Benefits Of Self-Awareness And Attention In Healthcare

Definition

Discuss About The Benefits Self Awareness And Attention In Fog.

Self-awareness describes a person’s awareness and ability to differ with other people. The concept entails the body language, lifestyle, and relations with the environment. Further, it involves an individual’s ability to identify and understand their natural desires, feelings, motives, and character. Numerous researchers propose the biological components responsible for self-awareness. Some attribute the concept to neurological development – which differs from one person to another (Evans et al., 2009, p. 380). The brain processes create the basis of introspection with the natural environment –this nurtures self-acceptance to the modern society. This paper examines the how healthcare providers such as nurses and doctors utilize self-awareness when communicating with the patient; and the benefits of this approach. The article clearly defines self-awareness and its application when the patient converses with the medical provider (therapy). Further, it examines the benefits of self-awareness to the patient and the nurse.

Studies on self-awareness focus on social response, physical inspection, and constant observation of a person’s behaviors. For human beings, self-awareness tests the person’s knowledge of self the natural environment and interactions with other people. In some cases, it reviews the individual’s feelings, beliefs, and desires receive a review. Psychologists evaluate the concept from an evolutionary or developmental perspective. For instance, The theory of objective self-awareness suggests that our perception of ourselves changes when we compare our behaviors to other standards and values. Self-aware people align their practices with personal standards and costs because the concept develops from birth and systematically evolves over a lifespan as per the person’s brain development (Mitchell et al., 2012, p. 310). Nurturing self-awareness is therefore essential for healthcare workers, and the patient to assess their cognitive abilities. For instance, self-aware nurses have higher degrees of reasoning, brain processing, and working. Therefore, they are able to diagnose the patient during therapy easily and access the necessary medication. Benefits of self-awareness to the patient include the ability to accept medical care; and uphold their autonomy regardless of the nature of drugs.

People with strong self-awareness evade challenges easily and hardly feel discouraged by temporary setbacks. Notably, the concept of self-awareness is integral to Bandura’s social cognitive theory which describes the importance of social experience, reciprocal determinism and observational learning in personality development.

In health practice, self-awareness describes the overall ability of a person to focus on their internal behaviors appropriately, and communicate their feelings to the healthcare worker. The concept mainly applies to medical diagnosis and therapy because the patient actively interacts with the doctor. In this case, personal awareness concepts such as interoception and proprioception enable the patient to observe different bodily sensations. For instance, proprioception allows patients to identify discomfort on the joints, balance, posture, and muscles; while interoception will enable them to focus on internal organs such as lung pain, respiration, satiety and fluctuating heartbeat. For example, a patient suffering from malaria utilizes self-awareness to determine the feeling and communicate it to the doctor. In cases where the patient has over-acute, under-acute or distorted bodily awareness, then diagnosis takes place to identify the health disorder or condition. Common illnesses associated with these conditions are anorexia nervosa, obesity, and chronic joint pain among other ailments. For example, a distorted bodily awareness is a symptom for anorexia nervosa.

Self-awareness in Healthcare

Another benefit of self-awareness is that it enables the healthcare provider and the patient to understand and control their emotions, such as pain, guilt, pride or embarrassment. From (Aschieri, 2016, p. 570) every person should be able to objectively observe their body and communicate the feeling to the external world; therefore, self-awareness forms the basis of emotional intelligence. Notably, it promotes professionalism in healthcare; improves the quality of medical care; promotes objectivity among the patients; and improves the patient-provider relationship.

From ancient times, the concept of self- awareness has been subject to inquiry by psychologists and philosophers of different times. An example is a Greek Aphorism “know thyself “which evolved to the current description of self-awareness based on western psychology. In essence, the concept involves “knowing one’s internal states, preferences, resources, and intuitions” (Sutton, 2016, p. 650). The definition emphasizes a person’s ability to observe their emotions, thoughts, feelings, and their “inner world.”  According to Sutton (2016), self-awareness involves physical and emotional recognition of oneself. It means what individuals think about themselves; others; and their natural surroundings. 

From Phillips and Silvia (2005) self-awareness is the ability to accumulate information about oneself and observing inner states with openness. This definition explains a person’s ability to stay conscious and condition their mind to different situations. In this case, the brain and nervous system monitor internal sensations, which is the basis of healthcare because the feelings cause the brain to react in specific ways (Phillips and Silvia, 2005, p. 710).

The concept allows healthcare workers to communicate with the person receiving care effectively. Today, self-awareness is arguably the most prominent issue in medical practice because it will enable healthcare providers to question the patient to understand the ailment. According to Unal (2012), the most effective diagnosis and therapy tool medical providers have is their ability to evaluate oneself and the patient. The skill is part of their training process; and involves reviewing different illnesses and their symptoms. For instance, a nurse clearly understands the signs of malaria based on theoretical knowledge which allows them to “understand” the patient.

Effective communication is a prerequisite skill in health care (Haley et al., 2017, p. 14). It involves sending information from one person to another and may create a behavioral response. Self-awareness allows the patient to communicate their feelings to the nurse – this information transfer enables the healthcare provider to establish the patient ailment and the suitable nature of treatment. Today, most healthcare providers adopt specific approaches which will allow nurses to communicate in a way that improves health care for adults; promotes patient autonomy; provides long-term care and supports inequalities. The concept enables the doctor to observe the patient’s body language and behavior during diagnosis. The healthcare provider sees the manner in which the person receiving care communicates including their intonation, eye contact, and other paralinguistic behaviors (Unal, 2012, p. 95). For instance, when a patient suffers from typhoid, the doctor readily observes signs of fatigue and muscle weakness when conversing with them. Therefore, for successful diagnosis and treatment, the health care provider must use self-awareness to see patient behaviors.

Effective Communication

According to Silvia and O’Brien (2005), the healthcare provider must appear more attentive and respectful when communicating with the patient. Psychologists suggest that people mimic the other person when conversing, and are likely to “copy” the other person’s actions. When the doctor appears calm, it builds trust from the patient; and promotes openness – this encourages the patient to converse about their illness, and participate in therapeutic sessions. Self-awareness allows the healthcare provider to manage their emotions and show positive bodily expressions, especially when dealing with patients suffering from terminal illnesses. Notably, nurses can utilize self-awareness to avoid distracting facial expressions when communicating with the patient (Silvia and O’Brien, 2005, p. 480). The technique allows the person is receiving care to “open up” and feel more secure when conversing with the healthcare provider. An example is during therapeutic sessions with persons who have leukemia. In this case, the nurse must appear jovial to reduce depression and severity of the symptoms possibly.

Health care provider can also use self-awareness when communicating with the patient by evaluating themselves regarding the patient’s situation. Doctors can utilize the concept to manage their emotions when talking with the person receiving care. Some illnesses “heavily” deteriorate the patient’s health, an example is cancer. When conversing with the person receiving care, the healthcare provider may display emotions of fear or anxiety. Self-awareness enables the nurses to understand and manage their emotions thereby provide better services to the patient. A lack of personal awareness “gives” the health care provider vulnerability because they do not know how to respond when the patient expresses feelings of fear. Self-aware health providers utilize exercises such as deep-breathing to eliminate fear, especially when dealing with life-ending sicknesses.

From Farell (2013) reflective practice is an essential component of self-awareness. Healthcare providers can utilize the technique to identify the weakness of specific medical practices during therapeutic sessions. Further, it enables them to review the patient’s progress and response to medication and prescribe alternative drugs to solve the problem (Farell, 2013, p. 470). Doctors can utilize self-awareness when communicating with the patient to transform doubt, conflict, and disturbance and create a harmonious, settled environment. Most nurses do not participate in self-evaluation, and therefore hardly perform their duties effectively (Helyer, 2015, p. 20). Notably, self-awareness allows healthcare providers to understand the patient before they share their experiences or point of view. For example, post-surgery patients sit upright when being transferred within the wards. However, they must notify the staff when ready for transfer. A self-aware team can judge the individual responses, and body language to determine when they are ready.

Emotional Intelligence

Notably, self-awareness is a vital skill every doctor should practice when communicating with the patient. However, the concept requires constant reflection and self-evaluation to discover new information about self, and others – this improves medical care.

The idea has numerous merits to the healthcare provider and the person receiving care. For the medical professional, it prevents risky behavior, such as crying especially when conversing with the patient. Further, it enables the nurse to identify weaknesses of specific medical practices during therapy and make sound choices depending on the patient’s progress (Lew and Schmidt, 2011, p. 530). Research shows that self-awareness aspects such as mindfulness, insight, and reflection allow the nurse to become “more accepting” regarding patient’s emotional burdens during treatment – this promotes professionalism.

According to Preden et al. (2015) being able to control personal emotions is a challenge for medical professionals. At times, the healthcare providers “get emotional” when conversing with the patient based on their condition. Some resort to crying, especially during therapeutic sessions with persons with high degree burns or deformations. In this case, nurses must manage their emotions effectively (Preden et al., 2015, par. 6). Nurses and other medical providers provide better healthcare when they become aware of themselves (Tenney et al., 2013, par. 5).

Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence (Steiner, 2014, par. 4). The ability of patients to observe their thoughts and emotions from one moment to another ensures they proactively manage their behaviors, emotions, and feelings. For the person receiving care, the concept enables them to identify sensations which require medical attention, and communicate them to the healthcare provider – this encourages objectivity and improves the patient-provider relationship. Further, the nurse becomes more self-confident during therapy and actively engages the patient to examine the illness and prescribe suitable medication.

Self-awareness improves the quality of healthcare provided because professionals manage their activities concerning their abilities and talents. Further, it allows individuals to determine the way other people perceive them, depending on their responses and attitudes (Mitchell et al., 2012, p. 316). The concept promotes inter-disciplinary cooperation in health care. An example is surgical procedures which require corporation between different departments. Notably, a competent team can deliver quality health care. However, the team must communicate and work together with the patient to understand their preferences, needs, and values. The concept promotes objectivity in cases where swift action should occur because the healthcare provider operates without bias or uncertainty – this improves leadership skills among healthcare professionals.

Observing Patient Behaviors

Conclusion

With changes in healthcare provision, progressive leaders continually look beyond established healthcare standards for new approaches which will enhance patient care. The holistic approaches not only improve medical care for the sick but also provide care for the nurses. In this case, management of the physical, as well as emotional health, takes place. One of the approaches is self-awareness.

The concept is a vital aspect of healthcare. When communicating with the patient, medical professionals use the idea in many ways to identify the ailment; and prescribe suitable medication depending on the condition. Self-awareness concept improves communication between the patient and the provider. For the healthcare provider, it enhances the ability to communicate with co-workers and patients. Also, it enables them to control internal stress and converse with the patient with positive facial expressions and behaviors. Notably, excellent communication is the cornerstone of most organizations. Medical providers who can gauge the response when conversing with the patient or other staff connect effectively and build trust. For patients, when they recognize their emotions, they easily control them during therapeutic care. In these settings, the therapist must identify their assumptions, beliefs, values, and biases concerning different clients – by determining the difference between documented information and real-life experiences. However, self-awareness can present negative consequences during therapy if the nurse remains unconcentrated on the period and continually makes reconnections.

Notably, self-awareness has numerous benefits. For instance, it promotes professionalism among medical providers; improves productivity; encourages versatility and open-mindedness; and improves social interactions among the nurses. The above benefits improve the quality of patient-care because the provider practices mindfulness actively listens to the patient’s illness and obtains different perspectives on health care. However, self-awareness presents specific challenges; for instance, patients suffering from mental health may hold themselves to a higher standard than expected. Once they become self-aware of their low-esteem and poor conditions, they may become violent or even commit suicide. Another example is individuals who discover they suffer from certain terminal illnesses, such as cancer. In this case, depression leads some to cause bodily harm or even suicide – this is because the concept may promote reactive and judgmental thoughts which encourage frustration, self-criticism, and impulsive decisions to stop trying.

References

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