I NEED YOUR HELP!!! ALL OF YOU!!

[Bajanne]

They are making some changes at my dialysis unit.  One thing is we now have a big bulletin board in the waiting area.  The supervisor (she's new to the position) asked me to be responsible for it.  She wants me to put interesting things there, etc.  I think she asked me because she knows I belong to this online dialysis community, so she expects I have lots of ideas.
That is where you guys come in.  What do I put up there??  Please give me swift and copious feedback!!
If my IHD family doesn't help me, then who will?

What's on your bulletin board?

[RichardMEL]

what the...

have you volunteered or something? I don't quite understand.

Is it like fun recipie ideas or stuff like that?

[paul.karen]

A big flier from IHD>

Put a rate your nurse scale up. 
They may then relieve you from that position lol.

Small memorials from people who may have passed at your center??
Maybe try to start a monthly dialysis meeting and BBQ?

Good luck on this venture.

[Sluff]

I would think you could put up a renal friendly recipe of the week or month. Put up a IHD poster.

Maybe a small section for others in the Unit to sell or maybe a looking for section. To help others in the same unit. In other words if someone who regularly comes to your clinic is looking for a new piece of furniture or a newer car, they could post that on the bulletin board and someone who is getting rid of a car or maybe they are getting some new furniture and giving the old stuff away, could do the same.

Maybe Dialysis in the news.

or maybe just post in large letters, ihatedialysis.com your one stop for dialysis and ESRD questions. 

[David13]

Bajanne, does the dietitian put items up in the waiting area related to diet, etc.?  If not, perhaps you could do a monthly item regarding how important good phosphorous control is to the overall health of a dialysis patient, for example.  The following month, you could do something related to the importance of staying active, etc.  You could get a lot of the information right here on this site! 

Keep it simple and "non-preachy".  This was the first thought that came to mind.  I will think more about it and let you know if I come up with anything else.  I am sure others will have ideas, too.

Of course, you have to reserve at least some space to promote IHD.com!   

[cat]

Lots of great suggestions have been made.  When you put up the IHD flyer, put it on a bright red piece of poster board and place it in the very center to draw extra attention to it.  Have fun, bajanne!

[Maxridex]

Yeah advertise our forum ? and put some facts and pictures on it?

[kitkatz]

My center has made a train coming out of a tunnel and put patients first names and their wish list on a flower around the patient's face.  It is cute.

[cherpep]

How about a section dedicated to travel?  Tips, etc.  Patients could share their experiences with clinics they've been to in other areas - the good and the bad. 

[okarol]

Make a section called "Get to know other patients- new each week!" and post their photo and short biography.

[RichardMEL]

My center has made a train coming out of a tunnel and put patients first names and their wish list on a flower around the patient's face.  It is cute.

they'd need a much longer train to fit in my wish list!!! 

I like the idea of the  get to know your fellow patients (or even staff) thing but obviously you'd need their consent - don't know that many would feel comfortable with that sort of thing (a lot of people I see often want to keep to themselves and don't feel very social). Still it might foster a bit of community spirit.

[thegrammalady]

the bulliten boards at my center are handled by the dietician and social worker. did you actually tell her you'd do this? if they tried this at my center i'd tell them only if they paid me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the boards have nutrition data, importance of caring for teeth, assistance possibilities etc.

[okarol]

Make a section called "Get to know other patients- new each week!" and post their photo and short biography.

yes, with permission of course, not the guy who also has his mug shot at the post office, perhaps

[petey]

Some inspirational sayings/quotes might be nice.

Or, how about a "Did you know...?" section that tells dialysis patients stuff about foods, drinks, the dialysis process, etc. that they might not know -- or might have been told but have now forgotten.

How about info on home dialysis (home hemo or PD) for those who might want to look into that modality?

I like the spotlight idea on patients in the center (you could post one or two a month) with pics and bios, too.

How about a birthday calendar where you post the birthdays of the patients in the center for the month?  I always like it on my b-day when people say, "Happy Birthday!"

just thoughts...go for something attractive and informational and fun...I know you'll do a good job.

[monrein]

The first thing I'd come up with is to say that I'd be happy to give her ideas but not willing to actually do what needs to be done to keep this bulletin board interesting and current.

 I like the idea of a recipes and snacks section...how to make things that are more renal friendly (dietician, where are you).

 I'd also have a Tell Your Experience section and patients could be invited to write a bit about their experience with ESRD, cause, progression, what keeps them sane or keeps them at least from going totally insane etc etc.  No formula, just let people share what they want to...poems, even contributions from family members.

You could always post some of the great articles that Okarol feeds us and heaven knows there's a good supply of those and I love that here so why not there?

I'd also have a little suggestion area where patients could submit questions or topics they'd like more info about and the social worker, nurses or dietician could research and post on these.

I'd put some stuff about the benefits of exercise and movement and I'd have a section on all the different meds and what they're for and how best to take them.

And of course dialysis jokes are always fun for insiders with a sense of humour. 

The main thing is that all patients should feel they can contribute stuff, staff should be overall responsible and you should see yourself as brainstorm central but not Board Supervisor (unless of course you really want to be).

[dkerr]

My center has an underwater scene with our faces on mermaids, fish, etc.

[jbeany]

Mine had "you might be a redneck dialysis patient" stuff up for a while - the tech who does the board reads this site once in a while, and printed a bunch of them off from here.  There's stuff for dialysis bingo right now - she plays it with the crew on Saturday. 

How about pictures of some well known dialysis patients?  You could put up Shad Ireland's photo and bio.

Maybe an "Eat This, Not That" section - an apple, not an orange, a sugar cookie, not a walnut chocolate chip cookie, a chicken sandwich, not a ham sandwich. . ..

[twirl]

we had a good bye board to the patients who died -
then they took it down
we had a bunch of dumb-ass pre-k stuff until a patient's husband said they thought we were all little kids in preschool
I think recipes are a great idea
summer ones, then fall ones and so on and Christmas recipes
I was asked to do the bulletin boards b/c I am a teacher -
at the time I was teaching and I did not have time -
I was not going up there on a Saturday or Sunday -
I think they have enough employees to do that kind of stuff -
maybe they should share -- keep yours up for a few months and then give someone else the job -

Davita sent me a hugh notebook and folder for me to keep a journal on dialysis -
it was a hugh amount of paperwork -
I brought paperwork in to do when I was teaching so they thought I would not mind -
right, that is all I needed more paperwork -
I declined

[twirl]

oh, I have an idea
sale the things from the IHD store   

with all the comments on the shirts and all 

[Ang]

just  for  fun,  i  won  some  socks.


bring  in  photos  of  when you were  a  child  or  at  least  20  years  ago  see  who  can  get  the  most  correct.

[peleroja]

You have a bulletin board??   I go to FMC, and since mine is associated with Kaiser, it's pretty much no frills.  Guess we're lucky to even have a waiting room!  Everyone's suggestions are great.

[Bajanne]

I knew i could depend on my IHD family.  These have been really great suggestions and I will be working on them.
Thanks to all who have contributed.


Any more ideas will still be welcome!

[Bajanne]

Just to let you know, the bulletin board's' title is 'Patients' Space'.  the supervisor put up some articles and then a Renal Shopping List.  Great stuff, but so boring looking.  With her permission, I took down the list, took it home and spiced it up. 
Here is a picture of her list and mine!!

I am starting another thread with something i want you guys to help me with.

[okarol]

Nicely done Bajanne!

[Yvonne]

Wow  What a differences with the shopping list, it looks great now, I wish it was bigger so I could print it off and stick it on my fridge. Has this site got an official poster, so I could put it on John's renal units site and hopefully have a lot more UK people join, I feel out in the cold sometimes. Yvonne.