Chapter 3 Worksheet: Coping Skills for the Medical Assistant (MEDA 100)

Achievements that take 3 to 5 years to accomplish are

Long range goals

A psychological term for the experience of long-term emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion accompanied by diminished interest and motivation that affects job performance, health-related outcomes, and mental health issues is

Burnout

The body's response to mental or environmental strain or tension is

Stress

People who let events, other people, or environmental factors dictate their behavior are

Outer directed people

The result of emotional and physical events on the body is

Stressors

People who decide for themselves what they want to do are

Inner directed people

The result or achievement toward which effort is directed is

Goal

The result of when you take apart long range goals and reassemble the required activities into smaller more manageable time segments

Short range goals

Fulfilling one's ultimate potential is known as

Self actualization

Keep work separate from your home life

Reduce the risk of burnout

Have regular physical examination

Reduce the risk of burnout

Work harder than anyone else in the clinic

Promote burnout

Feel a greater need than other to do a job well for its own sake

Promote burnout

Prioritize tasks and perform the most difficult ones first

Reduce the risk of burnout

Prefer to tackle projects yourself rather than consult a supervisor

Promote burnout

Never stop until you achieve your goals, regardless of the personal cost to yourself or loved ones

Promote burnout

Postpone vacation time

Promote burnout

Give up unrealistic goals and expectations

Reduce the risk of burnout

Maintain a positive self image and your self esteem

Reduce the risk of burnout

Develop interest outside your profession

Reduce the risk of burnout

Procrastinate

Promote burnout

Stretch or change positions, walk around and deliver faxes, charts, or laboratory specimens

Reduce the risk of burnout

Know your limits and be aware of your body's needs

Reduce the risk of burnout

Stressors are divided into 3 categories.  List and describe in detail these 3 categories. 

Stressors are divided into 3 categories that involve frustrations, conflicts and pressure. Frustrations expresses certain circumstances that prevent you from carrying out your plans or following through with what you wanted to do. Conflicts involves having no other choice but to choose between two important matters. Pressure contributes to experiencing high expectations or being expected too much on you towards completing certain tasks and responsibilities

List and describe the 4 stages of burnout

There are 4 stages of burnout that consist of honeymoon, reality, dissatisfaction and sad state. Honeymoon stage illustrates being excited and motivated at your job even though you tend to take on extra responsibilities than you can handle resulting in a constant pressure. Reality involves feeling stressed and overwhelmed while doubting your capabilities to meet expectations and constantly working hard but feel that there is no progress in your direction. Dissatisfaction expresses loosing that excitement and motivation for your job, constantly feeling exhausted, stressed and unhappy leading to unhealthy habits in order to cope with stress. Sad state is demonstrated when you start to feel emotionally drained and burned out as work seems pointless to you and you think about quitting the job