Our commitment to learning is supported by a love of books, small on-site library, and responsibility to understand and provide quality services to our patients and their families. Find out which books made our list!
Category:
Education
Be Prepared for Severe Weather
In honor of National Preparedness Month, we developed tips to address severe weather emergency situations most frequently encountered by our ventilator-dependent patients and their family members. These tips should be used in the home to prepare for a tornado, hurricane, fire, flood, earthquake, or snowstorm.
YouTube Helps Re-Educate Nurses!
Technology is part of almost everything we do, and it’s connecting our world in ways we never imagined. We recently created educational videos featuring our very own nurses! We’re using these new videos to reinforce the essential skills our nurses need, which are reviewed and demonstrated during our pre-employment and home ventilator training classes.
Back to School: Individualized Education Programs
Many of our ventilator-dependent patients attend school. With a little extra planning and preparation, education at all levels is possible. Not only does it help maximize each childs’ potential but also their ability to live an independent and more fulfilled life. For parents of children with special needs, back to school may mean reviewing or initiating their child’s Individualized Educational Program (IEP).
The Emotional Impact of Eating
“This is my passion,” Christine Baker, MS, CCC-SLP, begins, referring to Independence Plus’ medically fragile, technology-dependent patients. Christine spoke to our Home Nursing Residents earlier this week about oral intake for tracheostomy and ventilator-dependent patients. “Swallowing,” she says, “It’s the difference between life and death.”
Respiratory Care Student Shares His Experience at Independence Plus
This is the second year Independence Plus is partnering with Rush University Medical Center to offer Rush’s respiratory care students a clinical rotation in home respiratory care. This guest blog post was written by Troy Ellens, RRT, a graduate from Rush University Medical Center’s Masters of Science in Respiratory Care, about his experience during his clinical rotation at Independence Plus last year.
8 Tips for a Successful Transition Home
Transitioning a loved one home from the hospital can be overwhelming. Our transition team coordinates the transition home from start to finish, so families can focus on what really matters—supporting their loved one. “If I have one piece of advice for creating a smooth transition home, it’s planning and preparation,” shares Nancy Tafoya, CRRN, BSN, MA, Director of Nursing at Independence Plus, Inc.
One Year of Experience NOT Required
“One Year Minimum Experience Required.” This phrase has haunted Eric Meiri, RN, since he graduated from nursing school in December 2012. Read his guest blog post to learn more about his journey to obtain a job in nursing – and his experience as a Nurse Resident in Independence Plus’ Home Nursing Residency program.
Developing the Next Generation of Nursing Talent
Have you heard about our Home Nursing Residency? This program offers new grads with less than one year of nursing experience the opportunity to train and learn from experienced clinicians. Our first cohort begins training on Monday, October 21.
Focus on Education: Annual Skills Competency Training
What brings more than 250 nurses and 15 clinical educators together over the course of six days? The answer: Independence Plus’ Annual Skills Competency Training. Find out more about our annual training, commitment to education, and other training and education classes offered throughout the year, such as our Home Ventilator Training class and Spinal Cord Injury class.
5 Tips for Therapeutic Playtime
Children with special needs require a unique level of support and care. Not only are they learning basic life skills, such as communication, mobility, and how to interact with the world, but they’re also learning about their own abilities and limitations. Learn more about therapeutic playtime with these 5 simple tips!
Music Therapy: How to Reduce Anxiety in Ventilator-Dependent Patients
Tracheostomy and ventilator dependence provides its own unique set of challenges for how patients communicate with their caregivers. Fortunately, a new study from Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota has shed some light on a new way healthcare providers can help to reduce anxiety in ventilator-dependent patients.
Grow With Us
We’re expanding our services and offerings. We want you to be a part of the team that is delivering personalized, individual, people-focused skilled home healthcare to those in need. Come join us.