Lest Your Flame Burn Too Brightly

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Lest Your Flame Burn Too Brightly

• An Everyday Remedy for Preventing Professional
  Burnout

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Lest Your Flame Burn Too Brightly

• What contributes to your
• Over-responsibility
• Compassion fatigue
• Professional burnout ?
• How can you reduce the tension and strain of
  everyday ?
• What will be your Self-care plan ?

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The Story of Burnout
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Professional Stressors

• Rapid and constant changes
• Regulatory demands
• Caring in an environment of perpetual hurry
• Mounting resource constraints

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Professional Stressors

• HIV research
• Half-life of info.
• Technology
• EMRs
• PDAs
• Communication skills

• Coding procedures
• Organizational dynamics
• High Quality care
• Competence
• Allegations of
• Medical Malpractice

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The Story of Burnout
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The Portrait of Unmanaged Stress

• Unique to each individual
• Working examples
• Can debilitate anyone at any point
• Managing ones own stresses is the toughest part
  of practicing medicine.
• Dr. Oscar London
• .. of ones professional career

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The Story of Burnout
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(No Transcript)
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The Psychosocial Factors of Stress in the Caring
Professions

• Rates of depression, alcoholism and substance
  abuse
• Physician suicide rate
• Divorce rate among medical marriages
• Illness and injury due to overwork
• Effects of too much stress in social work

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The Story of Burnout
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The Whole Impact
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Healthcare Culture

• Academic Preparation
• Practicum - Internship
• Conscientious -gt Caring -gt Competent
• Burnout Boot Camp

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Characteristics that Burnout Risk

• û    Perfectionism
• û Need for Control
• û   Exaggerated sense of responsibility
• û   Difficulty asking for help
• û   Excessive, unrealistic guilt
• û Suppression of feeling
• û Difficulty taking vacations and enjoying
• leisure time

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Symptoms of Unmanaged Stress

• Fatigue - exhaustion
• Muscle tension, headaches, G.I. distress and
  other somatic symptoms
• Loss of libido
• Anger, mood swings, emotional irritability
• Difficulty communicating with colleagues,
  patients and family

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Symptoms of Unmanaged Stress

• Poor coping abilities
• Cynicism, critical attitudes toward others,
  suspiciousness
• Poor performance
• Isolation

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Cognitive Symptoms

• Trouble thinking clearly
• Forgetfulness
• Lack of creativity
• Memory loss
• Inability to make decisions
• Thoughts of running away
• Constant worry
• Loss of sense of humor

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Emotional Symptoms

• Crying
• Nervousness Anxiety
• Boredom
• No meaning to things
• Edginess
• Ready to explode
• Feeling powerless to change things

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Emotional Symptoms

• Overwhelming sense of pressure
• Anger
• Loneliness
• Easily upset
• Empty Sad
• Insecure Depressed
• Resentful
• Unhappiness for no reason

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Spiritual Warning Signs

• Self-doubt
• Jealousy
• Suspicion
• Difficulties in interpersonal relationships
• Feelings of loneliness
• Sense of inadequacy
• Sexual problems

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Burnout - Defined

• Development of a negative self-concept and
  negative attitudes towards work, life other
  people. Christina Maslach
• Burnout is Preventable

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Commitment to Well-Being

• If you would foster a calm spirit, first
  regulate your breathing
• for when that is under control, the heart will be
  at peace but when
• breathing is spasmodic, then it will be troubled.
  Therefore, before
• attempting anything, first regulate your
  breathing on which your
• temper will be softened, your spirit calmed.
• Kariba Ekken, 17th Century Sufi
• The Relaxation Response Breathing
• A mental focusing device
• A passive attitude toward distracting thoughts
• 10 20 minutes once or twice daily
• From Herbert Benson, Your Maximum Mind

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Self-CareTending the Flame

• Learn healthier responses
• Learn to listen
• Develop your road map
• Learn from experience Red Flags
• Nurture friendships
• Maintain a balanced life

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Self-CareTending the Flame

• Healthy sleep habits
• Physical exercise
• Trusted friends to check out feelings
• Safe havens for personal care
• Return often to your sources of joy
• Nurture - Nature

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Self-CareTending the Flame

• Spirituality is a source of strength and
  inspiration.
• Good reading
• Touching the Holy
• Enjoying the quiet
• Sensing moments of life each day
• Experiencing the beauty of nature
• Dialogue with the Divine

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Burnout Prevention Pearls

• Seek professional help to guide you through the
  difficulty
• Nutrition
• Exercise
• Self-knowledge
• Rely on your sense of humor

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Burnout Prevention Pearls

• It takes a strong person to burnout.
• Commit to Health
• Those who think they have not time for bodily
  exercise will sooner or later have to find time
  for illness.
• Edward Stanley

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Just Remember to Breathe
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(No Transcript)
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Special Note of Gratitude

• To you for your participation
• To Ryan White and his Mother Jeanne
• Our dear ones who have supported us along the way
• Our Holy Friend who is ever present

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Hudson Headwaters Health Network

• Joseph Mc Kay, CSW Mary Anne Brown, RN
• Psychotherapist Mental Health Nurse
• 518-761-0300 Ext. 232 Ext. 214
• One Broad Street Plaza
• Glens Falls, N.Y. 12801

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Celtic Center for Counseling Spirituality

• Joseph Mc Kay, CSW Mary Anne Brown, RN
• Psychotherapist Mental Health Nurse
• Spiritual Director Spiritual Director
• 518-743-9099 518-466-0038
• 498 Glen Street
• Glens Falls, N.Y. 12801
• Brownma_at_nycap.rr.com