Blackout Wednesday

BLACKOUT WEDNESDAY

“Wow, what’s that all about?”  Statistics show that binge drinking and drunk driving increase during the holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving Eve, which is now termed “Blackout Wednesday” in many cities.  That day has become high-risk for young people.

AMS encourages everyone to make a plan for getting home safely before you even leave to start your evening.  Law enforcements will be running sobriety checks along the roadsides everywhere.  Always have a designated driver assigned for the evening.  Reports show that over the holidays, starting with Halloween, that high risk drivers will increase at least 33%.

Some people persist in drinking and driving based on myths about how the body reacts to alcohol and its ability to overcome the effects.  Alcohol affects the brain and body long after you stop drinking.  Any alcohol that remains in the stomach and intestine continues to enter the bloodstream and circulate through the body.  This means judgement and coordination can be affected for hours after you have taken your last drink.

The average alcohol driver arrested on the highway has a blood alcohol concentration of .20% more than double the level for intoxication in most states.  This percentage is equivalent to 14 beers in a four hour period for a man weighing 180 lbs. 

In 1997 the world’s leading provider of alcohol testing technologies for the criminal justice was established, the Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc. (AMS).  In 2013 the company launched the SCRAM GPS which helps people who have alcohol in their systems to not drink and drive.  AMS employs approximately 156 people worldwide and is a privately held company located in Littleton, Colorado.   You not only have to worry about your own life, but, the life of the other people in the vehicle with you and the other people on the road. 

So, Pay Attention!  Let’s think about the other lives that can be saved by not drinking and driving.  You might not care about yourself, but, there are children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents who want to continue with their lives.  

The staff of EOS believes that everyone should have a safe and joyous season, by having someone else drive.  And if you see a friend or family member drinking, take their keys and please offer them a ride home.  So, next year, they can have a happy holiday with you, instead of you toasting to their memory.

Employee On-Boarding Specialties

Source: Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Inc.

Source: CAIP (a non-profit agency that provides alcohol education).

Needle Phobia

Needle Phobia

Fear of Needles

Are you one of those people who get nervous and scared when you go to the doctor for shots or lab work? As a Medical Assistant or Phlebotomist, one of their many jobs is drawing blood or giving shots. It is very important to keep the person comfortable and calm during these times.

There are several ways to do this, from a patient stand point. Some things that may help are: counting to yourself, closing your eyes and take deep slow breathes, try to relax and not tense up, as well as asking questions and keeping the conversation going smoothly.

Once people become over anxious, issues start to arise that may prolong the process.  If someone were to come in and pass out on the floor or in a chair or perhaps get sick, the procedure may have to be rescheduled. Keeping others relaxed, calm, and comfortable is an important task. Making sure of the patient’s safety is a key component.

How bad does that needle really hurt?  When you get a shot or a blood draw there is a slight pinch pain that goes along with it, sometimes even a small burning if a medication is given. Most of the pain people feel is physiological or believed, but not necessarily the true action felt. A shot normally takes about 10 seconds where as a blood draw, when done correctly, is typically done in about a minute. The one thing you never want to do when getting a shot or having blood drown is to tense up.  When you tense up, your muscles tighten, which makes it harder for the medication to be administered, which can cause bruising and if done while having blood drawn can make it harder for the blood to be taken and can result in a longer draw time.

“AHHHH! Ouch that hurts!!”

“I haven’t administered the shot yet, please relax.”  If you or someone you know has done this, you may not realize the discomfort you have added to the situation. Being able to control your own feelings and actions can be a true benefit for the process. Just keep things in perspective and be aware of your surroundings. This would be the most helpful aspect that you can contributed to your visit.

All of us at Employee On-Boarding Specialties are trained and will help you through those times of stress.  If you come to us for a blood draw or a vaccine shot, we will keep you calm and get the job done in flash.   

ACRONYMS

ACRONYMS

What is with these 3/4 letter acronyms that are everywhere?  Not only will you find these in your own world, but in the occupational health world, there are a lot of these little guys running around as well.  We do physicals for all the truckers who come our way and there are several acronyms that are used during a physical.  For instance, DOT means Department of Transportation.  DTR stands for drug test results, as we do drug testing.  

Let’s plunge on: MER means, Medical Exam Report.  We use this form to log in information when we do a physical exam. POC is used quite often; it stands for Point of Contact.  DOB refers to your date of birth.  There is even an ESS on the DOT physicals which is the Epworth sleepiness scale which helps determine if you would be at risk of falling asleep while driving.  Are you confused yet?   

In regards to the DOT physicals we do, there is one test we do; the FSBS or a finger-stick blood sugar.  We accomplish this test with a simple finger stick and from that small amount of blood we can let you know if you need to pursue a medical doctor for further examination concerning sugar diabetes.   You will also see us get your BMI or body mass index score which helps determine if your weight is healthy for your height.

There are a lot of health care items we can help you with, everything from the physicals to safety classes.  Three of the life saving classes we teach are BLS, CPR/AED, and FA.  BLS (Basic Life Support) is for the healthcare worker, such as nurses, EMT’s, ER (emergency room) techs, etc.  CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)/AED (automated external defibrillator) is for the daycare worker, nannies, insurance employee, etc. That teaches them the basics of using a defibrillator and keeping someone alive until help arrives.  FA stands for first aid and is typically taken with the CPR/AED class and teaches you basic first aid from burns to heat stroke. You can give us a call or email us and we can get you certified for your occupation. You will then have the confidence that you will need to perform your duties.

 

Here is one acronym you will always want to remember: EOS.  Those three letters stand for Employee On-Boarding Specialties and we can help you with a variety of issues related to employment. Are you confronted by many obstacles and time constraints, here at EOS; we allow walk-ins and get those nagging little details taken care of.  We work with Dr. Ryan Walton who helps us with our physicals.  His waiting room typically does not have contagious patients waiting with you while you are signing in.   You can keep your confidence in the fact that our staff will be cheerful and fully equipped to take care of your well being.