Not all that long ago I was sitting in the department head’s office discussing the cancer registry budget for the coming calendar year. Now, if you’re like me, the mere mention of the “B” word causes anxiety! I knew this particular day was coming, it came around every year. But, why it has to coincide with the holidays is still a huge mystery! But, on this day here the two of sat, much like two cats squaring off for the big event in the back alley.
My wish list was in my hand and the department head’s eyes were on this massive Excel spreadsheet that resembled something out of a power grid for a metropolitan city. “Let’s get this over with quickly,” she said. “Tell me what equipment you need, if anything.” I checked my list and named the two items I needed, both of which amounted to less than $2,500. “Nope,” she said. “Can’t do that, no room in the budget. What else do you have?” Hmmm. Skipping down on my list I looked at our plans for education and travel. Taking a deep breath I relayed the information she needed about the state and national cancer registry meetings and the importance of our attending. “Well,” she replied. “I don’t get to travel and neither do any of the other managers or supervisors, so why should we send anyone from the cancer registry?” Ah ha! I knew this coming too and had a very brief, yet powerful reply (or so I thought). I carefully explained, in bullet points, the necessity of travel based on our accreditation status, CTR credential needs, and so forth. After a few moments of silence she said, “Can’t you get any of that online for free? Why should the hospital have to pay for this?”
Sound familiar? After my “special moment” with my department head, our cancer registry spent the next year dealing with antiquated equipment failures and scrambling for information on the new program standards and changes so that we could correctly and accurately collect, code and classify data. At some point along the way, she did offer to pay for my registration fee to the national association meeting. I, of course, had to ante up for the rest of the expense, much like many of you have had to do. That’s the cost of being a healthcare professional for which I have had to adjust my attitude, mindset and, of course, pocketbook.
This time of year we face incredible challenge. Perhaps you are struggling to get all of your cancer program accreditation requirements completed or you are working overtime to publish that annual report before the stroke of midnight on December 31st. You, too, may be facing the budget blues and challenges just like I had to do. Or, you may be dealing with emotional and physical challenges from caring for your family or an elderly parent. Or, maybe you have suffered the loss of a loved one or friend recently. What is a cancer registrar to do?
The first thing you can do is to set aside time to regroup, enjoy time with family and the holiday season. No one will get a hero’s welcome or special recognition for being a workaholic, it just does not happen that way. So, be kind to yourself, eat, sleep, rest and be merry. Then come back to work, refreshed and ready to tackle that “elephant in the room.”
Second, be realistic about what your organization can, or will, give you for educational and travel benefits. If you are fortunate to not have to worry about this, then rejoice in that fact. If you are not so fortunate, then accept that this is more common than not and make a decision, and commitment, to continually maintain your professional status, grow your skill sets and knowledge base, and to creatively network with your peers. To simply stagnate or stubbornly refuse to update your skills will only lead to frustration and isolation.
Third, be kind to yourself and explore alternative and effective ways in which to learn and grow as a cancer registrar. For example, Registry Mindset is the best online continuing education resource that offers budget-friendly CE courses developed by, and for, today’s cancer registrar. No travel is required and the payment methods will not break the bank. Corporate plans are also available (upon request) and you just might be able to sell the idea to your department head as a budget-friendly option for your organization!
Fourth, work on the mindset and behaviors. Be wholly present and accountable for your career and the service your cancer registry provides. All of healthcare is struggling to bend the budget and provide the best state-of-the-art services and care. How you support the organization, in your behavior and attitudes, will be a large determinant of your success and longevity. Stop whining or complaining and, instead, enhance and develop new methods and processes that will help your organization effectively use the cancer registry data to provide better patient care services.
So, to bend the budget and holiday blues, try these four steps to dramatically increase your value, improve your mindset and attitude and give you options and alternatives on how to grow and maintain your cancer registry professionalism. That’s the best holiday gift you can give yourself!
If you have ideas or suggestions that are not mentioned in this article, please Leave a Reply in the box below or on the “Contact Us” page. We would like to know how we can serve your needs and help you to become everything you are capable of becoming.
Michele Webb creator of http://www.RegistryMindset.com, the cancer registrar’s best online continuing education resource, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar, committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional education as a coach, mentor, motivational speaker and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as do not alter it in any way and give a link back and credit to the author and this URL.
The PSA test for prostate cancer screening is not always 100% accurate, but in recent years some additional PSA testing studies have been developed to help the physician distinguish between a malignancy and other urologic conditions that influence the PSA level. The May 2011 continuing education (CE) course for Registry Mindset members has been released and promises to help the cancer registrar understand how the physician uses these studies in their practice.
If you are a working cancer registrar, or a cancer registry student, then this e-course is right for you! To become a member today and begin taking advantage of high quality, cutting-edge courses click here.
In 2010 sweeping changes were launched that are pushing cancer registrars to their limits and beyond. Undeniably it is the pace in which science and clinical medicine is changing that drives how cancer registrars need to work to keep pace and deliver the data and value to their healthcare teams. In a recent Journal of AHIMA article, Laura Vondenhueval, RHIT, CTR, said it best, “This is a massive change. It is a new way to look at how we are gathering our data.”
It is obvious that cancer registrars need to learn how to work in an environment where change is no longer the exception, but the norm. In the past we used to have long periods of stability with intermittent periods of change. Today, we need to shift our mindset and accept that we will now have almost constant change with intermittent periods of stability. Here are some common challenges cancer registrars face with constant change.
Challenge #1
Before the 2010 changes were introduced we thought that this was just a phase that healthcare was going through, and after a very brief period of adaptation, everything would revert to normal and we could go back to enjoying a long period of stability. Here’s a reality check, it’s not going to be that way any more because it’s not just a phase. Healthcare providers and standard-setters are expecting more from cancer registrars and are telling us that they are willing to make adjustments in their workforce if cancer registrars cannot change their thought processes or do their work differently. It’s not about workforce reductions, it is all about changing how we think about and do our work day to day.
Challenge #2
Today, when we do hit those infrequent moments of stability, we think that we have time to relax and enjoy the moment. In the past we focused on simply enduring the turbulence so that we could return to the comfort of stability. In order to succeed with today’s changes we must take advantage of the quiet, stable moments and use them as a “launching pad” to prepare for managing the next wave of change. During these moments of stability we should be thinking about what our healthcare teams and standard-setters will need from us in the short- and long-term future as well as what the new requirements might be. Look at the industry and investigate how to position yourself more competitively so you are prepared when the changes inevitably come.
Challenge #3
Some cancer registrars may have developed an attachment to stability and focused their energy on creating and sustaining it in the workplace. The hardest challenge of all will be to lose our attachments to stability. The cancer registrar needs to embrace change and harness its power and seek out new opportunities that change brings to us. Before 2010 we worked hard to get over change so we could relax; now we need to work hard at change so we can work hard at more change. Registrars who choose to play the role of the victim can ignore change and how to deal with it, but by the time they are in a position to do something about it they will have lost the opportunity to prepare for it, and likely their “edge” and career success as well.
So, what’s the solution?
First, make it OK to deal with change. Accept where we are and what we as cancer registrars need to deal with. Stop making judgments about change being necessary or unnecessary, good or bad, justified or not justified. Change does not have to control the reality of our situation or our ability to manage it or serve our teams.
Second, create a “safe” environment for yourself and other cancer registrars to deal with the change. Break the changes down into manageable chunks and begin to take action on small pieces of it. Start small and build from each successful step. Encourage and allow your staff and peers to take risks by coming up with new ideas and solutions to changing how we do our work. Provide a lot of encouragement and support to one another by building a solid support network and then by using it by tapping into its resources.
Third, if you, or some of your peers or co-workers tend to identify with the victim, set up some accountability and support for each other. Discuss the expectations and if necessary create workplace agreements and identify ways to interact and help one another so that each cancer registrar, whether they are local, regional, statewide or even nationally, can encourage you and other members of your network.
Fourth, begin a process of constant acknowledgement, support and challenge for cancer registrars. Be careful to not perpetuate the old paradigm of sitting back on your laurels during a stable period. Acknowledge people for managing the current change and encourage all to begin talking about and planning for new, incoming changes. When people get discouraged, provide support, acknowledge their success, and then present them with new challenges for growth.
Change is not new to cancer registrars, nor will it ever cease. Continual learning and enhancing the data that we collect to keep pace with medicine and science is driving the need for cancer registrars to develop new ways of thinking and doing their work. Periods of stability with intermittent change are now the old paradigm. Today, we must work hard to manage change in order to look ahead and be prepared for more change. Cancer Registrars cannot do this alone, they must develop a strong network of their peers for support, accountability and positive acknowledgement of their role in the fight against cancer.
IF YOU HAVE FOUND WAYS TO MANAGE THE 2010 CHANGES AND KEEP YOUR SANITY….POST A COMMENT BELOW. QUESTION: HOW CAN REGISTRARS HELP ONE ANOTHER THINK & DO DIFFERENTLY?
http://www.CancerRegistrar.com. Michele Webb is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR) committed to Cancer Registry leadership and professional development. She helps cancer registrars worldwide as a coach, mentor, educator, motivational speaker, and author. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
Seasons Greetings everyone! As the year comes to a close we wanted to share with you how grateful we are for your time and attention and offer you a free gift. Look below at a short video and link to download your free gift!
(Part Four of our series titled “Agility Training for Cancer Registrars”)
Changing out mindset or how we automatically respond to our work or life can make us uncomfortable. However, this is necessary if we are to be responsible and achieve success and happiness.
In his book, Excuses Begone, Dr Wayne Dyer gives a description of individual accountability and a process for stepping out of “autopilot” and into conscious thinking. In my own experience, I know that by examining my past experiences, beliefs and value I hold I can challenge their validity and create a new mindset that is focused on positive outcomes, meaningful relationships and being the a good person and cancer registrar.
Albert Einstein said, “The world we have created is a product of our way of thinking.” So, the degree to which we practice mindfulness, or how we allow ourselves to become uncomfortable and the resulting change in our way of thinking, is what determines our success in life.
It is not enough to briefly question a thought and simply dismiss it with a statement of, “that’s the way I was taught,” or “that’s just who I am.” Accountability for our thoughts requires continual examination of past experiences, beliefs and values. As cancer registrars, our mindset is constantly challenged. Our personal value systems are often in competition with others and need to be put into perspective with the clinical and scientific facts as well as the patient and emotional components of cancer care. Often this seems like a “stacked deck” against us. But, by practicing conscious thinking, evaluating the facts and not emotions, and by making a mindful choice in how we will respond to the situation, we will earn our place as valuable members on the healthcare team.
If you find that your first thought about a situation or proposed change is negative, then you can be encouraged by the knowledge that by simply thinking another thought, you can change your mindset and the outcome of a situation. The first step to take is to replace the negative thought with a positive one. Remember, your thoughts and behaviors are under your control. Pessimistic and negative thinking are simply habits that can be changed.
Here are three action steps to take in practicing mindfulness and accommodating change with positive results:
Evaluate the evidence. When you have that negative or pessimistic thought, stop and evaluate the evidence. What are the facts, not the fears?
Think about positive alternatives and outcomes. For example, as you are doing your work on “autopilot” and encounter a new reporting rule, instead of complaining about it, stop and evaluate the facts, acknowledge the changes in medicine and patient care, and visualize how the change will improve the cancer patient’s care and quality of life.
Practice daily affirmations. Each day practice saying to yourself, “when I have a negative thought I will immediately evaluate the facts and think of positive alternatives.” This will be a little awkward at first, but after practice it will become easier and automatic. Each time you use this affirmation you will rewrite the negative thoughts in your mind and create new and positive solutions founded on fact and not emotion.
Practice these three steps until it comes naturally and automatically. You will be amazed at how easy it is to develop positive mindset to whatever happens in your day. Use positive affirmations to reinforce your attitude and to build up core strengths and talents. Cancer registrars who focus on their accountability and development of a positive mindset will be uniquely positioned to serve as leaders in their community and profession.
Tell us, what are you doing to change your thoughts and reactions to your work and life? Do you use positive affirmations? If so, what have you found to have the most profound, positive impact on your life?
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
(Part Four of our series on “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar”)
Much is said today in business, healthcare and Cancer Registry about change. In fact, one thing I know for sure is that we, as cancer registry professionals, are undergoing an unprecedented degree of change right now which will continue well into our future. Thinking about change today or projecting how it will impact our future can settle in on us like a dense fog and cause us to lose our bearings and sense of where we are. We may not be sure of which way to go when we reach a fork in the road because we can’t see the choices in front of us because of the fog. Uncertainty can paralyze us with fear or it can thrust us into a world of new possibilities.
Change brings chaos into our normally well-ordered lives and introduces levels of unpredictability and uncertainty that make us uncomfortable. Dealing with change is challenging, tiring and even threatening, but the flip side is that it provides the cancer registrar with tremendous opportunities for growth. Let’s look at how we can focus on accommodating the change instead of railing against it.
In the first article of our on developing agility in the cancer registry, we introduced embracing uncertainty as one way of becoming agile, or flexible in business. Agile cancer registrars will drive out uncertainty by developing working solutions and adjusting the registry’s operations in order to accommodate change. Dealing with uncertainty in a positive manner and being willing to accept things that are unknown or unpredictable are big parts of learning to be agile.
To help you face the challenges in a positive manner and to increase your agility in the cancer registry and healthcare business, here are four ways you can explore change:
Accept reality without fussing about the outcome. Face reality with no judgment. Think of the unknown as neutral rather than good or bad. Let go and detach from any outcome you cannot control. Keep your options open.
Explore the unknown. Ask yourself these questions:
What are all the things that are great about being a cancer registrar?
What is the worst that can happen?
What is the likelihood that the worse will happen?
If the worst were to happen, what do I need to do prepare?
Interrupt worry. The unknown can cause us to worry to the point of doing physical harm, but only if you let it. When worry starts to creep into your thoughts, interrupt it! Simply do not allow it to take hold of you. Here is how you can interrupt worry:
Get busy: occupy your body and your mind will follow.
Put it off: decide to enjoy today and maybe you’ll worry tomorrow – if it feels right.
Turn it over: write down your worry, put it in a box, and turn it over to a higher power.
Hum a tune: it is impossible to worry when you’re singing or humming, even if it is not out loud. Find a song that gives you strength. “A Beautiful Day” by India.Arie is a great one.
Trust yourself. You’ve probably faced change and challenges in the past. Reflect on those times and remind yourself how well you handled them, even though you may have been uncomfortable at the time. Trust in your abilities, thoughts and experience to take you through the transition.
None of us can be certain about tomorrow or the future of cancer registry. We can fret and fume about it, but no matter how much noise we make, we cannot control it. What we CAN do, each of us as cancer registry professionals, is make the most of each moment…each NOW….because that is really all we have. Only you can bring peace and acceptance of the unknown to you.
Accepting change and allowing uncertainty into our lives can lead us to a higher state of functioning as cancer registrars. Embracing uncertainty, then, is really just an engaging process in which we let go of control. Think of this as a spiraling UP in complexity, moving up the ladder of intellectual, emotional and professional growth. Engage your co-workers, peers and leaders in the process of embracing uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to network and ask for help and guidance where needed. By welcoming uncertainty and unpredictability into your life you will be expanding your horizons and developing agility in your cancer registry that will lead to great success and self-fulfillment!
WHAT DO YOU THINK? How are you accomodating change and uncertainty in your cancer registry and life? Send us your feedback or thoughts on this article and critic topic today.
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
(Part Three of Our Series on “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar)
Assumptions make our lives easier. As creatures of habit we frequently rely on our assumptions and past experiences to drive our actions. Most of our day, with few exceptions, is driven by our unconscious assumptions and habits developed over time versus creative thinking and new conscious thought.
For example, when cooking over an open flame you automatically draw your hand back when you feel heat from the flame. This “stimulus-thought-response” chain of events relates to pain you previously felt from burning your hand. This automatic assumption serves you well and avoids a painful experience.
In business, however, this is often not the case. Cancer Registrars, for example, may use any number of assumptions, or statements of belief about their work, such as:
“That won’t work here.”
“I’ve tried that before.”
“We don’t get support for that here.”
“They just don’t listen to me.”
Brilliant, and successful, Cancer Registrars know that these assumptions can be challenged and take great pleasure in defying them. They welcome the opportunity to look within themselves, to create a new energy and develop new directions to solving problems or leading their Cancer Registry in a different direction.
Each of us has an inner reservoir of talent, ability, and intelligence. It is endless and readily available if we are willing to step out of our comfort zone to tap into these resources. Whatever you face, taking one step closer to success means you must trust your inner self, ignore criticism and judgment, and let go of your own resistance to doing something differently or believing that you can make a difference. Developing a new habit or behavior, based on what you know in your heart to be the right thing to do, is all the evidence you need to make your passion become reality. This mindset is what creates harmony and balance in life and business and determines your path between success and failure.
Here are six tips to help you challenge your assumptions:
Recognize that you, and everyone else, have assumptions about every situation.
Ask basic questions in order to discover and challenge those assumptions.
Compare the ground rules and assumptions to your situation or problem and then ask yourself, “What if we do the opposite of the norm?”
Pretend you are not a Cancer Registrar and ask yourself, “Why do we do it this way at all?”
Reduce the problem or situation to its most basic elements for understanding and creative problem solving.
Restate the problem in completely different terms.
It is up to you to decide what you would like to do to drive growth and success in your Cancer Registry. You must be willing to step outside of your comfort zone to challenge your assumptions and develop new behaviors to help you grow personally and professionally. By tapping into your inner resources you will develop a new mindset that is creative and in harmony with everyone you encounter.
What assumptions are you challenging today? How do you respond to “But we’ve always done it this way.”
http://www.RegistryMindset.com. Michele Webb, America’s Cancer Registry Coach, is a nationally recognized, certified cancer registrar (CTR). She cares passionately about helping cancer registrars around the world to grow personally and professionally and serves her community as a motivational speaker, author, and educator. You have permission to repost this article as long as you do not alter it in any way, give credit to the author and link back to her website.
(Part Two of Series “Agility Training for the Cancer Registrar)
Visualizing success, or turning dreams into reality, is a creative process that puts your focus and energies into looking ahead. Creative visualization is a technique that you can use to help you with this process. In the first part of our series on “Agility Training for Cancer Registrars,” we talked about visualizing success as part of meeting the challenges in life and business. In this session we will learn how to visualize success and turns dreams into reality!
To turn your dreams into reality and to be truly successful depends on several factors:
Having a specific goal,
Making sure that you really want to achieve that goal,
Having a clear mental picture of your goal,
Being motivated or having a strong desire or need to achieve the goal,
Developing the ability to disregard, or even walk away from negative thoughts or talk that take you away from that goal,
Showing confidence, faith and persevering until you achieve success.
Imaging having your own personal genie in a bottle to fulfill your every dream or desire. When you develop the techniques and begin to practice creative visualization you are tapping into your personal genie. Focusing on the end result, thinking and acting in a positive manner and not letting negativity (yours or anyone else’s) get in the way will empower you to continue on your journey.
Each morning I write out my “to do” list for the day on a 4×6 index card. On the right-hand side of the card I write my vision statement for my business. On the left-hand side I write down the most important things I need to do that day that will take me closer to my vision and goal. Then, I focus on the action steps and on completing the tasks that will help me reach my goal. By taking it one day at a time I know I will be successful. No one can deter me from this because I see my dream getting closer each and every day.
Discover what you need to do to visualize your dream and then, one day at a time, do something that takes you one step closer. Practice visualizing that success in your mind, focus on the positive, take action, even if only in small steps, and you will see your dreams come true!
This is the FIRST post to this new blog and I’m very happy to announce our debut! We will be posting informational, educational, interesting and fun stuff as this blog starts to grow.
We welcome your feedback, comments and discussion threads to – just email us your thoughts or post your comments and responses to a particular post. This is YOUR forum and best of all, it’s absolutely free to you!
