People with a personality disorder diagnosis are generally considered particularly difficult to manage, treat and interact with; healthcare workers often don't like them; and are widely believed to have a negative impact on staff who work with them (Freestone et al, 2015). Professionals can also have an impact on service users and this contributes to the nature of the environment in which they work. I will reflect on how staff and patients influence each other, both positively and negatively, within this ward environment. The model I will use is Borton's (1970) reflective model, which consists of the subtitles what, Then what, and Now what. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay During one of my shifts, I had the handover as usual and observed the interaction between staff and patients. It was a very busy day from the patients and this gave me an idea of what the department can be like. I was not mentally prepared for such an experience. I found that some staff inquired about patient behavior and if this had been my first day I would not have been able to distinguish who was a patient and who was a staff member. The change became heavy and upsetting for me, however I was very conscious of not allowing my feelings to show. I found it difficult to overcome my fear of interacting with some of the patients who were demanding of the staff. So what? After a discussion with my mentor, I decided to research how staff are affected by working alongside individuals with personality disorders. According to Moore (2012) and Adshead (2002) working with patients with personality disorder is considered challenging and emotionally demanding and can evoke feelings of helplessness, therapeutic failure and anger in staff and a desire to maintain social distance. These challenges are likely to be amplified in secure settings where patients may present as both “distressed and highly distressing in the actions they take” and staff are required to manage both patient risk and vulnerability. Negative attitudes contribute to a sense of stigma, which can impact the therapeutic relationship with patients, as well as hinder any management efforts and negatively impact clinical outcomes. Negative attitudes held by staff may also influence the likelihood that patients will seek help or assistance regarding their care. Positive attitudes translate into positive outcomes in terms of health, motivation, low rates of illness and low staff burnout (Bowers et al,2003). Another topic I studied was transference between staff and patients. Transference is a situation in which feelings, desires, and expectations are redirected or applied to another person. This was something to consider especially when working with people who have been diagnosed with a personality disorder. It is something that is done unconsciously, but has an impact on the delivery of care. Transference is something that must be managed effectively by maintaining and paying attention to boundaries. Recognizing the possibility of transference, countertransference along with repetitive patterns of behavior is vital to ensure that nurses can effectively address any emerging situation by responding thoughtfully and appropriately. the last topic is staff burnout. Burke (1981) states that “Under stressful working conditions, professionals who use.
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