Suggestions for dealing with non worker difficulties
Skill
Mismatch of the Health Professional with a complex case may need:
- Acknowledgement of their lack of knowledge in a particular area
- Acceptance
that they don’t know and have all the answers
- Willingness to systematically evaluate
options – including handing the case over to another case manager, or treatment provider, seeking supervision and guidance,
having a mentor, applying for and getting further training, changing
your expectations of self
- A decision to be made on the best option
- Implementaion of the revised plan
- Close monitoring and review
Rehabilitation or Treatment Provider’s expectations of self is also important. Some health Professionals believe they should be able to help every person. Quality of the involvement needs to be reviewed via:]
- Self
review
- Peer
support
- A health Professionals own
counselling/support
- A change
of attitude
- An attempt
to modify feelings, thoughts, expectations and interactions with
worker– I should be able to get Mr Smith an outcome with everyone may not be realistic
Transference
and Counter-Transference with stakeholders
Health professionals need to:
- Recognize their own reactions and the dynamics that are occurring
- Be able to identify how and why feelings and responses occur
- Undertake Self
reviews
- Discuss
clients with peers
- Attempt
to modify feelings thoughts, expectations and interactions with stakeholders be they other treating professionsals, injured workers, insurers or employers.
Don't Blame the Worker and externalise your own inadequacies.
Health Professionals need to:
- Monitor
their thoughts and reactions with injured workers
- If
extreme anger, compassion, defence, or fear about the client lead to thoughts and emotions continuing
long after interaction, something
unhealthy could be occuring for the health professional
- Explore
what is happening with their feeling? – Is it just a bad day? – Is it to do with the client and
your unrealistic expectations?
- Ask
themselves questions such as why am I having this reaction? – Am I burnt out, tired? It is
easier to blame the client/patient
- Explore
the consequences of the reactions – e.g. if I do nothing today and
keep my thoughts to myself, versus if I continue to feel and react
this way then the behaviour may not facilitate the best outcome
- Make
changes as needed whether it be changing attitude, developing more
knowledge, discussing with peers or supervisors.
- Understand burnout may be a probable cause and learn more about it and options for
doing something about it, does the health professional need a holiday?
- Monitor
and review their attempt to change
Conflict
of roles and lack of resources to do the job of a health professional.
Again health Professionals need to:
- Assess
and analyse the situation – it is often advisable to discuss with
peers and a trustworthy supervisor/mentor
- Prioritise
workloads
- Use negotiating and diplomacy skills with resourcing issues and assess the
possibility of increased resources being allocated and request
change
- Have
their own goals that are realistic and achievable given resources available
- Try
and have at least one, if not more staff who can back you up
regarding resourcing problems or difficulties with particular
situations and complexities that can arise.
