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Emotions in the Workplace

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"Why are you always so serious?" A question I have heard all my life, to the point at which I have become so aware of my facial expressions that I consciously control my expressions and emotions. I never quite realized this until I sat down to elaborate on this topic. Emotions are key attributes to customer satisfaction and that equals reimbursements and ultimately the success of an organization; in this case I'm referring to an acute hospital setting. As a child I was taught to believe that it was rude to laugh or speak loudly and disrespectful to make eye contact with elders. Crying was perceived as weak and insecure. Emotions such as pride in academia were revered. I developed a true sense of self-awareness and self-motivation in order to maintain that pride as well as to receive the praise from my family. However I lacked social skills which I attributed to my childhood beliefs. I entered the United States in 1994 and rapidly assimilated with American culture. The most difficult change was to establish eye contact with others, followed by accepting failure and being able to cry. Years of college and constant social exposure has allowed me to gain insight on my own personality as well as to expand on my social skills. The fundamental nature of effective communication is based on emotions. On a personal level I was fortunate to have been given opportunities for introspection, which I believe instilled within me immense emotional intelligence. As a working professional I am able to utilize those attributes to create a productive working environment as well as to alleviate the emotional and physical pain and suffering of my patients. I am faced on a daily basis with patients who are frustrated and angry with the world because of their inability to communicate and provide self care secondary to a debilitating, chronic or acute disease. I am at times angered by the patient's projections of anger in combination with the family's unrelenting requests. However, I am able to 'stand back' and apply social empathy. I praise a patient for being able to lift their hand or squeeze mine for the first time, for being able to swallow a pill without having to crush it. What is this? One may ask, but to me it is the art of emotional intelligence. By praising that patient I instilled hope, pride, relief and happiness. That patient is more likely to participate longer and harder in speech and physical therapy. This in turn improves positive patient outcomes and decreases the length of hospitalization. In my working environment I enjoy laughing, smiling and helping others to get their job done. I think that feeling satisfied in life in general is a key element of positive emotions. I believe if my mind is happy my body too will stay happy. For instance, when I am happy I get work done faster, I am less tired although it may be busy, and I worry less about what is ahead of me. I am willing to embrace challenges and I feel more confident and capable in my profession. Radiating positive energy is my way of giving back to the community in which I work.

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