as we begin our first discussion, take a moment to consider what has influenced your ideas of wellness and compare those ideas with what you read in this module’s readings.

In your own words, define the term wellness and discuss how it is used or impacts your daily life and/or community. How does your definition compare with those presented in the readings?

What is the influence of wellness on your chosen field of study or profession? How can you use your understanding of wellness in your life?

For your response posts, address the following:

Welcome at least two other classmates to our discussion by responding to their posts and noticing something you liked in what they wrote. Be curious about anything you do not understand or see differently and ask questions for understanding. 

this is the post: laura

My name is Laura, I am currently enrolled in Healthcare Administration with a concentration in quality and patient safety. I live in a small rural town in Northern Maine and I work at the local hospital. I am the manager of guest relations and spiritual care services. I will complete my degree in October, it’s my present to myself and something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. I don’t regret my decision to attend school despite gaining school loans. My goal is to obtain a position in patient safety and quality, but in all honestly, I am really quite happy in my current position. I work with a great team, and we make a difference in people’s lives every day.

Wellness is the combination of physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, it involves taking care of yourself and those you care about. It includes overseeing the physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental aspects of your life. Everyone will have a different approach to obtaining balance in their health, well-being, and quality of life. Self-awareness is an important part of achieving wellness. Change doesn’t happen overnight, and it can take some time, wellness is a personalized approach that allows you to become your best self.

Working in healthcare can be a challenging and stressful job. I work for Northern Light A R Gould Hospital which is part of Northern Light Healthcare. They provide a variety of wellness programs for our employees and the community. One of my favorite resources is a weekly column on being human which is written by our wellness specialist. I’ve used some of these resources with my team and we’ve had some great discussions. Our most recent topic was loneliness and the importance of human connection in the workplace. I was surprised to learn how widespread loneliness at work is and how important it is to create a strong culture of connection for employees. It can be difficult for businesses to create this type of connection with remote workers but it is something they are going to have to resolve if they want to retain employees. 

wendy:

My name is Wendy Hosten Celestine, I am married with four children and four grandchildren. We currently reside in the State of Georgia. I hail from a small Caribbean Island called Grenada (Isle of Spice). Our family relocated to the United States when I was ten years of age. I am currently, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration. My career goal is to obtain a leadership position within a hospital or private practice setting.

Wellness definition is the state of being in good health, especially as an actively pursued goal per Merriam-Webster. Wellness means to me a healthy balance in my spiritual, emotional, physical and financial space. With that said, my family and I try to create a balance in everything that we do. Sometimes it is very hard to accomplish with our busy lifestyle. Some of the things we do is spending time with God by reading, praying, meditating, and listening to music, the physical stretching, walking, and massages. We also enjoy weekend trips apart from the usual family vacations. Financial, we restrain from making purchases of items we do not need. Avoid credit card debt and doing more saving toward an emergency fund. However, we are very involved with our local church. Which includes our youth, hospitality and community service departments.

In healthcare my chosen field for a career Wellness plays a vital role. It impacts every aspect of the patient, and everyone involved in administering care. Wellness also affects how well a patient can tolerate medications, handle treatment decisions and participation in the care that they receive. Understanding wellness and actively utilizing in my life will help to build better relationships, provide appropriate care, make educated judgment calls and ensure professionalism behavior and communication methods are used. Wellness is the essence to our entire being.

Thanks,

Wendy Hosten Celestine