I always go to the CNA … They are the ones that know the resident … They may not know the scientific names but they know what is going on … They see every day from top to bottom.īy paying close attention to a resident’s repetitive behavior while restrained in a wheelchair, a CNA recognized the unspoken desire of the resident to be free from the chair restraint. For instance a Nurse Supervisor (RN) described her reliance on nursing assistants (CNAs) to pay attention to the details of a resident’s condition: ~ It was essential to “knowing the resident” and enabled staff to register subtle resident signals before these could become serious issues. Paying attention in direct care: Several direct care staff said that “paying attention” allowed them to identify and address resident care issues integral to good resident care. The staff described paying attention as needed both in providing direct care and managing staff In this article, we describe paying attention as used by administrators, supervisors, charge nurses, and CNAs with the aim to challenge nursing home leaders to: 1) hone their awareness for paying attention 2) understand the impact that paying attention has on residents and staff, and 3) encourage an environment where all staff members pay better attention.ĭuring the case studies, we observed what staff members termed “paying attention” (and not paying attention), across all levels of staff and departments. In a study of nursing homes, we found that paying attention is critical in providing good resident care and facilitating effective peer and supervisory relationships. Not paying attention, or non-vigilance, has been associated with concerns over patient safety, particularly medication errors and infection control ( Burke, 2003). Because early warning signs of change or danger (whether it is something as simple as recognizing that a resident is chilled and needs a sweater, or as complex as impending stroke), are by definition unexpected, staying “tuned in” and expecting the unexpected is key to fostering resilient and reliable organizational environments ( Coutu 2003). When all staff are paying attention to early or weak signs of potential resident care or staff management issues, information relevant to decision-making can be shared and used before such issues escalate into larger problems. Similar to vigilance, it encompasses staying alert and on guard for the unexpected or unpredictable in order to take necessary and quick action. Using all of our sensory and cognitive resources, paying attention occurs by listening, noticing details, and taking actions that change the course of events. Paying attention to others, our surroundings, and ourselves is a powerful component of “mindful practice” ( Epstein 2003a) and requires an internal discipline that means that nothing is accepted as routine. Namely, when we act on behalf of the attention we might receive, we sacrifice the attention we’d otherwise pay towards the thing we are creating.The difference between highly effective organizations and others “is the sensitivity or mindfulness with which people react to even very weak signs that some kind of change or danger is approaching” ( Coutu 2003, p.86). In the TED Talk How Craving Attention Makes You Less Creative, actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt explains how the motives for attention have a way of limiting creative abilities. However, the nature of creativity is sometimes confused with the attention it gets. No matter how you apply your creative talents, it’s just a way for questioning what is-or what isn’t-and finding new ways to express the answer.Ĭreativity is most simply a way of looking at the natural order of things through the lens of discovery. We are all artists simply choosing different mediums that fit unique needs for letting creativity flow into something visible, audible, flavorful, tangible, functional, soulful, and so on. Some use creativity to build, others to create, or communicate, define, imagine, solve, share, and so on. After all, being creative is a part of the human condition.Ĭreativity means many things to many people but mainly it’s the exploration of interest through expression. It may not be public knowledge or even feel mentionable at all, but the fact is, there’s something creative about each and every one of us. We pay it time and attention to cultivate and practice into a skill that brings personal fulfillment. Most of us have some talent or knack that’s uniquely us and definitively original.
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