Soft Skills Summary PDF

# First Semester - 1st year - Soft Skills ## Positive Mental Attitude **Definition**: A mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results. **Characteristics**: * Optimism * Acceptance * Resilience * Gratitude * Mindfulness * Integrity **Factors t...

# First Semester - 1st year - Soft Skills ## Positive Mental Attitude **Definition**: A mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and expects positive results. **Characteristics**: * Optimism * Acceptance * Resilience * Gratitude * Mindfulness * Integrity **Factors that determine one's attitude**: * Social factors * Direct instructions * Family * Prejudices * Personal experience * Media * Educational and religious instructions * Physical factors * Economic status **How to develop a positive mental attitude**: * Focus * Flexibility * Life connections * Self-belief **Correlate it to medicine**: * Take better care of yourself * Make a big impact on career and success * Reduce accidents * Advance in your career **Methods to build success through positive mental attitude**: * Reward yourself to boost confidence * Get your assignments done * Surround yourself with positive people * Set an achievable goal everyday * Show gratitude * Goal setting ## Problem Solving **Definition**: A task, situation, or person that is difficult to deal with. **Types of problems**: * Simple * Complicated * Complex * Chaotic * **Problem solving**: Application of ideas and skills to achieve a solution. * **Creative problem solving**: Looking at the same thing that everyone else does and thinking differently. **Steps of solving problems**: 1. Identify the problem 2. Generate ideas 3. Evaluate ideas 4. Decide on a solution and try it 5. Did it work or not **When You Set Goals** * Specific * Measurable * Achievable * Realistic * Time-based * **"Failing to plan is a plan to fail"** * **"Problems can also be opportunities that allow you to see things in a different way"** * **"Problems aren't stop signs, they are guidelines"** ## Flexibility **Definition**: The ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts. **Biology of cognitive flexibility**: * Anterior cingulate gyrus * Prefrontal cortex * Basal ganglia * When ACG functions well * Completely developed by the time we are 20 years old. **Importance of cognitive flexibility**: * For success both in learning settings and in life. * For physician wellness, lower burnout and myriad of psychological health. * Improve brain function. * Learn quickly solve problems more creatively. * For conflict resolution, team dynamics and interpersonal effectiveness. **Methods to improve cognitive flexibility**: * Seek out new experiences. * Think before saying no. * Plan A / Plan B * Meet new people * Don't take the easy way. ## Self Confidence **Definition**: The belief that you can achieve success and competence. * It's the key to unlock your unlimited potential. * Self-esteem: your opinion of yourself and your worth. **Types**: * Low * Optimal * Over **How to build self-confidence**: * Having a good role model * Focusing in the positive * Setting and achieving goals * Positive self talk * Physical activity * Learn new things **How to destroy self-confidence**: * Comparing yourself to others * Negative role model * Putting yourself down * Put down from others **Effects of high self-confidence**: * Don't worry about others will judge them * Have the courage to express themselves * Make good leaders * Have less mental health problems * Magnets to positive opportunities **Effects of low self-confidence**: * Don't believe in themselves * See themselves failing before beginning * Believe that can never be as good as they should be * Spend most of their time alone * Worry about everything * Do nothing ## Communication Skills **Definition**: The process of giving and receiving information. **Therapeutic communication**: Considered a fundamental clinical skill to establish a relationship with a patient. * **Channel**: Mode of communication * **Participants**: Communicators who are both sender and receivers * **Context**: Interrelated conditions of communication **Importance**: * Help patient to feel at ease * Help patient to feel in control * Help patient to feel valued **Principles**: * Know the audience * Know the purpose * Know the topic * Follow through what you say * Present information in several ways * Use multiple communication techniques * Anticipate objections * Present rounded pictures **Environmental factors**: * Nature of the room * Outside distractions * The appearance * Listener's education * Language **Goals**: * Diagnosis * Communicating with relatives * Communicating with healthcare professionals * Breaking bad news * Giving instructions on discharge * Giving advice on lifestyle **Most common way to communicate**: * Verbal (Speaking/writing) * Nonverbal (Body language) * Mixed **The most important abilities for effective oral communication**: * Active listening. (Make eye contact, ask clarifying questions, keep silent, avoid being emotional.) * Effective listeners to do: (Make eye contact, ask clarify questions, keep silent, avoid being emotional) * Constructive feedback: (Focus on specific behavior, keep feedback impersonal, ask questions to ensure understanding. ) **Levels of communication**: * Social * Mental * Emotional * Spiritual **Benefits of effective communication**: * Create a good interpersonal relationship * Facilitate exchange of information * Include patient in decision making **Problems for no good of doctor-patient communication**: * Patients' barriers * Doctors' barriers * Other barriers **How to improve doctor-patient communication**: * Communication training * Collaborative communication * Conflict management * Health beliefs **How to measure doctor-patient communication**: * Recording * Surveys * Audiotape * Videotpe * Quantitative measures * Qualitative measures ## Physician Nurse Communication * Using silence * Accepting * Focusing * Offering hope and humor * Summarizing * Reflecting **Types of patients**: * Demanding * Dependent * Manipulative * Self-destructive * At-risk population for low health education **Break bad news (SPIKES protocol) -** * **S**: Setting up the Conversation * **P**: Perception * **I**: Invitation * **K**: Knowledge * **E**: Emotions * **S**: Strategy & Summary **Medical error (CONES protocol)** * **C**: Context * **O**: Opening Shot * **N**: Narrative * **E**: Emotions * **S**: Strategy & Summary ## Leadership **Definition**: The process of influencing the activities of an organized group towards goal achievement. **The importance of leadership skills in a healthcare setting**: * Inspiring and allowing creativity * Influencing the behavior of people * Introducing Required Changes. * Solving Conflicts Effectively. * Positively influence both patient and healthcare organization * Outcomes **Why doctors need leadership training**: * To be a physician is to lead * Improve physician motivation * Higher patient satisfaction * Deliver higher quality care * Leadership making the right things * Management making the things right **Qualities of effective leaders**: * Have a vision, values or common goal people can get behind. * Strong will * Passion * Flexible mindset ## Work Ethics **Definition**: A general set of rules that are important to be followed to be a part of society. * Not the same as values * **Work ethics**: A standard of conduct and values for job performance. **Types**: * Personal (Respect for job. Regularity, seriousness) * Specific to work situation (Being prepared to take up new tasks, keep certain information confidential) **Top 10 work ethics**: * Attitude * Appearance * Teamwork * Communication * Attendance * Character * Cooperation * Respect * Productivity * Organizational skills **Benefit of ethics in the workplace**: * Productivity will increase. * Team work will develop. * Public image values increase. * Less legal issues. * The company will touch a new level of success. ## Time Management **Steps**: 1. Set goals 2. Develop a schedule 3. Revisit and revise your plan **Components of time management**: * Planning * Organizing * Delegating * Managing interruptions * Scheduling * Prioritizing **Pareto's principle**: 80/20 rule **Tools for time management**: * Planners * Calendar * To-do lists * Activity logs * Diary **Time wasters**: * Stress * Lack of planning * Not saying no * Interruptions * Meeting without an agenda * Fear to fail or success * No clear deadline **Procrastination**: Delaying a task; several tasks that should be a priority. **Ways to overcome it**: * Delete * Delegate * Do it * Ask for advice * Chop it up * Clear deadline * Reward * Remove distractions ## Empathy **Definition**: A neutral psychological mechanism that makes us have feelings that are more congruent with another's situation than our own. **Types**: * Direct * Indirect (Sympathy) * Emotional * Cognitive **Empathy vs. Sympathy**: * **Empathy**: Understanding what others are feeling because we have experienced it ourselves or can put ourselves in their shoes. It involves personal understanding. * **Sympathy**: Acknowledging another person's emotional hardships and providing comfort and assurance. It involves understanding the experience of others. **Types of basic emotions**: * Happiness * Sadness * Disgust * Fear * Surprise * Anger ## Stress Management * **Stress**: A person's response to events that are threatening or challenging. * **Stressor**: Stimulus that causes stress. **Definition of stress**: Can be defined as our mental, physical, emotional and behavioral reactions to any perceived demands or threats or pressures. * **Eustress**: Manageable stress can lead to growth and enhanced competence. * **Distress**: Uncontrollable, prolonged, destructive * **Acute stress**: Immediate response to threat or challenge (short duration) * **Chronic stress**: Ongoing exposure to stress (long duration) **Causes of stressors**: * External (Family, work, economic, school) * Internal (Worry, fear, negative self-talk) **Stages of stress response**: * Alarm * Resistance * Exhaustion **Physical effects of stress**: Headaches, Insomnia, Diarrhea, Back pain, Tics/nervous twitches, Upset stomach, Ringing in ears. **Emotional effects of stress**: Frustration, Nervousness, Impatience, Mood swings, Boredom, Low self-esteem, Loneliness **Mental effects of stress**: Trouble thinking, lack of creativity, unable to make a decision, forgetfulness, losing sense of humor. **Behavioral effects of stress**: Not eating, overeating, verbal and physical outburst, using alcohol, caffeine, smoking, driving too fast. **Common diseases with stress**: Headache, fatigue, weight gain, hypertension, heart disease, digestive problems, depression, alcoholism. **Ways to manage stress**: * Recognize the problem and try to solve it. * Change your thinking (Be positive) * Change your behavior. * Change your lifestyle. * Relax and laugh. * Take breaks. * Sleep. * Support. * Practice time management skills. ## Criticism **What is criticism**: A thorough examination and review of a person's actions or work which is aimed at correcting associated faults, defects, and drawbacks. **Types of criticism**: * **Constructive criticism**: Designed to provide genuine feedback in a helpful and non-threatening way in order that the person being criticized may learn and grow in some way. The feedback is typically valid is a true criticism. * **Destructive criticism**: Either not valid or true, or if valid, is delivered in an extremely unhelpful way. | Destructive Criticism | Constructive Criticism | |---|---| | Intends to embarrass | Intends to educate | | Feels like a personal attack | Related to the work | | Tears down an idea | Helps build on an idea | | Makes the person feel worse | Makes the outcome better | | Includes rapid-fire and random responses | Is intelligent and calculated | | Tries to take over | Comes along to help | **Why should you learn to handle criticism**: Being able to accept criticism assertively is one of the most important tasks we face on our journey to maturity. Importance of being to take criticism will help you improve on your working skills with a reduced probability of errors and increased efficiency. **How do you give criticism effectively**: 1. Go in cool, calm and collected. 2. Be specific. 3. Criticize the action, not the person. 4. Point out positives. 5. Follow up. **How do you respond to criticism**: **Common non-assertive ways**: * Becoming confused. * Reacting with anger and blame. * Becoming defensive. * Shutting down. * Acting silly. * Withdrawing. * Ignoring it, and hurting inside. * Running away. * Internalizing anger and boil slowly over it. **Receive criticism effectively**: 1. Consider the source. 2. Stay Calm. 3. Do not take criticisms too hard and personal. 4. Listen. 5. Ask clarifying questions. 6. Thank your critic. 7. Follow up. ## Working in Teams * **Together Everyone Achieves More** * **Teamwork**: The concept of people working together as a team. * **A team player**: Someone who is able to get along with their colleagues and work together in a cohesive group. * **Team building**: The process of establishing and developing a greater sense of collaboration and trust between members. **What makes an effective team**: * Good communication and social skills * Positive interdependence * Personal responsibility * Group processing * Shared goals * Processes for conflict resolution ** Stages of team development**: * Forming * Storming * Norming * Performing **Factors critical for strong teams**: * Team goals * Team structure * Roles within teams * Timelines for teamwork **Basic Team Skills**: Trust, coaching, sharing information flexibility, good manners. **Teams need to master three types of communication**: * Communicate well with each other. * Communicate well with other teams at work. * Communicate directly with their external customers. **How to help your team**: * Get acquainted and feel comfortable with your fellow members * Develop ground rules and norms for the team. * Communicate and work cooperatively. * Facilitate the sharing of information between members. * Begin trusting. ## Making a Presentation **Disadvantages of making a presentation**: 1. No chance for the audience to look up background information. 2. Audience restricted to pace of speaker. 3. Success dependent on speaker's ability to deliver. 4. One chance for the speaker to talk; one chance for the audience to hear. 5. Difficulty in assembling the speaker and entire audience at one time. **Advantages of making a presentation**: 1. Receive and answer questions. 2. Revise on the spot. 3. Use it for highlighting. 4. Ability to incorporate many types of visual aids. 5. Assurance that the audience has witnessed the information. **Why do you want to give a presentation**: 1. Raise awareness about new research findings. 2. Seek feedback. 3. Seek support. 4. Provide information to help policymakers make decisions. 5. Introduce a new strategy. 6. Clarify a controversial issue. **Six steps to developing an effective presentation**: 1. List the objectives. 2. Identify the audiences. 3. Determine the message. 4. Design the "look" of the slides. 5. Create and assemble the visuals. 6. Organize information. **Components of a good objective**: * Purpose * Method * Results