Administrative medical assisting 5th by lindh chapter04

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© 2014 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be scanned, copied

or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

Chapter 4

Coping Skills for

The Medical Assistant

What Is Stress?

• Body’s response to mental and physical change

• What constitutes stress is highly

individual and depends on personality type

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

What Is Stress?

• Eustress (positive feelings)

• Distress (negative feelings)

• Three categories of stressors

– Frustrations

– Conflicts

– Pressure

What Is Stress?

• Short-duration stress (acute)

• Longer-duration stress (episodic or

chronic)

• Stress has both negative and positive affects on body

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

What Is Stress?

• Body’s Response to Stress 

– Sympathetic nervous system prepares body for

“fight or flight”

– Parasympathetic nervous system returns body to normal after stressor has been removed

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

^^ Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) theory proposes that four stages are involved in adapting to stress.

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

Factors Causing Stress

• Overwhelming situations

• Feeling of powerlessness

• Round peg in square hole

• Traumatic events on the job

Factors Causing Stress

• Stress in the Work Environment

– Physical environment

– Management style

– Difficult co-workers 

– Job instability 

– Technological changes

– Organization size

– Overspecialization

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

Combatting Stress

• Maintain positive relationships

– Be respectful of others

– Be a diligent worker

– Be willing to learn

– Be honest

– Be willing to assume responsibility for your actions

Combatting Stress

• Maintain positive relationships

– Express appropriate humor

– Exemplify attitude of humility

– Be goal directed

– Understand Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

Effect of Prolonged Stress - Burnout

• Stages of burnout

– Honeymoon

– Reality

– Dissatisfaction

– Sad state

Effect of Prolonged Stress - Burnout

• Results in physical and psychologically illnesses

• Persons most vulnerable to burnout 

• Personality type role in susceptibility

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

General Stress Management

Techniques

• Appropriate and helpful changes in

stress management

– Make concerted effort to say “No” when asked to assume additional work

– Prioritize work or delegate to others with approval

of your supervisor

– Change your work-related environment by creating variations

General Stress Management

Techniques

• Appropriate and helpful changes in

stress management

– Evaluate the negative feelings about your job and attempt to replace them with more positive

thoughts

– Try to look on work as a “fun” experience and an adventure

– Establish long- and short-term realistic goals and write them down with plan to make them happen

© 2014 Cengage Learning All Rights Reserved May not be scanned, copied

or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

General Stress Management

Techniques

• Appropriate and helpful changes in

stress management

– Develop strong social support networks

– Embark on program of relaxation and meditation

to reduce stress

– Start exercise regimen

Goal Setting as a Stress Reliever

• Outer-directed people vs inner-directed people

• Goal-oriented employees

– More effective and assertive than others who are not

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or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part

Goal Setting as a Stress Reliever

• What is a goal?

– Specific, challenging, realistic, attainable,

measurable

– Long-range versus short-range goals

• Long-range goals may take 3 to 5 years to accomplish

• Short-range goals help to achieve long-range goals

Goal Setting as a Stress Reliever

• Long- and short-range goals help make changes in our lives

• Goals keep life interesting

• We can all reach goals successfully