Chapter 5: Caregiver Perspective

Challenges of interdisciplinary teamwork

- can be time consuming - danger of groupthink - scheduling difficulties - can involve competition and conflict

Identity in limbo

- caregivers in training are no longer laypersons, but they are not yet full-fledged professionals either

compassion rebound

- caregivers typically bounce back and regain at least a portion of their idealism and compassion once they are in the field

conflict

- feel stressed when faced with conflicting demands - exacerbated if supervisors and colleagues do not appreciate their efforts

Implications

- high pressure environments prepare students for real life situations - clearly established chain of command may help health care teams make quick decisions and carry them out - the hardships may strengthen group membership

Emphasis on science

- in last 100 years contemporary (holistic) medicine has been treated as peripheral to conventional (biomedical)

emotions

- intense emotions can cause stress and lead to emotional exhaustion - must be compassionate yet controlled

confidence

- it is natural to feel like an imposter when one adopts a new role - "what gives me the right to make decisions for other people" - socialized to be confident and in control - may feel the need to know everything off the top of their head

Flexner Report (1910)

- led to medical school focus on biology and other sciences

isolation

- long hours - uniqueness from other ppl make them feel different

Why Mistakes Happen

- miscommunication - communication breakdowns - sloppy handwriting - forgotten or delayed instructions - busy shift changes - although patients yearn for apologies and explanations, and health professionals may want to provide them, they may feel that, if they own up to mistakes, they are on their own if lawsuits ensue

advantages of interdisciplinary teamwork

- multiple perspectives enhance innovation and creativity - team members may be gratified to have input - reduces costly oversights - enhances biopsychosocial care - responsibilities and learning are shared

emotional preparedness

- sometimes professionals have less everyday experience than the patients who turn to them for guidance - caregivers may not know how to respond, having never experienced or been prepared for the situation at hand

resentment

- students sometimes begin to regard their patients as adversaries - derogatory terms - empathy for patients typically decreases - womens higher than mens

satisfaction

- taken for granted that health professional satisfactio is either guaranteed or irrelevant - satisfaction bolstered when patients are friendly, and up front about their needs - feel appreciated for their work - don't like feeling tired or rushed

privileges

- they see things normal people will never see - world of knowledge - privilege that comes with being a professional

burnout

combination of factors, including emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment

3. The Flexner Report conducted in the early 1900s is responsible for sweeping changes that continue until the present day. What was the most influential result of the report? A. Medical schools began focusing more on science and biology. B. For the first time, medical schools began admitting women and people of diverse races and ethnicities. C. Medical schools made communication training an integral part of their curricula. D. Both B and C.

A. Medical schools began focusing more on science and biology.

1. According to the book, all of the following are components of burnout EXCEPT: A. Sensory deprivation B. Emotional exhaustion C. Depersonalization D. Reduced sense of accomplishment

A. Sensory deprivation

4. Teamwork offers all of the following advantages EXCEPT: A. It involves people in decision-making. B. It reduces costly oversights and duplications. C. It increases reliance on biomedical care. D. It allows people to address a number of issues simultaneously.

C. It increases reliance on biomedical care.

2. Which of the following is recommended as a good way to deal with difficult patients? A. Ignore them. They will usually stop bad behavior if it doesn't attract attention. B. Have supervisors on hand so frontline personnel never have to deal with difficult patients. C. Treat complaints as opportunities. D. Speak very slowly and quietly.

C. Treat complaints as opportunities.

5. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is designed to guarantee which of the following? A. Patients have access to their own medical records. B. Insurance companies can access patients' medical records. C. Patients' medical information is kept confidential. D.Both A and C

D.Both A and C

Caring about someone else without becoming emotionally involved

Detached concern

a reduced sense of personal accomplishment

Involves feeling like a failure; People who feel this way may become depressed, experience low self-esteem, and leave their jobs or avoid certain tasks

A process in which a computer databank matches information about the patient to diagnosis and treatment information

Knowledge coupling

rote learning

Learning information in a relatively uninterpreted form, without making sense of it or attaching much meaning to it. memorization.

Learning by applying knowledge and awareness to actual scenarios

Problem-based learning

role theory

Proposes that social roles are defined by unique sets of rights, responsibilities, and privileges

A vocabulary characterized by carefully controlled compassion and a concern for accuracy and expediency

Voice of medicine

rite of passage

a challenge that qualifies students for advancement

detached concern

a sense of caring about other people without becoming emotionally involved in the process

double bind

a situation of conflict in which there are negative consequences no matter which option is chosen

mindfulness

awareness of one's self and others and a nonjudgmental respect for diversity

communication training

becoming a priority bc communication can be instrumental in making good decisions, reducing costs, improving health outcomes, raising patient satisfaction, and minimizing mistakes and misunderstandings

emotional exhaustion

burnout that occurs when individuals feel emotionally drained by work - feel that they can no longer summon motivation or compassion

never events

clear, preventable errors with serious consequences

causes of stress and burnout

conflict, emotional fatigue, and excessive workload

A situation in which there are negative consequences no matter which option you choose. This dilemma contributes to burnout, especially among nurses and allied health professionals.

double bind

A component of burnout

emotional exhaustion

A sensitive subject that may make you feel especially positive or negative about a patient

emotional hot button

The idea that the same qualities that attract people to health care make them especially vulnerable to burnout as health professionals

empathic communication

socialization

learning to behave appropriately within a specific community - school is often first place people begin to learn what it means to act ad talk like a professional caregiver

scut work

menial chores that no one else wants to do

The relational health communication competence model

observes that communication, social support, and emotional resilience are positively associated with each other

Memorizing information without necessarily knowing how to apply or use the information

rote learning

problem-based learning

students apply information to actual scenarios rather than simply memorizing it

empathetic communication model of burnout

suggests that health care is appealing to people who are concerned about others and are able to imagine others' joy and pain how to avoid burnout: hold daily debriefings with yourself - resist the urge to put off the "good stuff" - be mindful about what makes you happy - invest in gratifying relationships - design your own time pie - seek the company of people whose presence replenishes you

hidden curriculum

the attitudes and practices that others model, even though they don't explicitly teach them

Depersonalization

the tendency to treat people in an unfeeling, impersonal way

voice of medicine

voice characterized by carefully controlled compassion and a concern for accuracy and expediency