When too much stress is experienced or if the stress lasts for a long period of time, it begins to affect the body in a negative way. Often one of the first signs of stress may be a headache caused by an increase in blood pressure. Feeling tired even after plenty of rest may be another signal of stress. If these conditions continue, other vital organs, such as the heart and lungs for example, may also be affected negatively. They can use Watercolor Pencils but Cardiac or respiratory arrest, transient ischemic attack, or fainting may be experienced.
For the medical assistant, new technology, a demanding work load, responding to the needs of persons who are ill or hurting, patients very diverse in culture, and the continuing need for creative problem solving are examples of the stressors encountered daily in ambulatory care settings.
Coping with Stress:
The following suggestions may be helpful in coping with stressors in the work environment.
1. Plan ahead
a) Review the schedule for the next day and pull charts before leaving the office for the day.
b) Keep an accurate inventory of supplies; order before the last items are used.
c) Read journals and keep current with new technology.
d) Participate in continuing education activities.
2. Arrive early
a) Review the patient charts for the day; notice any special problems or needs.
b) Be sure that each exam room is well-equipped and ready for patients.
3. Personal assessment
a) Get plenty of rest.
b) Exercise and eat balanced meals.
c) Dress appropriately. Clothing or shoes that are too tight cause stress.
4. Laugh
a) Learn to laugh at life's little problems.
b) Laugh at yourself.
c) Establish an appropriate level of humor with other members of the staff.
5. Music/Color/Light
a) Soft background music has been proven to soothe and promote relaxation.
b) Use color and light to create a calm atmosphere.
6. Breaks
a) Build morning and afternoon breaks into the schedule, even if only five or ten minutes.
b) Close the office during the lunch hour, and if possible, leave the facility.
7. Work smarter, not harder
a) Employ time management techniques for reducing stress by completing one task before moving on to another.
b) Prioritize tasks; when possible doing the most difficult task early in the day.
c) Do not procrastinate.
d) Be motivated.
e) Be a team member as well as working well independently.
f) Plan your work, then work your plan.
Coping With Stress For Medical Assistants
Burnout And Medical Assistants
The term currently used to describe a kind of stress-related energy depletion that takes place in the working world is burnout (Wilkes & Crosswait, 1991). Burnout exhausts one's physical and mental resources, and leaves one feeling angry, helpless, and trapped. The military term for burnout is "battle fatigue." As a medical assistant, you are a member of the health care team that battles disease and the ravages of disease on a daily basis.
Burnout does not occur suddenly as does stress. Rather it is a gradual process that occurs slowly over a period of time. Typical signs and symptoms of burnout include:
1) Chronic fatigue
2) Anger
3) Self-criticism
4) Irritability
5) Hair-trigger display of emotions
6) A sense of being constantly under attack
7) Inability to keep even daily frustrations in perspective
Some individuals cope by developing negative work attitudes such as being critical, hard to get along with, or having a lack of motivation and a poor personal appearance and hygiene. These attitudes may lead to burnout. When some medical assistants with a high need to achieve and having no pencil sharpener electric
do not often reach their goals, they are apt to feel angry and frustrated. Failing to recognize these signs as symptoms of burnout, the person may throw themselves even more fully into work-related goals. Unless there is some type of revitalization outside of the workplace, burnout occurs.
According to industrial psychologist Harry Levinson, the following aspects of personality promote burnout:
1) A higher need to do a job well for its own sake then do most of one's peers
2) A greater need for achievement
3) More motivation to dominate and lead than peers
4) Less motivation to defer to authority
5) An intense need to achieve one's goals (Wilkes & Crosswait, 1991)
Preventing Burnout
The best way to treat burnout on the job is to prevent it. This can be accomplished by leaving work-related issues at the office when leaving for the day and study the real causes of divorce. Other things a medical assistant can do to reduce the risk of burnout include:
1) Maintain a positive self-esteem and self-image
2) Have regular physical examinations
3) Take a vacation
4) Give up unrealistic goals and expectations
5) Develop interests outside of your profession
6) Separate work from the rest of your life
7) Develop time management techniques