Professional Presence And Influence Analysis

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Running head: PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE AND INFLUENCE

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PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE

Professional Presence and Influence

Pamela Logalbo

Western Governors University

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Professional Presence and Influence

Professional Presence

Introduction

This paper is just the beginning of my personal exploration into professional presence, mindfulness practice, and healing environments. I am excited to start a journey into a better understanding of my own thoughts, beliefs, relationships, and values to reveal personal strengths and weaknesses. How can I use this to develop a professional presence plan in hopes to be an effective caregiver and leader? With the results of the Keirsey Temperament Sorter-II personality test, I intend to explain what

my understanding of myself as a leader will be and how I can improve on this.
Models of Health and Healing

Decorated for valor as a battalion surgeon in Vietnam and distinguished internal medicine doctor, Larry Dossey, was not prepared for the unexplained miracles his patients would demonstrate which defied his traditional Western medical teachings. Over the years as he practiced and experienced these unexplained miracles, Dr. Dossey provided the framework for three models of operational medicine in the Western world and explains how health and healing relate to what it means to be human (Goertz Koerner, 2011). These models were classified in Eras I, II, and III.

In the 1860s, medical practice began to integrate science which became the Era I Mechanical Model of Health and Healing. Health and illness are merely physical in nature and any treatments or medications should also be physical such as surgical procedures and medications. The mind or consciousness is the functioning of the brain. This era of medicine appears to be based in anatomy and its function.
Era II in the 1950s became the Body/Mind Model where the mind and body are no longer seen as separate but in fact connected and occupy a significant place together in health and healing. Scientific data proved that emotions and feelings influence the body?s functions. Stress, laughter, depression, and happiness are contributors to illness, disease, healing, and recovery.
The Body/Mind/Spirit or Bio/Psycho/Social Model of Era III in the 1990s led with the belief that healing occurs with the consciousness. Consciousness and healing is not bound to just the individual, but is comprised from the unity of the system, as a whole (Koerner,J 2011, p. 134). The hallmark of this era is the mind being boundless and unlimited. Without being aware, an individual?s mind may not only affect their body and functions but may also affect others around them at any distance from their physical being.
All three models can overlap each other or even coexist. They could be used together such as someone or a group of people praying during surgery or medications used with psychotherapy to treat a physical or a mental problem.
It is interesting to see the progression and differences of these three models.

There is a significant contrast between the health and healing models of Era I and Era III. I find the differences between these two models of health and healing as they relate to what it means to be human fascinating. Era I?s Mechanical Model of Health and Healing is the basic start of medicine from diagnosis to treatment. This model stems from only the physical world and is finite. A patient has abdominal pain caused by an inflamed appendix and is healed by a surgical procedure to remove it, the appendectomy. One might have the symptom of heartburn and is treated with an antacid medication like Zantac. Era III?s Body/Mind/Spirit Model is all encompassing to include not only the physical but also the spiritual aspect of being human. There are no boundaries between our minds and bodies. The possibilities are limitless. Dr. Dossey (2018) states that ?The biggest payoff of Era III concerns our destiny. If our mind is nonlocal and boundless, then it is infinite in time. Therefore, the death of the body does not mean that consciousness ceases to exist; something about us endures. Era III, therefore, carries with it the promise of immortality, which is a cure for the ?disease? that has caused more suffering for humans than any other: the fear of death.? When someone dies from cancer, there is a celebration of life instead of a funeral to lay to rest our remains. Our life is not over in this physical

world.
Models and Professional Presence

Presence is something that many people believe they can sense but not describe.

Others define it in so many ways. A professional presence is important to me because it is how I embody my nursing practice and convey my message through interactions with my patients. My presence is forever evolving with each interaction. There is no limit to what can be projected.

Just as presence may be difficult to describe, so is the concept behind Era III. One can?t fully explain a concept that is limitless and beyond comprehension. I am sure there is much more we will learn in Era III to explain the unexplained. I believe there is a connection between body, mind, spirit, space, and time. This complex connection has yet to be completely understood and revealed. If we one day fully understand Era III, we may finally answer the meaning of life or where our spirit goes once our physical body dies.

Influence on Nursing

Practice

As an emergency medicine nurse most of my career, professional presence has greatly influenced my nursing practice. To be inserted in someone?s life on the worst day of their life is an amazing honor to be apart of. The connection you have with your patient in that short time not only impacts them, but also others around them at the time, their family, you, and your coworkers. The perception of competence created by your calm response, reassuring eyes, gentle touch, and the words confidently stated, ?I am going to take good care of you? is all apart of my professional nursing presence. It is not just about the invasive life saving skills I have been taught to perform in an emergent situation. It is also the strong faith and belief a patient or myself may have. I have learned over the years that what happens to us is not always up to us. I have not been able to always explain why a patient walked away from a devastating car crash while another one died in a simple fender bender. It is beyond my comprehension as is the Body/Mind/Spirit Model can be.
Personality Preferences

Personality Assessment Submission

Test Results Analysis

According to the Kiersey Jung personality test, I am an ESFP (Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving) personality type. Carl G. Jung?s theory of psychological types (Jung, 1971) characterizes people by their preference of general attitude which in my case is being extraverted. My direction and source of energy expression lies mainly in the external world. My function of perception is sensing. I perceive information from my external world around me. How I judge or make decisions is based on feeling. I will base decisions on what I feel I should do. When it comes to perceiving, I tend to improvise and explore alternative options. After reviewing these results and discussing them with someone who knows me better than I do, my husband, I have a better understanding of my personality in relationship to career choices, decisions, activities, and how I approach all things.
Preferences Alignment

With my ability to respond with passion and resourcefulness when someone has a medical emergency aligns this personality and my career choice as an emergency nurse explaining why I gravitate to this profession. I was pleasantly surprised to see this upon my research. I thrive on intense emotion and situations to quickly obtain information about my patients and their problem to figure out a way to fix it. I prefer to be right in the action and love the challenge. If I worked in a job that required technical writing or data analysis, I would be bored stiff and would be quickly looking for something more exciting.
I do feel like being a part of the team and getting things done is more important than being thought of as the boss. I want everyone to be in a fun and comfortable environment if possible. Even though I am not a stickler for rules and regulations, I am a strong advocate for my patient, their families, and the members of my team.
On the relationship front, my husband reports that I am a likeable person that can start up a conversation easily with anyone about anything. I like to laugh, and this comes easy when I enjoy someone?s company. I enjoy spending time with my husband as he is a willing and reciprocated partner.
Potential Challenges and Barriers

In the workplace, I thrive on challenges and change. Barriers to me would be strict guidelines and rules that do not allow me to brainstorm and use my own creative style. I like to work smarter not harder. Policies need to make sense and be practical. I don?t do well with policies and procedures that do not make practical sense. I start finding much dissatisfaction in that and probably won?t stay in that environment for very long.
Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness to me is being in the moment and having an awareness of yourself and all that surrounds you to include feelings, senses, and the environment.
Whole Person Goals

I have spent most of my life doing for others whether it be professionally or personally. I have rarely stopped to smell the roses or appreciate the joy of life. I don?t have any real hobbies. I do not usually take time for myself. I tend to pour my heart and soul in to work and not play. As I climb the career ladder, I see the need to take time to myself to rejuvenate and have sustainability. This will become crucial as a career in management and leadership. I will need to find a healthy balance.
Physical

Goals for my physical being would be to decrease my weight and high cholesterol levels. I would like to develop healthy and long sustained habits that are practical and obtainable. I would like to decrease my intake of unhealthy foods such as high sugar, fried, salty, and processed foods. I want to crave whole foods without all that sugar, salt, and processed additives. I plan to remove all the temptations in my home and replace them with healthier options. I would like to set aside time each day to do some cardio in hopes that exercise along with an improved diet would help decrease the weight, high cholesterol, and give more energy and well being to cope with work and life stressors.
Vital Rhythmic

To establish a vital rhythm to my life and work balance, I will need to cut down on work stressors and perhaps cut down on how many jobs I have and hours I spend working them. High levels of stress from work with no relief valve or unhealthy relief habits such as alcohol, caffeine, and unhealthy foods leads to my physical issues of weight gain and high cholesterol. By decreasing my work schedule and finding more time for relaxing activities and exercise will hopefully help my mind and body to get back in to balance. Exercising and drinking more water instead of caffeine or alcohol will help me sleep better, decrease stress, and help my body maintain a better rhythm.
Mental/Emotional

Spending more relaxed time with my soul mate and friends will refresh my outlook on life. I can find emotional strength and connection with them to help cope with the difficult things I see at work in the emergency nursing setting. Life is finite and precious and not to be wasted. I will plan for a date night weekly and a gathering with friends monthly. Going for a drive to see places I have never seen close to home or in my state is another goal that will help my mental wellbeing.

Biographical and Spiritual Body

I believe in God and was raised going to church on Sundays as a Methodist. Since growing up and always working, I have not been able to attend church much due to these work schedules. I miss the fellowship and the wonderful messages I hear during the sermon. I would like to make time to go to church. I may not make every Sunday but will establish a goal to attend at least 1 to 2 Sundays a month. I have never been one to meditate. I would like to try it and develop this as a habit to get back in touch with my spiritual self. I would like to start off by meditating for short periods every day until I find the right amount of time that feels right.
Achievement of Goals
I have much work to do to improve my work and life balance. If I want to become an effective leader for my team in the emergency department setting, I will need to make time for myself. I must care for my body by eating more whole foods and less fatty and processed items. I need to drink more water and less caffeine and alcohol which may also lead to better rest. Exercising regularly will not only help me feel more energized but will help with stress from work. Spending time with loved ones and friends laughing and enjoying life will fill my bucket back up. I miss my connections. Returning to the fellowship of church and meditating daily will bring an inner peace and balance to the hectic world of life.
Healing Environments
Era III which incorporates the mind/body/spirit utilizes the science of healing through Optimal Healing Environments (OHE). The Samueli Institute has invested in decades of research on how healing affects a patient?s total experience by utilizing a combination of traditional, complementary, and alternative healing practices. Their framework includes all parts of the healing process through internal, interpersonal, behavioral, and external principles. The focus is on the individual patient ?where all aspects of the patient experience ? physical, emotional, spiritual, behavioral, and environmental ? are optimized to support and stimulate healing.? (Samueli, 2016).
Best Practices

Two facilities that have incorporated the OHE into the care of their patients are the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and John Hopkins Hospital. These facilities strive to provide complete and total care for better healing and improved outcomes. The patient experience while in their care far exceeds traditional standards.
Internal

The?Seattle Cancer Care Alliance is an outpatient clinic on Lake Union in Seattle and is where most adult patients are treated when they do not require hospitalization. The clinic also provides transplant related outpatient care to children undergoing bone marrow transplantation. They believe in a team approach and surround their patients with scientists, researchers, doctors from Fred Hutch,?Seattle Children,?and?UW Medicine, nurses, social workers, financial counselors, therapists, and clinicians. These dedicated professionals care about all aspects surrounding their patients to include the families.
John Hopkins Hospital is diverse, inclusive, and provides patient centered medicine to prevent, diagnose, and treat human illness. John Hopkins operates six academic and community hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers, and thirty-nine primary and specialty care outpatient sites. The availability of so many facility options decreases wait times for their specialty care. Their mission is to improve the health of the community and the world by setting the standard of excellence in medical education, research, and clinical care of their patients.
Interpersonal
The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance creates a caring atmosphere for their patients. When their patients believe that their provider cares about them and is committed to their welfare, they are more likely to communicate effectively and engage in their own health. Building strong partnerships amongst the providers and patients provide better interactions and outcomes.

John Hopkins hospital recognizes social gaps between clients and providers can arise from differences that exist between them such as differences in education, economic status, gender, age, and many other factors. Establishing an open dialogue, a feeling of partnership, and an atmosphere of honesty and caring all help to bridge social distances.

Behavioral

The Seattle Cancer Alliance introduces their patients to several nontraditional approaches to their healthcare needs to change lifestyle and behavior towards their diagnosis and prognosis.
Some of their patients may participate in acupuncture, massage therapy, meditation, and yoga. These approaches are customized for each patient to improve their overall health. The better their patients feel, the more engaged they are in participating in their cancer survival.
John Hopkins Hospital uses a healthy lifestyle approach to improve on their patient?s overall health and wellness. Their care involves diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, and addiction management. Their facility has a customized food service program where patients can choose meals on a cultural level as well as preference. When a patient has choices, they feel in control and will engage in healthcare.
External

When you enter the Cancer Care Alliance facility, you are immediately greeted by several staff. The environment of the waiting room and treatment rooms are not sterile, cold, and unwelcoming. These areas are warm and inviting, open and airy. The lighting and ambient noise is soothing. It is as if the space encourages meditation and healing.
John Hopkins Hospital deep in the heart of the city, provides areas of eco-friendly and naturalistic gardens for meditation and healing. Patients and families have a peaceful space in a fast-paced bustling city.
Professional Presence Promotion

When I first entered the nursing field my goal was to become a safe and competent nurse providing excellent patient care. My goal was to become an emergency nurse in the setting of the emergency department, intensive care, and emergency medical services. I wanted to save lives and do no harm.

As my career progressed and I was exposed to several types of disease processes and treatments, I found that emergency nursing was more than fast action to fix an emergent issue. There was more to it than just that.

The internal environment with my patient is one built on trust that I am competent and able to care for any complexity to the best of my ability and will ease their way through a life- threatening crisis. I will maintain my skills and continually seek to further educate myself of several modalities of care, not just traditional Western medicine.
I can improve my interpersonal communications with my patients by understanding their differences and where they come from. It is important to learn about what they are dealing with, exposed to, what support systems and coping mechanisms they have. I have realized it is not just about the physical, it is also about the mind and spirit. Nursing care has better patient outcomes when it is all encompassing.

Conclusion
As I complete this course, I am enlightened about my own professional presence, mindfulness practice, and the various healing environments. I have a better understanding of my personality personally and professionally. I have learned what some of my strengths and weaknesses are. With this knowledge and insight, I am well on my way to learning how to be an effective clinician and leader. I am excited to continue this journey.
References
Johns Hopkins Patient and Visitor Amenities, (2018)
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/the_johns_hopkins_hospital/services_amenities/index.html
Jung, C. G. (1971). Psychological types (Collected works of C. G. Jung, volume 6, Chapter X)
Koerner, J. G. (2011).

Healing Presence: The Essence of Nursing, Second Edition. New York: Springer Publishing Company.

Samueli Institute Exploring the Science of Healing (2016)

http://www.samueliinstitute.org/File%20Library/About%Us/SP11_lowres.pdf
Samueli Institute- Exploring the Science of Healing (Previous Plan)

http://www.samueliinstitute.org/File%20Library/About%Us/Samueli-Institute-Strategic-Plan.pdf
(2013) http://www.samueliinstitute.org/File%20Library/Our%20Research/OHE/Updated-OHE-
Frame-5-12-14.pdf

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, (2018)

https://www.seattlecca.org/new-patients/why-seek-treatment-scca
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