieving a goal. Here is how it works: Let’s say a nurse receives a blue ribbon from a physician for a job well done. At the same time, the nurse is given three white ribbons to give to colleagues who have helped make that achievement possible. When recognition encourages a chain of recognition, the effect is strengthened. You are creating a culture of appreciation. Create a Fun Committee. This is a fun, volunteer committee whose job is to keep the spirit of fun alive in your facility. Working with a small budget, this committee organizes spontaneous appreciation efforts for staff. They can create regular routine rituals like a song, routine or simple certificate. Have a Laughter Club. The latest in stress reduction. This is a place where you can go to laugh your stress away. People in laughter clubs learn a systematic method to reduce stress. The technique behind laughter clubs is derived from yoga and supported by modern science. It does not involve telling jokes but laughter together, often for no other reason than to laugh. There are more than 1,000 laughter clubs around the world. You can start a laughter club in your healthcare facility by completing training by the World Laughter Tour, Inc. and become a Certified Laugh Leader. For more information about Laughter Clubs, go to www.laughterclubs.com Play Games. An example of a great game is My Greatest Pet Peeve at Work Game. In small groups, have staff members talk about their greatest pet peeves at work — what really irks them. The only rule is if you offer a “peeve,” you have to offer a suggestion to fix it. This is a wonderful activity because it gets people talking in a constructive way and releasing negative energy. You will also end up with some valuable ideas. Use them! Make sure there is some kind of follow up. Other examples: blindfolded wheelchair races, egg toss, mini-golf, bowling alley, potluck meal, bingo. Set up a hot dog stand, give out donuts or other foods…cotton candy, apples (an apple a day keeps the doctor away!)…Things unique, surprising or different break the routine and incorporate a more fun, relaxed work environment. Just be silly. Most people need to lighten up. Now and again, try doing silly things for no reason other than to celebrate. Being a little bit silly challenges the “terminally serious” to lighten up. Memory Jar. With slips of colored paper, pen/pencil and a special jar, employees pay attention to anything warm, happy, fun, interesting or moving that happens to them during the week. Write it down on a slip of paper (just a few words to remind you of the memory). Fold up the slip of paper and drop it in the Memory Jar. No one can peek inside the jar until the “official” weekly opening. At the end of the week, everyone takes a turn pulling a memory out of the jar. The person who wrote the memory explains what it was. Each day we make memories. Celebrate the special moments in your facility. Of course, you can also order novelties, posters, buttons and other tokens for Cardiovascular Professionals Week recognition. Simply call 804-632-0078 or visit our website (www. acvponline.org) and download a packet and order form. Take the time to support cardiovascular professionals — leading above and beyond! ■ Peggy McElgunn can be contacted at peggymcelgunn@comcast.net ACVP MANAGEMENT CORNER Cardiovascular Research Richard Ney, BS, RRT, RCP, CRC Forsyth Medical Center, Winston Salem, North Carolina Today’s successes in the cardiovascular field are largely due in part to the thousands of professionals who work worldwide in cardiovascular research. The first documented “experiment” by Claude Bernard opened the door to today’s modern developments. In 1844, Claude Bernard inserted a mercury thermometer into a horse’s carotid artery, advanced it through the aortic valve and into the left ventricle to measure blood temperature. Bernard’s experiment and clinical research has led the way to develop today’s high-tech equipment, procedures and highly effective drugs. To protect patients, animals, and medical professionals from poorly designed or misguided experiments, the rules and regulations have changed since the 1800’s. The term “experiment” has also been replaced by “clinical trials” to better match the new control over the development of new procedures, drugs and devices. Once mainly performed at large teaching hospitals, clinical research has spread into community hospitals, private physician offices, and independent research companies. The growth of clinical research provides hospitals and doctors the necessary tools to provide their patients with the latest technology. The general public has become “shoppers” for medicine and largely due to the internet, the public has the ability to search for what they feel is the best and most recent treatment. Being idle and waiting for the technology to get to you is no longer an option for today’s highly competitive market. The average length of time it takes for a drug to receive FDA approval is 10–12 years. If a consumer hears of the success of a trial drug, they will shop around until they find a hospital that has the drug available to them through clinical trials. Our hospital routinely receives phone calls from the public hoping for the opportunity to participate in the latest trials. If hospitals and doctors wish to remain competitive, participating in clinical research provides the means to do it. Participating in research sends the message to the public that “we want to offer you the latest and greatest technology available.” A successful trial device, drug or procedure could be used in a hospital years before it is released to other hospitals. This competitive edge draws patients from outside their normal territory and in many cases from outside their country. There is a wide range of cardiovascular trials in which hospitals and physicians may participate. Trials include new devices such as cardiac and vascular stents, catheters, and distal protection devices. The pharmacology end offers dozens of trials that are underway looking for more effective drugs to treat and prevent cardiac disease. To review the trials available or search by company or type of trial, please visit, http://clinicaltrials.gov. It is a goal of the Alliance of Cardiovascular Professionals (ACVP) to provide an opportunity to the cardiovascular world to share knowledge so that we may improve the health of people worldwide. If you are participating or would like to participate in clinical trials and would like to share ideas, obtain feedback or check what clinical trials others are participating in, the ACVP is designing a web page for you, to be online by January 1, 2008. The page will provide an area where you may list your current trials and a message board to discuss issues such as patient recruitment, new trials and patient concerns. To submit your list of trials or general questions or comments, please contact peggymcelgunn@ comcast.net or at the ACVP office: (804) 632-0078. Please include your contact information and facility name. This addition to the ACVP will provide a great opportunity to strengthen the cardiovascular community and improve the care we provide to our patients. The web page will also provide additional means for the public to search for locations that provide the latest technology. “Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.” — Dalai Lama Richard Ney can be contacted at rney@triad.rr.com http://www.laughterclubs.com http://www.acp-online.org http://www.acp-online.org http://clinicaltrials.gov
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