Managing stress, ensuring excellence in care and protecting healthcare workers
I often wonder why some people tend to see the glass half-full, while others view it as half-empty? We are all wired differently, see the world differently, and react to situations differently. Stress is one of the many things that affects all our lives, and each of us copes with it differently, too. A range of stressors impact our minds and bodies, and it’s up to us to decided how we will process and deal with them.
The World Health Organization defines stress as “a state of worry or mental tension caused by a difficult situation. Stress is a natural human response that prompts us to address challenges and threats in our lives. Everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way we respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to our overall well-being.” In other words, humans have experienced stress since the beginning of time. The sources of this stress have changed as we have evolved, but the need for us to find healthy ways to cope with it remains important.
Since April is National Stress Awareness Month, it’s appropriate for us to think about how we deal with the unavoidable stress that emerges in our life, and how we approach it. The key to coping with stress is first recognizing it, and the impact that it has on your life. Our bodies were designed to interpret our world and then create a reaction that is aimed at keeping us safe.
Have you ever felt your heart racing, palms get sweaty, excitement, a heightened sense of awareness, and a sudden onset of anxiety? These are some of the very real, startling physiologic responses to stress. These reactions can help keep us safe and give us the energy we need to react to situations — and in some cases, even save our lives. Some examples would be slamming on the brakes to avoid a car accident or dodging a ball being thrown our way.
Too much negative stress or an insufficient set of coping mechanisms can harm your body and mind. How? A few examples are heart disease, mental anguish, depression, and inflammation throughout your body.
The bottom line is, stress is inevitable, and coping with it in healthy ways ensures that we do not allow ourselves to be overtaken by stress and its harmful health impacts. A lack of healthy coping skills can lead us to ultimately negative “solutions” for handling stress, like dependence on substances, loss of self-control, and worsening mental health issues, to name a few.
Therefore, it’s important to understand that a healthy diet, physical activity, sufficient rest, time spent outside and with loved ones, and seeking work-life balance are all excellent strategies to cope with stress. It’s also important to reach out for help from a counselor to get guidance too, if necessary. Make an appointment with your primary care provider if you think you may needs some help coping with stress.
It feels stressful just writing about stress, so let’s move on to something more positive, like the care we provide here at Angel Medical Center. Improving patient care is an ongoing process, and our team is dedicated to delivering excellent care and making every effort to exceed your expectations.
We must remember that excellence is in the eyes of the beholder. During Patient Experience Week, which is April 28-May 4, we want to renew our focus on the AMC Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC). This is my favorite meeting of the month. We discuss how we improve care, workflows, wait time, and overall care from the patients and families’ perspectives.
We are always looking for new community members to serve on this council. If you are willing to be engaged in helping us improve care for our community, can provide constructive feedback, and offer ideas for solutions to challenges, please contact me at email me or call (828) 524-8411 and ask for Administration.
In closing, I want to bring attention to something that healthcare workers are experiencing more frequently: aggression and violence. This has become such a worrisome issue that the state of North Carolina has created a bill to place criminal charges on perpetrators, to decrease the violence that plagues frontline hospital and office staff. There is also a new bill being presented at the federal level to raise awareness about violence against healthcare workers, as well as to set serious consequences.
If we want excellent healthcare, we must care for those who are providing it. Reach out to your public officials and show your support for all healthcare workers, and know that the AMC team is committed to providing this community with stellar care, always.
Clint Kendall, FACHE, MBA, MSN, BSN, RN, is Chief Executive Officer/Chief Nursing Officer of Angel Medical Center. He started his career as a nurse, and that perspective still informs his work and passion for the patient experience. Clint holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Nursing, and Health Care Management from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Western Carolina University. Clint has also earned the Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) certification, and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE), the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), and the American Nurses Association (ANA).