Administrative medical assisting 5th by lindh chapter04

Chapter 4

Coping Skills for
The Medical Assistant

© 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.


What Is Stress?
• Body’s response to mental and physical
change
• What constitutes stress is highly
individual and depends on personality
type

© 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.


What Is Stress?
• Eustress (positive feelings)
• Distress (negative feelings)
• Three categories of stressors
– Frustrations
– Conflicts
– Pressure

© 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.

What Is Stress?
• Short-duration stress (acute)
• Longer-duration stress (episodic or
chronic)
• Stress has both negative and positive
affects on body

© 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.


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

© 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 Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

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

Factors Causing Stress
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Overwhelming situations
Feeling of powerlessness
Round peg in square hole
Traumatic events on the job

© 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.


Factors Causing Stress
• Stress in the Work Environment
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Physical environment
Management style
Difficult co-workers 
Job instability 

Technological changes
Organization size
Overspecialization

© 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.


Combatting Stress
• Maintain positive relationships
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Be respectful of others
Be a diligent worker
Be willing to learn
Be honest
Be willing to assume responsibility for your actions

© 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.


Combatting Stress
• Maintain positive relationships
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Express appropriate humor
Exemplify attitude of humility
Be goal directed
Understand Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

© 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.


Effect of Prolonged Stress - Burnout
• Stages of burnout
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Honeymoon
Reality
Dissatisfaction
Sad state

© 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.


Effect of Prolonged Stress - Burnout
• Results in physical and psychologically

illnesses
• Persons most vulnerable to burnout 
• Personality type role in susceptibility

© 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
– 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

© 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
– 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

© 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.


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

© 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.


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

© 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.


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

© 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.