Introduction

It is a well-known fact that in today’s capitalist society, money comes first. Companies and individuals want to make a profit from wherever they can, even if someone has to suffer along the way. The business carries the day. In a money minded world, it is not surprising to hear about corruption, learn about scams and fraudulent undertakings to line the pockets of the wealthy at the expense of the poor. Pharmaceuticals, just like government offices and conglomerates are not immune to the bad reputation of the money first mentality.

Sick victims will accuse their companies of working them too hard with little pay. Patients will accuse pharmaceuticals of administering medicines that made them sicker. Why? For an extra buck. To profit from another man’s illness. Some will go as far as to accuse the same pharmaceutical giants of treating diseases and with-holding the cure, to churn a profit in the billions. The pharmaceutical industry is rich and complicated.

Pharmaceutical Companies

When then, do they start looking out for the poor man? How can they balance their need for profit, with a goal for restored full health? The pharmaceutical industry is being pushed to establish a duty of care attitude by the society and government after several lawsuits filed against them every year. The duty of care attitude is an obvious one, put people first. However, with shareholders and investors at bay, it may be hard to implement the utilitarian strategy.

The time for pharmaceuticals is currently difficult, enough for them to start reconsidering their business models. There are several concerns due to strained government budgets for health care and they also need to learn and adopt new technology. Recently technology has been a mode of conveying services to customers in a more convenient way. Citing cheaper, faster and more quality services online and via phone. Adopting a favorable tech business model to improve customer service for hospitals, healthcare facilities and the ill can be a good way o start building goodwill again.

It is also an opportunity to make money if it is executed in a smart way, perhaps through remittance fees and the likes. Pricing models can also be adjusted to represent the true market value of drugs. Today there are several generic drugs available in the market that customers can buy at half the price of the original that will do the same job. These drugs appeal to customers because they are pocket-friendly. Adjusting prices of the more expensive drugs will enable more access to sick patients, and competition between the two drug categories. The stifling rules and bureaucratic processes also need to change to make a positive change in the pharmaceutical industry for the benefit of the sick.

Pharmaceuticals have also been known to use a silo management system. Meaning the different levels are cut off from the rest. Research and development exist separately from commercial, which is separated from the production department and the supply chain section as well. This kind of management is dysfunctional in the way that the business is run, it eliminates free communication which could lead to better market positioning and client satisfaction. More than that, access to each of these departments freely can breed inefficiency and obstruct patient access.

This causes dissatisfaction on both ends, because the customer will not buy from a detached seller, and as a result, there will be no profit making. Today consumers are very well informed of the medication prescribed and even of the illnesses they experience. In the age of information, consumerism has advanced and consumers are playing a critical role in the medication they take now more than ever. The change in consumer behavior is affecting the pharmaceuticals, policymakers, and payors.

Conclusion

Consumers are having more of a say in the kind of drugs being manufactured, return on research investment and the role they play in patient compliance. It comes down to being more humane in a capitalist world.

Every hospital needs doctors and nurses. These numbers vary on the size of the hospital, and its level of operation. The number of nurses also varies with the procedures taking place in the hospital. For example, if there was an emergency due to an accident you may need all nurses available on ‘deck’ to cater to the casualties. If it is a surgical procedure, then the operating room will need one nurse for every one patient.

If it is a psychiatric hospital, then the numbers there go up because these patients need more care due to their mental health. For each nurse, there could be the up to six patients. While attending to emergencies, a nurse may cater to up to four patients. Some states in America have implemented a nurse to patient ratio. These states are Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Montana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia.

States that have passed legislation on the compulsory nurse to patient ratio are California and Massachusetts. While California has gone a step further to implement those ratios. A nurse to patient ratio refers to the nurses on a particular floor, ward or unit to the number of checked in patients. The greater the anticipated care for example in the intensive care unit or high dependency unit, the lower the ratio.

In a high-quality healthcare facility, a 1.6 ratio is the normal ratio at a medical-surgical unit, and 1.2 in the intensive care unit. Patients need more experienced nurses to tend to them. There is no certain ideal nurse to patient ratio as if depends on the circumstances and healthcare facility but it is debatable that there is a standard nurse to patient ratio expected for quality. Instead, nurses are working longer to support their patients due to understaffing. If the numbers were increased, the nurses would provide better care and also take better care of themselves.

Nurses have previously complained of working shifts in a rush exhaustively tending to even ten patients at a time. The would feel worn out trying to diagnose patients and treat each one at a time. This results in small mistakes and missing cues for an illness which became more common as this happened frequently. Nurses were too stressed receiving very little sleep. Another area worth mentioning is the inflow of patients to nurses available. Restricting these numbers in a reasonable manner makes for happier well-tended to patients, by more relaxed nurses.

Based on surveys made, the nurses could spend an hour more with them and even get time to take a break in between shifts. Notably, their shifts remained the same. As a result, procedural mistakes declined, patient outcomes improved and fewer patients returned to the hospital due to post-treatment complications. It was a win for both patients and nurses. This law that took effect in 2014, in California which restricts the number of patients being treated at any given time has been beneficial to all parties affected.

However, to implement this change, first more nurses have to be hired to balance out the new change and ensure quality service. As per business, one must spend to get the profit back, and the same applies here. The cost is effective when it is done right. To have more nurses there needs to be more educated nurses, which leads to higher salaries and benefits so as to attract and keep more nurses. The average salary has risen well in some states, particularly California after the move by their former governor, television veteran Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The overall cost of the health care system has gone up but for their overall benefit as the rest of America, works to catch up on the work of the Californian state. This move will make both the nurses happier with an improved quality of life and well-treated patients.

Introduction

Working overtime has adverse effects on one’s health. This is general knowledge. Today in the workplace, the emphasis put on a work-life balance is very important and echoed repeatedly. But is it ever respected?

Does Working Overtime impact the quality of work?

Many employees still work overtime either to make more money or at the demand of their employer to the detriment of their health. It is no surprise factor that, in some societies, the pressure in the workplace is so high that often employees use self-medication and alcohol to manage stress. Making them addicts with both vices: drugs and alcohol. In some serious cases, the pressure and stress from a job have led several hundred to commit suicide. The numbers were highest in Japan.

This society is now forcing its employees to take leave and vacation days seriously. However, it is not all employers who are keen on managing stress among employees or looking out for their wellbeing. In a capitalist society, it is often every man for himself. Thus, the companies try and milk every resource they have, their employees included. Having identified the problem of overworking to poor health, especially with no additional benefits like bonus pay or medical insurance among others; employees get demoralized by their working conditions.

Opting to leave most of the time. In situations where they feel trapped due to circumstances, they tend to take on that stress alone. To detrimental or even fatal effects. This kind of situation affects every employed individual. All employees have the right to work benefits, a minimum wage and time off. Nurses are also affected. Since their work requires being on your feet most of the time and giving help not just physically but also emotionally, they need sufficient rest. To recharge and get back on their shift with enough energy and compassion to serve others.

Forcing nurses and doctors to work overtime is unfair. Given that they work in a delicate profession, their services are important necessary. More than that, working longer hours (irrespective of the money) can lead to workplace injuries. For a nurse, an injury means every day until she gets better, she will not be able to attend to someone ill or help save a life. Overtime hours qualifies as anything more than 12 hours consecutively. For nurses, working for 12 hours, three days in a row is not recommended and often leads to burn out.

In addition, working overtime regularly increases your chances of getting a chronic illness later in life. These are diseases such as arthritis, lung and heart disease (especially for industrial workers), in some cases cancer and diabetes as well. Thee health effects are cumulative in nature, and show up especially around retirement age, or as you get older. Therefore, working long hours for long periods of time is a part of your daily life, then your health is bound to suffer.

The problem with working overtime for longer periods of time off (as nurses like to do), means that your time off is spent catering to the adverse effects of overworking. Sometimes, it can mean no rest at all when your off days are packed with errands and no downtime. Psychologically, your mental health also suffers. Taking a few breaks to focus on your own wellbeing can lead to high levels of stress and depression. It correlates to your overall quality of work and performance.

Conclusion

Tired workers often make mistakes because of exhaustion. Nurses may confuse drugs being administered, or confuse patient histories, instructions given etc. Mistakes made in the hospital can be lethal. There is no ignoring one’s own health when it leads to adverse effects for another person. Therefore, the rest is to be taken as seriously as work. Our bodies need to recuperate after a day’s work. We need to refresh our minds and start the day with the kind of energy and attitude that makes a productive day.

Introduction

A midwife is a woman who is trained to assist women during childbirth. Midwives have been around since time immemorial. Whenever a child was born, there was someone to assist the mother. Typically, a woman but not exclusive to women only. Midwives are very important. They provide security to the mother, instill confidence and courage in her to deliver her newborn. Other than emotional security, they also secure the women especially in a more traditional setup, to stand in a manner that is safe enough for the baby to be delivered.

Is midwifery as a profession under-rated?

Today a midwife’s role has only gotten more complex, adding on more responsibilities through their sound care and experience. As a female midwife, they are able to relate and communicate with the new mother in a more intimate way. Their gender allows them to provide support for postpartum care, sexual health and reproductive health with deeper understanding. They inform mothers on what to expect after pregnancy and the changes they will experience as new mothers caring for a newborn. They also advise mothers on how to care for themselves after delivery and the changes to expect in their bodies.

Midwives do the legwork by making home visits and doing the regular check-ups at the mother’s convenience. During this time blood pressure is measured and any aches and pains are addressed. Questions surrounding childbirth, postpartum recovery and reproductive health is addressed. At this stage, it is important to note that midwives also have the opportunity to inform new mothers on baby’s vaccines because they do give advice on what steps they need to take to get their babies vaccinated. At baby clinics, nurses administer baby vaccines. By doing so, nurses and midwives support the new mothers and

baby by giving them this advice. When it comes to delivery, except in special cases and emergencies, midwives deliver the newborns. It can be done by them solely because they are trained to take on normal cases especially those who prefer to deliver naturally. By conducting natural birth deliveries successfully, they support doctors and other patients who need them urgently.

Doctors are called in for emergency c-sections, or when the patient prefers to have a c-section. They also support nurses, by being the first point of contact for the mother and child after birth to confirm safe delivery of the child and good health of both. They also take time to relay this information to the family who is waiting for the good news of the birth of their child. This would normally be the job of the nurse.

Historically midwifery has been taught and learned through apprenticeship. An experienced older woman teaches a younger woman how to assist women through childbirth including the medications and natural remedies they would use to ease the pain. They were also taught how to soothe women and rub their backs to make them more comfortable through the life-changing process. According to ancient history, it was believed that it was easier for mothers to give birth while seated; and so a chair was provided for them to sit on. The birthing chair had armrests to allow the mother to hold onto something while she labored and, in most cases, it had a backrest for her to push against during the strains of delivery. In the times when the mother used a birthing stool. An assistant to the midwife (called a doula) would stand behind her and support her. When the birth got more difficult or was anticipated as a difficult birth she would call a physician to assist her. Just the way it is still done today.

Conclusion

Midwifery is an underrated profession, and one with so much importance. Bringing life into the world needs skilled and dedicated hands, that is sure and also comforting. It is a profession that also needs more support, by educating and training more interested women.