In the Moment: Fostering Mindfulness and Reducing Stressors in the Healthcare Workplace

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672098824
Author(s):  
Shabboo Valipoor ◽  
Sheila J. Bosch
Keyword(s):  
Design Research ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Dissatisfaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
The Moment

While healthcare design research has primarily focused on patient outcomes, there is a growing recognition that environmental interventions could do more by promoting the overall quality of care, and this requires expanding the focus to the health and well-being of those who deliver care to patients. Healthcare professionals are under high levels of stress, leading to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and poor patient care. Among other tools, mindfulness is recommended as a way of decreasing stress and helping workers function at higher levels. This article aims to identify potential environmental strategies for reducing work-related stressors and facilitating mindfulness in healthcare settings. By examining existing evidence on workplace mindfulness and stress-reducing design strategies, we highlight the power of the physical environment in not only alleviating stressful conditions but intentionally encouraging a mindful perspective. Strategies like minimizing distractions or avoiding overstimulation in the healthcare environment can be more effective if implemented along with the provision of designated spaces for mindfulness-based programs. Future research may explore optimal methods and hospital workers’ preferences for environments that support mindfulness and stress management. The long-term goal of all these efforts is to enhance healthcare professionals’ well-being, reignite their professional enthusiasm, and help them be resilient in times of stress.

scholarly journals Determinants of Job Satisfaction among Healthcare Professionals in Ghana : A Position Paper

2019 ◽  
pp. 35-48
Author(s):  
Elvis Adu ◽  
Fanglin Li ◽  
Lucy Boahemaa ◽  
Maxwell Opuni Antwi ◽  
Ama Boafo-Arthur
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Job Dissatisfaction ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Need Frustration

There is a growing interest in the health professionals’ performance sustenance and work- related attitudes research. This is primarily because health professionals experience on daily basis some undesirable variables like fatigue, `well-being, stress, emotional drain, psychological need frustration and job dissatisfaction which affect performance and its sustenance. Health managers quest to resolve issues of performance sustenance, have resulted in difficulties in their attempt to motivate health professionals to be highly functional and effective to sustain performance. In a lower-middle income country like Ghana, there has not been a lot of success in this regard considering the enormity of psychological challenges and the seemingly disturbing work environment health professionals engage their services in. These continue to affect performance fundamentally because they keep experiencing negative development psychologically. Additionally, it has been documented severally in the extant literature how these negative psychological developments affect the performance of healthcare professionals which unreservedly requires a new dimension in the way work environment is managed. A gap our study intends to address through the incorporation of positive psychological capital which we seek to use in moderating the work related attitudes that has the capacity to address the negativity that has engulfed work environment among healthcare professionals.

scholarly journals Women’s Experiences of Medical Miss-Diagnosis: How does gender matter in healthcare settings?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Thompson ◽  
Denise Blake
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Unexplained Symptoms ◽  
Female Bodies ◽  
Mental Well Being

Medical misdiagnosis for women continues to be a significant problem, leading to disparate health outcomes. To understand how women make sense of experiences of medical misdiagnosis, eight women from Aotearoa/ New Zealand were interviewed about misdiagnosis of conditions that equally affect female and male bodies. This work was guided by feminist principles and used narrative analysis to develop the following three themes: (1) Contradictory dialogues: doctor as expert or not? (2) Self-advocacy in the misdiagnosis experience; and (3) Not taken seriously in healthcare settings: it’s all in your head. Supported by previous work, our findings assert that women are treated poorly in healthcare settings with detrimental outcomes for them and their wider community. Reasons for this include female bodies being excluded from medical research, so that little is known about how illnesses present in female bodies, or how they affect women. Problematically, knowledge founded on male bodies is used to diagnose conditions in women. These biases perpetuate gender stereotypes and preconceived beliefs about women. Unexplained symptoms are considered ‘made up’ or are blamed on women’s mental well- being. Women are therefore not always considered credible symptom reporters and may be dismissed and ignored by healthcare professionals.

Exploring Emotional Intelligence at Work

2017 ◽  
pp. 346-363
Author(s):  
Irem Metin Orta ◽  
Selin Metin Camgoz
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Organizational Citizenship ◽  
Organizational Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Citizenship Behavior ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Work Related

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to perceive, understand, regulate, and use emotions. Organizational settings are now considered important arenas for the manifestation of human emotions. In order to establish long-term success, today's organizations continually emphasize the search for emotionally intelligent employees. This chapter provides a detailed overview of the current literature on emotional intelligence with respect to work-related attitudes, behaviors, and outcomes. In particular, it provides empirical evidence for the associations of emotional intelligence with job satisfaction, work performance, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior, effective leadership, and well-being. This chapter also provides practical implications and suggestions for future research by addressing plausible moderators and mediators, which are related to emotional intelligence.

A review of research into knowledge sharing

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-22
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
Process Perspective ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose The purpose of this study is to summarize findings from research into knowledge sharing and to provide suggestions for further research. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review was carried out through three phases – review protocol, conducting the review and reporting the review. A thematic analysis was carried out on 61 peer reviewed studies. Findings The review looks at the impact of knowledge sharing in three categories – individual, team and organizational. The main factors studied were creativity, performance and learning. Knowledge sharing goes beyond work-related impacts and has a positive effect on team climate, job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Directions for future research were identified as adopting an interaction and process perspective, investigating negative, differential and psychological impacts and improving methodology through use of qualitative and longitudinal studies. Practical implications As knowledge sharing does have positive psychological effects including enhanced job and life satisfaction it would be beneficial to build it into the organization’s well-being program. Originality/value This paper has an original approach as it is the first systematic review to be carried out on research into knowledge sharing and suggests areas for further investigation.

scholarly journals Health and Wellness Coaching in Serving the Needs of Today’s Patients: A Primer for Healthcare Professionals

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 216495612095927
Author(s):  
Adam I Perlman ◽  
Abd Moain Abu Dabrh
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Outcomes ◽  
Potential Role ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health And Wellness ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Wellness Coaching ◽  
Medical Advances

The past six decades have been marked by leaps and bounds in medical advances, while concurrently clinical outcomes and the quality of life continued to lag or decline. There is a need for more comprehensive approaches to delivering healthcare to patients that address illness and wellness within and outside healthcare settings. Mounting evidence shows that making sustainable changes in healthcare requires approaching patients’/individuals’ care as a continuum—within and outside healthcare settings—while addressing their capacity (ie ability) and workload (ie demands) and incorporating their values and preferences. Health and Wellness Coaching (HWC) has been proposed as a solution to create partnerships to empower individuals to take ownership, leadership, and accountability of their well-being, using nondirective, empathic, and mindful conversations that employ motivational-interviewing and evidence-based approaches. Insufficient clarity exists among healthcare professionals in understanding the definition, roles, and types of HWC. This primer summarizes HWC concepts and history and compares HWC types and its potential role in promoting, supporting, and improving the well-being, clinical outcomes, and quality of life of the pertinent stakeholders. This primer also highlights current and potential areas of application of HWC within different subpopulations and healthcare-related settings.

Investigating the Impact of Healthcare Environmental Design on Staff Security: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
pp. 193758672092140
Author(s):  
Soheyla MohammadiGorji ◽  
Sheila J. Bosch ◽  
Shabboo Valipoor ◽  
Giuliano De Portu
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Health ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Environmental Design ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
The Impact

Objective: To systematically review the literature regarding the role of the physical environment in preventing or mitigating aggressive behavior toward healthcare professionals in acute care, outpatient, and psychiatric/behavioral health facilities. Background: Globally, the incidence of violence against healthcare professionals is alarming. Poor environmental design has been identified as a risk factor of violence toward employees. The design of the physical setting in which healthcare is provided may moderate the incidence and severity of violence against healthcare workers. Methods: We conducted electronic database searches of PubMed and CINAHL through November 2018. Result: Findings were organized according to four categories identified in the literature regarding crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) including natural surveillance, access control, territoriality, and other CPTED elements. Fifteen studies (published between 1991 and 2017) met the inclusion criteria. Of the 15 studies, 4 incorporated environmental interventions. In the 11 remaining studies, physical environment attributes (i.e., layout, location, ambient conditions, equipment) were among the factors affecting violent incidents and staff security. Most study settings were hospital-based (11, with 10 of those specifically focused on emergency departments), followed by behavioral health facilities (4 studies). Design-focused recommendations, such as providing a second door in a triage room and a sub-waiting area inside the treatment zone, were summarized according to CPTED categories. Conclusion: This review suggests that the physical environment in healthcare facilities may affect the incidence of violence by patients or visitors against staff. Further research is needed to identify environmental design strategies that may protect the safety of healthcare professionals.

scholarly journals Designing Interiors to Mitigate Physical and Cognitive Deficits Related to Aging and to Promote Longevity in Older Adults: A Review

Gerontology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (6) ◽  
pp. 612-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Altaf Engineer ◽  
Esther M. Sternberg ◽  
Bijan Najafi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Interior Design ◽  
Aging Population ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Environmental Interventions ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Living Environments ◽  
The Impact

Background: With the increasing global population of older adults, there is a need for environmental interventions that directly affect their physical, psychological, and emotional well-being to help them maintain or regain their independence and autonomy – all of which promote longevity. Methods: To better understand potential opportunities and challenges associated with interior design and “future homes” that may promote well-being, aging in place, and independent living in older adults, the authors reviewed relevant literature and included their own expert opinions from a multidisciplinary point of view including interior design, wellness, and engineering. Results: After summarizing existing environmental interventions for the aging population and their effectiveness, this review reveals knowledge gaps in interior design for the well-being and longevity of older adults followed by a discussion of opportunities for future research that may fill these gaps. Some of these opportunities include finding habilitative design strategies that identify and address unique situational needs of each user, advancing multidisciplinary fields such as environmental gerontology that recreate security and independence for older adults even outside of their homes, implementing technically advanced design strategies, which are flexible and adaptive to individual needs; and integrating the Internet of things (IoT) into living environments, including voice-activated command technologies to improve seniors’ central role in enabling an optimized healthcare ecosystem. Conclusions: Knowledge of current evidence regarding the impact of different environmental factors may hasten adaptation of well-designed innovations that can provide optimal healing and living environments for the aging population. By effectively addressing older adults’ unique and specialized needs, design practitioners can become an indispensable part of their medical, social, and environmental team. One of the rapidly developing infrastructures promising to revolutionize the design of “future homes” is the IoT. While it is at an early stage of development, ultimately we envisage a connected home using voice-controlled technology and Bluetooth-radio-connected add-ons, to augment much of what home health does today. Bringing these approaches together into an effective strategy for a model of effective geriatric care is important and needs to become an integral part of both design education and practice.

scholarly journals Women’s Experiences of Medical Miss-Diagnosis: How does gender matter in healthcare settings?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Thompson ◽  
Denise Blake
Keyword(s):  
Narrative Analysis ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Advocacy ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Unexplained Symptoms ◽  
Female Bodies ◽  
Mental Well Being

Medical misdiagnosis for women continues to be a significant problem, leading to disparate health outcomes. To understand how women make sense of experiences of medical misdiagnosis, eight women from Aotearoa/ New Zealand were interviewed about misdiagnosis of conditions that equally affect female and male bodies. This work was guided by feminist principles and used narrative analysis to develop the following three themes: (1) Contradictory dialogues: doctor as expert or not? (2) Self-advocacy in the misdiagnosis experience; and (3) Not taken seriously in healthcare settings: it’s all in your head. Supported by previous work, our findings assert that women are treated poorly in healthcare settings with detrimental outcomes for them and their wider community. Reasons for this include female bodies being excluded from medical research, so that little is known about how illnesses present in female bodies, or how they affect women. Problematically, knowledge founded on male bodies is used to diagnose conditions in women. These biases perpetuate gender stereotypes and preconceived beliefs about women. Unexplained symptoms are considered ‘made up’ or are blamed on women’s mental well- being. Women are therefore not always considered credible symptom reporters and may be dismissed and ignored by healthcare professionals.

scholarly journals Assessing the Implementation of Biophilic Design Strategies in Selected office Buildings in Lagos State, Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 292-295
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Design Strategy ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Design Strategies ◽  
Biophilic Design ◽  
Lagos State

With the ever-increasing rate of urbanization and organisations opting to discard biophilic designs for minimalist designs at the detriment of productivity, the natural environment has been cast-off as a critical feature in determining the quality of human life. It has been discovered that there is an innate desire for human beings to connect with nature, which is being described as biophilia. Thus, organisations are seeking innovative measures of integrating the natural environment into the workplace as it has been proven to enhance well-being and productivity while saving cost. The study area, Lagos state is a densely populated city whose rise in population has been poorly managed with increasing pollution levels that reduce the quality of life, which is why it is imperative for organisations to create a sustainable environment that enhances work activities. To this end, this study seeks to evaluate the implementation of biophilic design strategies in selected office buildings in Lagos, Nigeria. Data is obtained using questionnaires and analysed using both content analysis for qualitative data and descriptive statistics for quantitative data. Purposive sampling was used to select the buildings that were studied while the respondents were selected by means of the stratified sampling technique. The findings reveal that daylight is the most implemented biophilic design strategy. The benefits of biophilic integration have been reviewed, as well as areas for future research. With more attention being placed on conducive workplace environment this research helps to ascertain the most utilized biophilic design strategy and how it can be easily incorporated in buildings.

The development of a brief measure of health personality

2020 ◽  
pp. 135910532093117
Author(s):  
Peter Martin ◽  
Joseph Kim ◽  
Angelica Jasper ◽  
Yousun Baek ◽  
Daniel Russell
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Personality Assessment ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Brief Assessment ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Good Internal Consistency ◽  
Health And Well Being

The purpose of this research was to develop a brief assessment of health personality, defined as a set of individual dispositions that are directly related to health. In Study 1, an initial pool of items was developed with 615 older adults, 65 years of age and older. The scale was reduced to a 15-item version for use in applied health care settings. Results indicated that the ‘Health Personality Assessment scale’ has good internal consistency, and the five-factors correlated significantly with self-reported measures of physical health and well-being. In Study 2, the scale was cross-validated with 254 older adults from the Health Literacy and Cognitive Function among Older Adults Study. The scale was refined and a third study consisted of 3,907 older adults. Reliability and validity of the scale were confirmed. Future research should evaluate the usefulness of this scale in applied healthcare settings.

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