Business and Bedside

When I first started working as a clinical consultant last summer, I was consistently exposed to new programs, skills, and concepts. One day I was learning about Smartsheets (a project management tool) and the next day uploading documents to a Dropbox folder…meanwhile I was still learning basic foundational knowledge on how to be an asset to my team….WHEW!! I was confident that I was a great bedside nurse in the ICU with lots of clinical experience, but now I had to gain the leadership, technical, and business skills to become an effective clinical consultant. What I needed was some guidance on how to adjunct my efforts…luckily the principals in my organization gave me just that-they advised me to start by joining professional organizations like the Georgia Association of Healthcare Executives (GAHE). I was no stranger to being involved in professional organizations, as I am an ambassador and volunteer for the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and I served on multipl...

As a critical care nurse, I have always understood the importance of case studies and research-based papers that support my day-to-day practice. When I started hearing about White Papers, I was enthusiastic about wanting to learn more information about them. Knowing that patient care is supported by evidence-based medicine, means that I can rest assured that I am doing my very best! As I have transitioned to the role of consultant, I decided to dig a little bit deeper into the topic of White Papers…and here is what I’ve learned: First and foremost:  WHY in the world are they called White Papers?  White Papers originally were used from the British Government in 1922 to indicate official documents that were designated for public access. Different documents were coded in different colors for distribution and white papers were given the dual purpose of both presenting to the public the firm government policies while also inviting the public for commentary and thoughts about them. ...

  My name is Ravi Batra and I have decided to join the world of bloggers ( this is my first official blog )! Having been a nurse for 8 years, I feel like I not only have a lot to share…but the topics are endless! In addition to still working as a bedside nurse in Critical Care…I’ve recently broadened my resume to include clinical consulting. I work for COR Consultants-a boutique consulting firm that offers a nurse’s perspective on clinical optimization, strategy, and training! My bosses are amazing ( ok one of them wrote this when she was proofreading ). This new role has shifted my focus a bit and opened my eyes to the business side of healthcare. So with this in mind…my blogs will focus on the two sided coin that is healthcare… business and bedside !! The first topic I will dive into is: PATIENT SAFETY . When I’m at the bedside, I am constantly double-checking orders, critically thinking through what is going on with the patient and their plan of care. If a medication or a te...