Health

Nurses deal with medical emergencies and endure long working hours daily. Sometimes, it takes a toll on their health and productivity. Working under pressure means you don’t give the job your utmost concentration. To prevent burnout, nurses are advised to create a work-life balance. This means a harmonious way of integrating your professional and personal life such that none suffers. If you work in a dynamic organization, it is crucial to strike a balance because you will feel unfulfilled if you don’t.

These five strategies can help nursing professionals maintain a healthy work-life balance:

Invest in self-care

While nursing is a profitable and satisfying venture, nurses hardly get enough sleep, exercise or eat well. It’s mostly about catering to the needs of their patients. Yes, giving your job your best is fantastic, but preserve your essence while at it. According to the National Sleep Foundation, an adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep daily. You need to adjust your schedule if you are not getting enough sleep. Also, eating healthy helps you stay healthy and alert while working. Exercise, too, boosts your energy levels and activates dormant muscles. There are many ways to care for yourself while working your regular shift.

Ask for help

The saying that ‘no man is an island’ plays out here. If you find your responsibilities overwhelming, ask your colleagues for help. Better still, inform your superior to lessen the workload. Coming back home after an overloaded day makes you less productive. You are so tired that nothing else matters more than a long sleep. You do not have sufficient time to attend to pressing issues, like your kids, spouse or online courses. Feel free to express yourself in the workplace whenever you’re burdened with work. It’s not fair to place your work above your health and well-being.

Create a realistic schedule

Is your current shift perfect for you? Does it give you ample time to plan your life? Does it make you more efficient? Some nurses work better during morning shifts, but others prefer the night. Many hospitals allow nurses to choose the best shift for them, considering their current situation. For instance, a nursing mother may not be assigned to work all night since she has a child to cater to. Study your organization to see how easy it is for staff to change their shift. Most importantly, your choice depends on your energy level and the number of hours you can work.

Define your purpose

Do you know you can be a nurse and achieve other goals? While dedicating your life to vulnerable people, you can carve out some time to become an excellent author, mother, basketballer, etc. Embracing the calling is sometimes overwhelming but starts with a determined mind. Defining your greater purpose helps you create a niche for yourself. That’s why, when completing their studies, nurses are given the tools and knowledge to prepare for their career. The UIndy accelerated nursing program, for example, provides real-world experience through in-person clinical placements. Students are also part of a diverse community where they interact with experts in the nursing field. The best part of enrolling is that it combines soft and hard skills for nurses to survive and have a fulfilling career in the industry.

Guard your emotional health

Nurses are caregivers, parents, siblings and professionals. They wear several garbs, depending on the situation. They are often so caught up in the web of caring for others that they do not care for themselves. Your emotional health is as important as that of your patients. It takes an emotionally healthy nurse to talk a patient out of depression. When you dedicate time to caring for your mental health, you’ll realize you emit so much energy that your patients can feel it from a distance. You don’t need to interact with them for them to feel your love and care toward them. One way to live an emotionally healthy life is by surrounding yourself with positive people. People who spur you to greatness should be your Number One friends, and those with negative thoughts must be avoided at all costs. Paying attention to all aspects of your life makes you understand yourself better. When you face difficult situations at work, please speak to a superior about it or seek expert advice.

If you’ve had a series of stressful days at work and are already going bonkers, relax. It is because you’ve not thought about a way out of it. These tips will help you live a productive life in and outside the workplace. Ensure you implement them and share them with your friends facing the same issue.

 

 

According to a 2022 poll by West Health and Gallup, more than 112 million Americans struggle to pay for medical insurance. Homelessness statistics are also high. Nearly 600,000 Americans are classified as homeless, which means they are unhoused at night. In California alone, 40 out of every 10,000 people are homeless. Mental health issues and addiction also continue to plague communities across the country.

All of these individuals are considered vulnerable, and it is the job of social workers to provide solutions and access to critical services to help them improve their lives. It is no wonder social work is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country; it is estimated that there will be more than 74,000 jobs available for social workers every year in the coming decade. This is an encouraging statistic for anyone thinking of entering into the profession, as there are plenty of employment opportunities available for those with the right training. If you obtain higher education credentials in the field, you will go even further.

You may be asking: “What can I do with a master’s in social work?” It is important to look into career options before you enroll in training, as this can give you an idea of where you may end up. A master’s degree in social work can help you not only to move up the career ladder, but also to bring about positive change for vulnerable populations.

Rather than dealing only with individual clients, you can increase your opportunities to get a job in policymaking, management and advocacy, or work in an advisory capacity. Job opportunities also include positions within the military, the government, healthcare facilities, the criminal justice system and mental health institutions. There are also plenty of jobs for highly qualified social workers who opt to specialize in family welfare.

In all positions as a social worker, you will be dealing with vulnerable populations, so it is important to familiarize yourself with who they are and what you can do to become their advocate.

What are vulnerable populations?

‘Vulnerable population’ is a broad term that is used to describe people who are disadvantaged in one way or another. It may be because of health issues, racial disparities, physical disabilities, gender identification, family situation, addiction or mental illness.

Many people fall into this category because of their economic situation. The loss of income, for example, can see a family become vulnerable because they do not have access to adequate housing, healthcare, education and other important resources they need to participate fully in society.

In the field of social work, there are some broad classifications of vulnerable populations. These are not rigidly defined, and social workers sometimes have to use their judgment to decide whether or not a person is vulnerable when they do not fit into any of the categories below.

Children

Children are considered vulnerable for many reasons. They are often afraid to report abuse, and many are loyal to abusive caregivers. In some cases, children are too young to report abuse. Sometimes they are unaware that they are living in an abusive home, and in many cases, their caregivers take steps to make sure that abuse remains hidden.

Social workers must identify children who are abused. Their role is to alert the relevant authorities, be an advocate for the child and make sure that they are moved to a safe and protected environment. This branch of social work is left to child welfare social workers, school social workers and family welfare social workers.

People who are chronically ill and disabled

These individuals are considered vulnerable because of the dependency they have on the healthcare system. They may also have mobility issues that hinder access to resources or facilities that the rest of the population can reach more easily.

Part of the role of a social worker is to ensure that these individuals have access to resources including healthcare and affordable medications, as well as any other facilities that can improve their lives and interactions with the rest of their community.

Low-income and homeless individuals

These are people who are at risk in many ways. Those without a fixed address are more likely to have poor health, they are unlikely to have readily-available access to warm meals, they are exposed to the elements, they are less likely to participate in the education system and are also more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Social workers must identify these individuals and guide them to institutions that can help to provide the necessities. They also help reintegrate these individuals back into society. It is the job of the social worker to help people to overcome addiction and guide them towards healthcare facilities and mental health treatment options.

Racial minorities

Racial minorities often suffer disadvantages in terms of access to healthcare, education, employment, and other basic needs. Social workers must support these individuals by increasing awareness of facilities that can help uplift their standards of living, and work to alleviate problems like homelessness, addiction and mental illness within these populations.

Social workers also provide advice and guidance about education, healthcare, employment and childcare to empower families so that they can be independent, socially integrated and well-represented in the future.

The elderly

The elderly are vulnerable because their access to basic facilities, such as healthcare, can be reduced. They are also more likely to suffer from chronic illness, and those without caregivers are often neglected.

A social worker’s job is to make sure that the elderly have access to healthcare and community services, and that they are properly cared for. They ensure that they have the food and medications that they need, that they get regular exercise and that they interact with others in society.

Military veterans

Veterans are frequently overlooked as a vulnerable population, but many of them suffer from problems that are directly related to their time in service. These can include lifelong injuries that can affect mobility, mental health conditions such as PTSD, or social problems such as reintegrating into society after they leave the army.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is one of the biggest employers for social workers. Their role is to provide the support that soldiers need after their service and to ensure that they have access to basic services.

LGBTQ

This section of society can face problems accessing basic facilities because they can fear discrimination, and often encounter real discrimination and even violence. It is not unusual for LGBTQ communities to suffer from mental health issues and addiction, or to isolate themselves from the rest of society.

Social workers are advocates for the LGBTQ community and other similarly affected groups. They help them access healthcare, education and even employment. They also educate society about the need to accept everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation.

How do social work policies impact vulnerable populations?

Social workers deal with all sorts of problems that impact the vulnerable; from issues around access to housing to violence and discrimination against minorities.

The role of the social worker has evolved over recent years. Although they still provide direct assistance to individuals and communities, they are now also tasked with empowering and advocating for the less fortunate. Without social workers, vulnerable populations would have less assistance, and the problems they face would continue to amplify, impacting not just themselves but future generations as well.

Problems like homelessness affect not just homeless individuals, but society at large. In places where there are large populations of homeless people, for example, there are increased levels of crime. The homeless have to find the means to survive, and if they do not have social workers to turn to, they have fewer opportunities for support and assistance, and are perhaps more likely to turn to crime to keep themselves fed and clothed.

Social workers play an important role in identifying vulnerable groups and providing vital services. They ensure that such people live decent lives with access to healthcare, education, housing and other social services.

The recent pandemic highlighted just how important social workers are in every society. Many people lost their jobs, their homes, and access to healthcare and education. Social workers stepped in to help, providing access to vital resources that kept many families afloat. Without this support for families, many would have suffered more severely.

Social workers play an important role in the way society is shaped. Without them, it would be more difficult to maintain order, contain poverty, educate the young and ensure that the population stays healthy.

Societal upheavals have become commonplace, and they are expected to increase in the coming decades. Whether we are talking about income disparities, migration, or problems that are brought about by climate change, there is a need for social safety nets not just in America but across the world.

These safety nets are designed and administered by social workers, and through their advocacy, we maintain community order, health, safety and security for all.

How can social workers advocate better policies?

Advocacy in social work takes many forms. The most common is ‘case advocacy,’ also known as micro social work. It involves working directly with clients, connecting them with resources, providing advice and working out a support system.

You do not have to wait to join management ranks to become an advocate. Even at the micro level, social workers are contributing towards policy changes by becoming active voices for those they represent. You can join community groups that deal with the vulnerable and use them as a platform to pass advice and information as well as speak out about how to transform the system so that everyone in the community benefits. However, those who have a master’s degree in social work can work at a higher level, helping shape policy and guiding decisions that have positive outcomes for vulnerable populations.

Some social workers become advocates through politics. By running for a political position, you are in a unique position to spread awareness about issues that afflict your communities and clients. Positions within politics can also result in influencing laws and bylaws in favor of vulnerable groups.

Social workers can also become advocates for their clients by working with private and public organizations to change policy. Many non-governmental organizations play an active advocacy role, and engaging with them can bring significant change in the distribution of resources for the less fortunate.

To be a good advocate you must be in touch with the issues in your community and the world at large. As such, you should aim to keep in touch with people who provide different perspectives and those who have experience in enacting change within communities. You should also educate yourself, always seeking new ways to help the needy.

A good advocate is open-minded and culturally competent. You must be prepared to help all vulnerable people regardless of their background, ethnicity or circumstances. You should create lots of professional connections because they will come in handy when your clients need referrals. Make sure you know what resources are available and how they can be accessed easily. You should be prepared to help your clients deal with institutional bureaucracy as they try to access vital resources.

You will encounter advocacy during a master’s degree in social work, but remember, every community is unique. Although you will learn in broad terms how to be an advocate for your clients and the community, it is up to you to employ that knowledge in the best way possible so that you can have maximum impact on those you serve. Good knowledge of your clients is important. If you understand their circumstances, you will be better placed to provide the kind of help that they need. Do not assume to know the answers — rather, involve the vulnerable as you design solutions and allow them to share their ideas about how best to deal with different situations.

Keep in mind that you must do all this with empathy and understanding but without getting personally drawn in by the complex situations you encounter every day. Compartmentalize your life, and set aside time for rest and relaxation. A clear mind helps you serve your clients much better.

Conclusion

Vulnerable populations exist in all societies, and it is largely the job of the social worker to make sure that they are catered to. Social workers provide access to vital services, offer advice are advocates for their clients. It is a complex and demanding role, but with the right education, you can become an excellent social worker. A master’s degree in social work equips you with the knowledge and skills to carry out social work at macro, micro and mezzo levels.

 

The same way as us humans, they also need proper care and the right amount of necessities for them to live well and healthily. The moment we’ve come to take them into our homes, we must consider all the responsibilities that we’ve come to partake in as their parents. Taking care of pets is high maintenance, from food, medicines, entertainment, and even love. All necessities such as health, hygiene, and habits are a must for them. Now, what is the list of your pet’s needs?

Regular Exercise

Fetch! Turn Around! Playing games and even trying numerous tricks for your pets to try and follow. These things are just one of the important things you should do with your pets on a daily basis. Helping them do regular exercise such as walking around the village every morning, playing catch the ball, and more. Doing all these mind games can also be considered an exercise specifically good for them to stay mentally healthy. As well as doing body-related activities to improve their stamina and physical health.

Easeful Shelter

After a long day, we’re always used to recharging our energies by taking a nap or sleeping. In the same way for our pets, it’ll be great to ensure that their place to stay is cozy and safe. Finding the right size for their shelter, making it not too tight, not too hot, making it hard for them to breathe, or way too cold to the point that it’ll make them shiver. Failure to provide the right shelter would result in having a stressed pet.

Healthy Food

A day can’t go on without our dog eating. The owners are responsible for providing them with food that would benefit them, such as eggs, bone broth, milk, kelp, and mushroom. Although they may crave some sweets or foods that they’ve seen us humans eat, like chips and such, allow them to consume them but ensure to limit it, and only provide the foods they’re allowed to devour.

Regular Potty

Some pets are trained to be disciplined and follow certain rules like potty training. Practicing them to do potties in specific places of the household, like litter boxes of cats, potty pads, and more. In their process of learning, some are fond of only doing their thing if they’re given the signal. Failure to recall saying the signal words like “go” would result in your pets holding it for hours. With that, it is a must for you to remind them from time to time to do their regular potties.

Vet Check-Ups

Checking your pet’s mental and physical health to ensure that there are no problems such as stress. Providing them with the right environment to ensure that they won’t undergo behaviors like dogs eating their own poop or cats hiding more than usual. Giving them foods like kibbles that have nutrients or even toys that could entertain and help them at the same time.

Proper Feeding

When placing food for them in their respective bowls, you must take note of various things. First, the food you’re giving them is something that they’re allowed to devour, next giving them the right amount. Don’t go away over the limit, or it will cause your pets to experience obesity. Make sure that the food you’re giving them can be easily eaten; chop them into cubes or small sizes for them to chew on easily because large foods could somehow lead to choking. And last but not least, guarantee that all food you’ve given them is nutritious and contains vitamins and minerals like the pet brand ‘pedigree.’

 

Drug abuse among Investment bankers is a common phenomenon. They go through some of the highest stress levels on a daily basis. This is due to the nature of their jobs, which make them think and calculate all the time. Such excessive use of brain power tends to drain them out easily and they resort to drugs to calm themselves down.

Alcohol remains the highest used drug among these professionals. However, other drugs are also used profusely by people with a high amount of stress in the daily routine. and many of them are turning towards sober lives through alcohol detox Austin Texas.

A Do or Die Situation – Intense Pressure of Work

The common reason for people to turn towards drugs is stress. If their regular lives are filled with stress, it becomes natural for them to search for relief through drugs. Investment bankers in particular have a stressful work environment integrated into their lives. This is why they consume alcohol on a regular basis. They try to shake off their stress at the end of their day by getting drunk or high with drugs.

Coping Up with All Kind of Pressures

Another important reason why they tend to get addicted is because of the peer pressure they face in their offices. They stretch themselves to their limits every day in hopes of making more money through their investments. For this they need to make well planned decisions and foresee outcomes on their investments. All this hard work takes a toll on their mind. To cope up, they start drinking and in no time at all, it becomes a regular habit. Before long this habit becomes an addiction.

Substance Abuse is Not Shameful

We need to remember that drug and alcohol abuse is a common problem and there is no need to be ashamed of getting addicted. We can always seek recovery through inpatient drug rehab Austin TX. With sincere effort from our part and cooperation to treatments, we can make a complete recovery in no time at all.

Get a Quality Inpatient Treatment at Briarwood

At Briarwood Detox Center, we provide inpatient drug rehab services starting with a detox treatment. We provide customized treatments to all our individual patients and help them recover from their drug addictions. We have also developed specialized treatment procedures for working professionals who go through high stress every day. This will be particularly helpful for investment bankers who need a quick recovery through rehab. You can join in Briarwood Sober Living Homes Near Me and avail all the services our facility has to offer.

Get the Best Environment at a Sober Home

It is very important that you enroll in a sober home for your rehab treatment. This is because sober homes provide you a fresh new environment where you can give up your old habits and start developing new healthy habits. They also provide you with urgent care whenever you need it. Also, there will be trained professionals who will help you during all stages of your recovery.

 

When it comes to back pain, there’s just about nothing worse. Back pain can throw your entire day out the window, as you find yourself incapacitated to do anything but sit there and wince in pain.

Unfortunately, back pain affects three out of every four American adults. While the reasons for this may vary, the fact remains the same—back pain can be excruciating. The great news is that there are ways to ease your suffering and feel better in no time. Here are some of the best tips for relieving your aching spine.

See a Chiropractor

The first thing you should do is see a professional to evaluate why your back is having problems. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is trying to realign your spine yourself. A chiropractor is specially trained in the alignment of the spine and it will be a painless and smooth experience.

They can help you with everything from adjusting a misaligned jaw, to relieving lower back pain.

By carefully manipulating your spine, they can help you ease pain, by aligning and adjusting your spine.

Move More

Although your initial instinct may be to lie down when you are experiencing back pain, the truth is that one of the best things you can do for yourself is move. By staying as active as possible you’re stretching your back and keeping your back muscles warmed up.

That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and run for an hour, either. It’s as simple as going for a brisk walk every couple of hours which will slightly stretch your muscles and relieve your discomfort.

Lose Weight

In some cases, your back pain may be attributed to your weight. If necessary, you may want to consider dropping some pounds. Doctors recommend staying within a certain BMI for your height and age range. So, if you fall well out of your range, it may be worth considering making lifestyle changes.

Take Medication

Taking over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen may be extremely helpful for relieving your misery. It’s important that you follow the right dosage and don’t overdo it. Doing so could severely damage your liver, and create more problems than simply back pain.

Some doctors recommend alternating between acetaminophen and ibuprofen to get the best possible results. However, these medications may not always be the best choice for everyone, so always check with your primary health provider first.

Get a Good Quality Mattress

It’s important to ask yourself whether the cause of your spinal discomfort is the result of the mattress that you’re sleeping on. We spend a considerable amount of hours of our lives laying down our beds, so it’s important that yours has enough support. If your mattress is older than 10 years, then you may want to consider investing in a new one as soon as possible.

 

Whether you have an elderly loved one who’s just moved into an assisted living facility or your loved ones are just thinking ahead for the future, you may have been asked or deemed to be someone’s medical power of attorney. What this means is that if this person is no longer able to make their own medical decisions, you’ll step in and make those choices for them.

While this is a big responsibility, there are things you and your loved one can do to make this easier for everyone involved. To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to prepare for being someone’s medical power of attorney.

Make Things Legal

In many cases, if someone hasn’t designated a specific person to be their medical power of attorney, their closest family member will be asked to make these types of medical decisions for them. So if that family member isn’t the person that should be calling the shots, you’ll need to make sure that you are legally the person who will be called upon if and when these kinds of decisions need to be made.

Ideally, there should be legal forms that are filled out specifying you as the legal medical power of attorney and signed by your loved one. A lawyer can help you in drawing these things up. This way, there will be no question if and when the time comes for you to make medical decisions for your loved one.

Become Well Versed In What They Want

Now that you know that you’re to be the medical power of attorney for your loved one, you should spend some time with them so that you can discover what types of decisions they would want made about their health.

Some of the questions you should ask include things like what medical procedures they want done or not done for them, if they would like heroic measures taken to save their life, what kinds of end-of-life care they would prefer, and more. With this information, you won’t have to make these tough decisions all on your own.

Commit To Following Their Wishes

While you might think that you’ll easily be able to do whatever your loved one wants when making their medical decisions for them, many people find it hard to forgo care when it’s what their loved one has asked for. So to help you feel more at peace with things, try to come to terms with your commitment to following their wishes. You can rest easier knowing that this is what they wanted and that you respected their desires.

If you’ve just been told that you’re a loved one’s medical power of attorney, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you prepare for this responsibility.