1. Coping Skills for The Medical Assistant
Chapter 4
Coping Skills for The Medical Assistant

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

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

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

5. 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

6. General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
[Figure 4-1]
^^ Hans Selye’s General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) theory proposes that four stages are involved in adapting to stress.

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

8. Factors Causing Stress
Stress in the Work Environment
Physical environment
Management style
Difficult co-workers 
Job instability 
Technological changes
Organization size
Overspecialization

9. 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

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

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

12. Effect of Prolonged Stress - Burnout
Results in physical and psychologically illnesses
Persons most vulnerable to burnout 
Personality type role in susceptibility

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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