Tag: Support Group

Support Groups for Nursing Assistants

Working as a Nursing Assistant can be very fulfilling. It is a great feeling to know you spent your day helping others. However, with this job comes a great deal of stress and frustration at times. This is due to short staffing so there is too much to get done, issues with other medical staff, and dealing with terminally ill patients or those who have died while in your care. All of this can start to take a toll on a Nursing Assistant, both physically and mentally. As a result, many Nursing Assistants suffer from burnout. They no longer find joy in the profession they were once passionate about.

To help you manage the stress and other factors that your job as a Nursing Assistant brings, support groups are a great way to discuss how you are feeling, both the good and the bad. It is a way to create relationships and receive support from others in the same profession. You will also have the ability to provide support to others in the group.

There are many ways Nursing Assistants set up support groups. It is very easy to put up a flier at work and ask those who are interested to come to a meeting. Make sure your flier addresses the group is only for Nursing Assistants. Many employers will support this effort, and offer you a meeting place. Make sure you discuss your reasons for wanting to establish a support group to administration prior to advertising.

Some groups meet weekly while others meet every other week. You can have established topics for each meeting or just allow members to bring to the table what ever they want. Make sure to set up ground rules for respect as well as prevent the meetings from becoming nothing but complaint sessions. The purpose of the support group is to help you stay positive, not generate the negative.

If your group of co-workers is very small, you might decide to set up a Nursing Assistant support group in your community, inviting Nursing Assistants from all medical facilities to meet together. You can select a central location such as the library. Often Churches will allow groups to gather in their facilities when not in use. You can also choose to rotate the medical facility that will host each meeting.

Online support groups for Nursing Assistants have become very popular. They allow you a level on animosity that face to face meetings do not. Also, your group will consist of people from all over the Nation, not just in your area. This can lead to learning new ways that work well for others that you can apply to your work environment. Online support groups for Nursing Assistants are free to join. They also dont require an effort being put into reminders for meetings, or securing places to meet.

It is important for Nursing Assistants to be aware of the dangers of stress and burnout in their profession. Having a reliable support system in place is a great way to offset the effects of stress and burnout. While our families and friends are often supportive of our career choice, they dont understand the depth of some of the challenging issues that happen for Nursing Assistants in their job.

Having a support group made up of your peers allows you a resource that is walking in the same shoes. If you are hesitant, give a meeting or two a try. You just might find it is exactly what you need to help you keep that level of enthusiasm for your job at its best.

Support for Dental Assistants

Dental Assistants can find themselves easily overwhelmed with the level of responsibility they have and the many duties of their job. Since they work hard to meet all of these requirements, it is no wonder they can find themselves stressed out and needing someone to talk to. It is always easier to talk to those who know exactly what you are talking about. The medical and dental professions are known for taking enthusiastic qualified individuals and squeezing the very life out of them will took much be asked of them on a daily basis.

Dental Assistant support groups are not meant to be an arena to negativity to breed and escalate. It is to provide Dental Assistants with social interactions with others in the field who are experiencing the same types of things in their employment endeavors as well. Too often, individuals in the dental field are their own worst enemy. They demand too much of themselves. Being part of a Dental Assistant support group will help you set realistic goals and expectations for yourself.

Dental Assistant support groups can be formed of your co-workers if you work in a fairly large dental facility. If not, consider advertising for Dental Assistants from other facilities to get together and form a group. This can offer valuable insight as to how other organizations deal with issues that you are experiencing in your role as a Dental Assistant. Most dental facilities will support your endeavors as they understand the restraints of the Dental Assistant field. You may also want to open the group up to those interested in pursing a career as a Dental Assistant, those in a Dental Assistant program, and those who have retired from a career as a Dental Assistant. Each can offer unique perspectives on the dental field of being a Dental Assistant.

Often, each dental facility can take a turn hosting the meeting. Another option is to get a
Church or library to allow you to meet in their facility free of charge. You can host meetings once a week, every other week, or monthly depending on how in depth you want your support group to be.

Another great option is to join a support group online. You can stay anonymous, as well as interact from the comfort of your home. Most online support groups for Dental Assistants are free of charge and hosted by dental organizations. They offer tips, advice, online magazines, chat rooms, and message boards. All available at your fingertips with the touch of a few simple keys. These are an excellent source of support for those not wanting to put effort and time into organizing a Dental Assistant support group.

A career as a Dental Assistant can proof to be challenging. To avoid burnout and the effects of stress, consider joining a Dental Assistant support group. It can be a wonderful opportunity to meet new people in the field, gain information, share your experiences, and just get some needed support from those who know best what your experiences are on a daily basis in your role as a Dental Assistant.

Combating Stress and Anxiety through Support Groups

Studies reveal that people with good friends are more able to cope with stress and anxiety than people who dont have any companions whose shoulders they can cry on. 85% of people today are said to suffer from stress and anxiety problems one way or another and these people will be able to handle stress and anxiety better if they find the courage to talk about it and ask for help and support.

Talking about Your Problems is Not a Weakness
Many individuals are in the opinion that talking about their problems is almost akin to revealing their weaknesses or admitting to their inability to cope with their problems. They must understand that talking is completely different from whining; its a fact that the act of talking is a way of releasing our pent-up emotions. Youre just letting off steam, so to speak, and that shall not be construed in any way as begging for pity or attention. It is also not another form of complaining but simply your way of asking for empathy. We feel better when people empathize with our situations and thats why we shouldnt keep our emotions to ourselves. Its destructive rather than constructive.

Factors to Determine the Best Support Group for Your Needs
Since we are all unique individuals, its possible that our needs for a support group are unique as well. What may work for you may not be suitable for another so its best to base your decision on your preferences alone.

Individual or Group Support
As mentioned previously, some people find it extremely difficult to talk about their feelings and problems in life. If this is your case, it may be best to start out with individual consultations with your therapist. Once you get comfortable with talking openly to a stranger, you could then move on to the next level and join a small support group.

Focal Point of Support Group
There are hundreds of support group to choose from and each support group has its own focal point of interest. Obviously, Alcoholics Anonymous is for the rehabilitation of alcoholics while there are other support groups that concentrate on increasing the self-confidence of its members. Choose the support group that can truly help you cope with your problems and consequently, eliminate stress and anxiety from your life. If youre a workaholic and too much overtime is the main reason why youre too jumpy most of the time, find a support group thats specifically meant to treat workaholics like you.

Time and Location of Meetings
It is best that you choose to join a support group that holds its meetings at the time and place youre sure to be available. Choosing a support group, in spite of its great objectives and wonderful staff, thats located in the next state would be highly impractical as you may have to travel for hours every time theres a meeting.

Type of Communication
Most support groups hold meetings where members can meet each other in person. People who prefer anonymity however may opt for other means of communication like joining an online group or talking to a volunteer on the phone. While face-to-face meetings are generally more effective, the end choice belongs entirely to you so choose the type of support group that youre most comfortable and most likely to stick with for a long time.

Never Accuse the Alcoholic of Being an Alcoholic

If you live with someone that drinks, the last thing you should do is accuse him or her of being an alcoholic. Not only will you lose the debate, but they will become upset and in some cases, verbally, physically or mentally abusive. An alcoholic has to be the one to admit that they have a problem and there is no one else that can tell them any different. They will not listen to you no matter what you say. You might mention that the drinking is getting out of hand, but they may not think that there is a problem.

A never-ending fight is all you will have. If you accuse the alcoholic of drinking too much, they will defend themselves to no avail. They will insist that it is you that has problems and whatever else they can think of to say. You will never win the battle in this case. If you live with an alcoholic, you will need a support group such an Al-Anon to help you. You need to talk with others that are going through the same thing as you. The problems will not go away until the alcoholic decides that they have a problem.

They can make you believe that they have not been drinking and they even believe it. This is common when you live with an alcoholic. They can hide their drinking because you accuse them of drinking. Then when you accuse them of drinking or you find the empties, they will tell you that those are from months ago, even though you know better. The horrible truth is that the alcoholic believes what he or she is saying to you and can sound so convincing. This is how they make you doubt yourself.

You will only start an argument if you continue to accuse him or her of being an alcoholic. This is a problem for anyone that lives with an alcoholic. You want to make them see what they are doing, but all you will succeed in doing is making them defensive and lie more. When the person is not drinking, you could mention the problem, but chances are they are going to deny any wrong doings. They can be very secretive and deceitful when it comes to drinking. They will do anything to drink and you will not stop them.

They will not want to hear what you have to say even when they are sober. An alcoholic that thinks that they do not have a problem may not listen to you even when they are sober. They are sober so how could they have a problem. They can make you feel as if you are imaging a problem or even looking for reasons to start a fight. You will never win. However, you cannot let this fool you. You know there is a problem and you have to keep on top of everything.

There will come a day, when they will do something that will make them think about there drinking. Unfortunately, they will only be good for a short time. If they break something or hurt you, they will be sorry and make promises. Unfortunately, this is only a short-term fix. They are not going to stop drinking. They may slow down for a while until the urge takes over a gain. Then it will be back to the same thing all over again until the next time.

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