During a medical emergency, a healthcare worker faces certain challenges that require constant training and dedication to overcome. It is important to navigate such emotions and psychological changes to provide better outcomes in the healthcare industry.
Advanced Cardiac Life Support, or ACLS, is a set of clinical guidelines that medical professionals are often familiar with when dealing with a medical emergency. These guidelines help the professional guide during an emergency. For an ACLS professional who is particularly engaged in cardiac emergencies, the psychological challenges are real.
Let’s delve deeper into this.
Table of contents:
- Psychological challenges that ACLS workers have
- How to overcome psychological challenges
- Conclusion
Psychological Challenges of ACLS Workers
There is no second-guessing that any cardiovascular emergency switches on our panic button, and the same goes for healthcare workers too. Like a bystander, a healthcare worker can also face emotional stress while dealing with a cardiac emergency.
Here are some of the psychological stresses they face:
Performance pressure
- Overwhelming responsibility of saving a person
- Fear of making a tiny mistake as it may cost a life
- Difficulty maintaining composure during a critical period
Emotional Resilience
- Someone in distress can evoke strong emotions
- Balancing empathy and clinical detachment during a Medical Emergency
- Coping with emotional fatigue and burnout
Difficulty in making a decision
- Rampant decision-making can create self-doubt
- Dealing with uncertainty while maintaining a look of confidence can cause mental stress
- Fear of making the wrong decision can be depressing
Teamwork and communication
- Working in a team can result in the emergence of many opinions
- Miscommunication and misunderstanding can cause confusion
- Conflicting viewpoints lead to psychological stress
How To Address Psychological Stress During ACLS Scenarios?
It is important for healthcare workers to learn to deal with stress, especially when they work in a high-stress environment. Since a medical emergency can occur at any moment, learning to overcome the stress can enhance your leadership skills and communication
Here is how ACLS workers can deal with the stress:
Undergo ACLS Training
- Practice in a stimulating environment can build confidence
- Enhance the decision-making skills of ACLS workers
- A stimulating environment prepares ACLS professionals for high-stress scenarios
Learning Effective Communication Strategies
- Learning how to communicate effectively in a high-stress environment
- Practicing clear and concise communication with team members to avoid confusion
- Promote active listening and understanding
Knowing About Team Work
- Fostering teamwork and learning to support one another
- Encourage each other to openly discuss psychological challenges
- Peer support group to alleviate stress
Preparing Yourself To Deal With A Stressful Environment
- Psychological preparation to deal with stress
- Positive visualization and self-talk to prepare yourself
- Focus on the task to reduce anxiety
Navigating the psychological challenges can help ACLS workers understand psychological stress so that they can communicate effectively and promote holistic well-being. By preparing themselves to deal with sudden cardiac arrest challenges, ACLS workers can deliver positive outcomes with deliberate compassion and confidence.
Where Do I Find ACLS Certification In Frederick County?
There are an ample number of institutions that provide ACLS training and certification. However, getting your certification from the American Heart Association or an AHA-certified institution can boost your ACLS career. Getting ACLS certification develops your emotional resilience and enhances your performance under pressure. Your constant struggle with uncertainty and emotional stress can be reduced to a greater extent, fostering positive support and growth.
AHA-certified institutions like Comfikare CPR can help you develop your confidence through regular training so that every individual gets the best medical care. Since medical staff also understand that you have a busy schedule, they also provide ACLS certification at home. You can also get ACLS recertification at quite an affordable rate.
For more information on ACLS training and certification, contact us.