Graduates will demonstrate awareness and skills to sustain personal health and well-being.
FW-121 Stress Management: Stress in Healthcare
In Stress management, I had the opportunity to reflect on my increased risk for elevated stress in my own life. As a paramedic and a firefighter, I am at an increased risk for stress-related to my occupation. I was able to assess my risk and apply coping mechanisms to better deal with my elevated stress. I researched new and upcoming ways that healthcare workers are utilizing to cope with their stress in the workplace. I found out that the statistics concerning stress dealing with firefighters, police, and other public service workers are alarming. Divorce rates, suicide rates, and many more disparities are seeing dramatic spikes. This assignment was completed pre-COVID-19 so I imagine these issues have continued to increase with the elevated dependency on public health workers. Stress can negatively affect a person’s life in other ways than relationship issues and such. Stress can manifest itself in physical symptoms such as elevated blood pressure, increased cortisol, and much more. These issues are residual and create a snowball effect that can eventually lead to more serious health problems such as strokes and heart attacks. This assignment prepared me for the stressful career that I am involved in. I learned many different ways to cope with stress and I am forever grateful for the opportunity to learn coping mechanisms that I otherwise would not have.
HS-390W: First Responders: Providing Mental Health Solutions
By far my report on providing mental health solutions for the first responders was my favorite experience at NAU. In this report, I researched the specific statistics regarding first responder suicide, divorce, substance abuse, domestic abuse, retention, and so much more. I was able to discover new information that I had no idea existed. I was able to apply this information to my research and create a paper that I was very proud of. After researching and writing this paper I was asked by a coworker to present the information at an annual refresher for paramedics and EMTs. I was nervous at first about lecturing first responders about all of these health disparities but I decided that this information needed to be shared with my counterparts as each and every one of them is at risk of these issues. The class went great and many of my workers were surprised at all the statistics that I mentioned in my class. I was even able to relay information for sources of help for first responders. A couple of coworkers confided in me and opened up about post-traumatic stress they believed they were experiencing, I was able to connect these individuals with our employee assistance program so they may heal from all of their issues.
HS-460C Leadership For Health Professionals: Observational Experience
I had the opportunity in HS0-460C to observe both a leader that I found to be a role model and a team that I found to be a good example of a well-functioning team. For my leadership observation, I observed a local leader in the public service sector of my community. I observed the local fire chief and I was about to step into his shoes for a few days. I found out that being a leader at such a level requires so much more than I ever anticipated. In my observation I learned that a leader demonstrates solid communication, is trusted by both the public and coworkers, and is an expert in conflict resolution. In observing the fire chief I was able to model my own future leadership abilities after I had now established a role model example. For the second part of my observation, I was able to observe my own shift that I work on at my local fire department. I studied how the group formed, our performance together, and the individual personalities that made up the group. Being able to break down the group and understand how we work as a team has been vital in being a contributing member of the group. I have noticed that I am especially more apt to understand my coworkers and their specific personalities.