Tips and Techniques
The best performances are delivered by persons who are dedicated to their roles wholeheartedly. The fear of “something might go wrong” while in front of the public triggers anxiety for some people. For instance, conducting a physical examination demonstration on video can produce a tremendous feeling of irrational dread to an individual who is not used to being the center of attention. Yes, one could feel that each action or step during the physical examination is under scrutiny. This scenario can be likened to any other stimulus that produces a “fight-or-flight” response to the body.
In reality, not all anxieties produce dysfunctional behavior in individuals; in fact, a mild level of anxiety generates a positive effect. It enhances perception, learning, and productive abilities (Kozier, et al., 2008). If anxiety occurred during a comprehensive physical examination, this generalized mood condition could be channeled into a constructive behavior or action. The Cognitive Dissonance Theory of Leon Festinger stated that people are not able to tolerate inconsistency or discrepancy between their own and other similar people’s attitude; hence, people will try their best to eliminate such uncomfortable feelings (Craig, 1998).
Self-awareness is key in managing stress levels. It is necessary to explore the probable cause. If the reason is due to a perceived lack of “self-efficacy” in doing the physical assessment, it can be controlled, if not eliminated, through constant practice. It would be better to invite and ask a good friend to become a volunteer, instead of using a “dummy” constantly for practice. By doing so, the nursing student will not only have the advantage of having a real person to practice with but also have someone with whom he/she could verbalize his/her fears. Meanwhile, they say that good actors try to immerse themselves in their characters and forget the audience once they step on the stage.
While physical exam demonstration has an entirely different purpose compared with plays or movies, the nursing student can still utilize this technique. By forgetting his demonstration is being recorded, the student can concentrate more on the process rather than lose his focus because of the fear of the comments and evaluation he might receive once the video is reviewed by his teachers. Lastly, it would be helpful to use relaxation techniques. For example, deep breathing exercises, guided imagery, or even biofeedback mechanism can decrease the body’s tension and prepare the student to adjust and relax during the recording (Kozier, et al., 2008, p. 847).
What facilitators are present in you and your practice setting that may reinforce and encourage you to use this new skill? What barriers are present in you and your practice setting that may act as obstacles? What strategies can you use to overcome and counter the barriers?
Preparing for this course activity can be mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting. It is a big challenge to overcome anxiety associated with a videotaped performance of comprehensive physical assessment; and yes, despite being able to identify methods to reduce the stress level, I must admit, there are still few “barriers.” One of my concerns is the number of scheduled practice sessions. Although the school allows ample time for each student to prepare for the actual demonstration, I feel that I need more time to enhance my skills in particular areas of assessment. For example, identifying correct respiratory patterns and types of breath sounds through auscultation could be difficult.
Deep palpation to determine tenderness, and percussion to identify shifting of fluid and dullness as part of abdominal assessment could be tricky (D’Amico & Barbarito, 2007). Thus, I am planning to invite my classmates and organize a group session where we can confer and share our knowledge to improve our presentation skills. I also understand that I must reinforce self-discipline and prioritize this course activity over other trivial matters, i.e. socials.
Positive coping mechanisms are a must for nurses. Handling stressful situations like this should involve critical thinking and alertness, and to provide safety for future patients and execute correct interventions, it is of utmost importance for students to understand that thorough nursing assessment is a critical part of the nursing process; hence, having an initiative and good perceptual acuity should be innate to us. Finally, as they always say, nursing is both science and arts. I shall therefore utilize my creativity and do non-pharmacologic interventions by combining both deep breathing exercises and guided imagery as part of my relaxation activities while preparing for the video presentation.
References
D’Amico, D., & Barbarito, C. (2007). Health and physical assessment in nursing. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Edu., Inc.
Craig, R. T. (1998). Cognitive dissonance theory by Leon Festinger (1919-1989). Web.
Kozier, B., Erb, G., Berman, A., & Snyder, S. (2008). Fundamentals of nursing: concepts, process, and practice (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Edu., Inc./Prentice Hall.