Sexual harassment in the workplace has received significant attention over the past number of years and rightfully so. Hopefully we all know that sexual harassment in any form, and in any setting, is completely unacceptable. However, a 2014 study into workplace conduct found that there was a form of negative behaviour occurring much more commonly […]
The closing out of a year always makes me want to look back and I am usually amazed about how much has happened in just twelve-months. Like most years, 2016 was mostly good with just a couple of things I could have lived without. Hopefully it was the same for you, too. If I look back […]
I have been hearing about large groups of people in the U.S. protesting the outcome of the recent presidential election. My first thought is “good for them” and my second thought is “I really hope they voted”. In the run up to the U.S. election, it was estimated that between 80 and 100 million voting-age […]
We have had Personal Health Information Privacy legislation (PHIPA) in Ontario since 2004, and employers regularly emphasise to their staff the perils of indiscriminately viewing personal health records (and conduct random audits to determine compliance). Yet healthcare information privacy violations still occur – sometimes with very serious consequences for both the patient and the healthcare […]
How many of you spent time during your RT education considering the ethical issues you might face in your practice? Chances are your answer will depend on how long you’ve been in the game. Currently, most RT educational programs provide their students with at least some opportunity to discuss ethical issues in healthcare and how […]
From time to time, a staff RT will call to tell me that they have been asked to take on an additional role in their organization. Maybe it’s writing policies & procedures or perhaps it’s sitting on a special committee. The question that generally follows is…”shouldn’t they pay me more money for doing that?” And […]
Until recently, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) had been prohibited in Canada under the Criminal Code. However, in the Carter v. Canada decision (February 6, 2015), the Supreme Court of Canada found that an absolute prohibition on MAID violated an individual’s legal rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter states that […]
When considering the possible outcome of any given situation, I often find myself beginning with the worst possible scenario and working backwards from that (my friends will attest to this). I don’t see that as a bad thing. It’s RT Risk Management 101 – prepare for the worst and hope for the best. Even in […]
The astonishing array of personal information available at our fingertips has had two very different effects on our society, our healthcare system and on us as healthcare professionals. One is the growing awareness that we need to safeguard our privacy from the technology that has encroached on virtually every part of our lives. The other […]
Over the past 8 years, I have been asked a number of times “whose responsibility is it to ensure that I am competent to do my job”. The short answer is easy – you are. Certainly your employer has a stake in you being the most competent professional possible, and hopefully they do what they […]
