Work effectively within the health care system (Audiometry)

Contents

Introduction 2

Demonstrate respect for workers from different sectors and levels of the industry 2

Valuing cultural differences and diversity 4

Work with awareness of the roles of various organisations in the health care system in Australia 6

Maintain awareness of current issues influencing health care, including health issues for Indigenous Australians 6

Summary 8

Feedback to Activities 8

Some useful websites
Indigenous Australian health:
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/
www.aboriginal.health.wa.gov.au/healthinfo/index.cfm
The Medical Journal of Australia: www.mja.com.au/
NSW Health: www.health.nsw.gov.au/
Australia's national agency for health and welfare statistics: www.aihw.gov.au/
The Australian Health Care System: An Outline – Index:
www.healthconnect.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/healthsystem-overview-contents
Deafness Forum: www.deafnessforum.org.au/
Indigenous Australians (some websites): www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_overviews/overview.pdf
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_keyfacts/keyfacts_plain_lang_summary.htm
www.aboriginal.health.wa.gov.au/healthinfo/index.cfm

Introduction

/ What do you think it means to be an effective worker in your workplace and in the health care system in general? Make a list.

You probably have thought of a whole range of things that make a person an effective worker. Some of the things on your list would fall under the categories of skills, training, qualifications, personal attributes and attitudes.

In this topic, we will focus on some of these things that help make us effective workers in health services.

Our focus will be on:

·  demonstrating respect for workers from different sectors and levels of the industry

·  valuing cultural differences and diversity

·  working with awareness of the roles of various organisations in the health care system in Australia

·  maintaining awareness of current issues influencing health care, including health issues for Indigenous Australians.

Demonstrate respect for workers from different sectors and levels of the industry

Developing a sense of belonging is one of the main aims that workers in health care, including workers in the hearing services organisations, need to attain for clients, and staff. Without this sense of belonging, it is difficult for individuals to feel respected and valued.

When a person feels as though they belong to a group or team, it is then that they feel valued and are able to form trusting working relationships to cooperate with the completion of duties and collaborate in the development of the team.

Effective communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, affect an individual’s ability to develop a sense of belonging to a group. Therefore, to develop good work relations within health services organisations it is essential that our communication skills convey respect, understanding and a value for individual differences and diversity. Knowledge of each individual team member’s role and responsibilities, expertise and skills support the development of respectful and cooperative workplace relations.

Respecting the individual differences of workers

In the health care system, the people you work with will be diverse in many ways. Individual differences, the uniqueness of each individual client, staff and management member will influence the organisation that you work in daily.

To develop respectful workplace relations, we need to develop understandings about individual people through the use of effective communication skills. Through communicating with others, we are able to learn about each individual staff member’s knowledge, skills, feelings, needs and interests. We are developing respect for their individuality and their differences. We are also sharing information that helps us establish and maintain good working relationships that are respectful and equitable.

/ Consider your individual strengths and interests and then think about these questions: What aspects of your individuality would you like recognised in the workplace? By having these differences acknowledged, do you feel respected and valued?

We all are individuals and there will be a lot about us that is different from those we work with. There will also be a lot about us that we share with your colleagues.

The individual differences, interests and skills of staff members need to be shared, supported and respected. The value of their personal differences needs to be acknowledged and implemented into the development of the service. Staff members need to feel that they belong. They support each other by listening and responding appropriately to the information they share about themselves.

Good workplace relations also require all staff members to work effectively (to ‘pull their weight’) as there are tasks for each team member to complete each day. Job specifications are generalised statements that do not take into account individual differences. Therefore, in developing respectful workplace relations, all team members need to work effectively in the completion of their duties, while making allowances for individual differences. Individual differences may relate to the feelings of a staff member on a particular day (eg, feeling tired or upset) or it may be an individual difference (eg, their religion or beliefs) that influences their practice every day.

Valuing cultural differences and diversity

Your work with others needs to reflect understanding and application of the value of cultural differences and diversity. You need to communicate in ways that are appropriate to the age, cultural and linguistic background of individuals and groups. You need to understand how communicating appropriately requires us to recognise, research and meet individual communication differences in our daily interactions within community services organisations. By doing this, workers convey respect for and value of the individual, their culture and diversity.

For our work with others to reflect understanding and application of the value of cultural differences, we need to:

·  use effective communication skills to share and gather information

·  listen and respond appropriately to communications with others.

Staff who are able to relate well to one another are also able to develop an appreciation of one another’s differences and diversity. An appreciation or sensitivity to the individuality of others allows us to develop knowledge and understandings of another’s cultural differences and diversity. Within a work team that facilitates an atmosphere of trust, individuals will be encouraged to share knowledge and their experiences with other team members. Staff members need to value the different background, attitudes and beliefs of their colleagues.

Workplaces in the heath services sector are composed of people who are diverse in many ways. Diversity is represented in areas such as:

·  age

·  gender

·  sexual identity

·  level of formal education

·  abilities

·  lifestyles

·  socio-economic status

·  family structure

·  personal beliefs and values

·  religion

·  political affiliation.

We need to embrace this diversity—and see it as providing us with learning opportunities. We need to build respectful and positive working relations among all stakeholders involved in an organisation (eg, management, clients, staff and community members).

/ Consider the scenario below.
As an audiometrist you might sometimes encounter situations where you are required to communicate through a male family member rather than directly with the client who is a woman.

There would be reasons for this, with reasons that may be related to education and culture. It could be that it is the man who is better educated than the woman and speaks English more fluently. It may also be related to culture. Among some cultures, it is expected that the male makes decisions. Not everyone in these cultures, of course, will follow this ‘norm’.

If the male is seen as the decision- maker, we need to respect this viewpoint even if we disagree with it at a personal level. Our concern should be to achieve the best hearing outcomes possible for your client by communicating in the way she and the culture she comes from is comfortable with.

/ Activity 1

Think of a culture (or community) you’re familiar with. This could be a culture in your workplace or local area. This group must be different to your own. Are there certain aspects of body language that can be misinterpreted by people outside of that culture? What are they?

Feedback is provided at the end of this topic.

Observe

Being aware of differences by observing the actions and reactions of others to our attempts to communicate with them both verbally and non-verbally is essential. Researching different languages and cultural practices as well as asking for information about what is appropriate and what is not is a valuable method of ensuring that we are able to communicate with all people in a respectful, welcoming and accepting manner.

Always remember that you are part of a team: a team that has varying levels of responsibility, knowledge, skills and experience. Use communication and professional development opportunities, such as staff meetings and interactions with your team and supervisor, to share and develop your ideas, suggestions and concerns. The development of effective communication skills that are appropriate to the age, culture and linguistic background of individuals requires everyone to participate in learning.

Work with awareness of the roles of various organisations in the health care system in Australia

/ For detailed information on the roles of the various organisations involved in the health care system in Australia, click on the following:
The Australian Health Care System: An Outline – Index:
www.healthconnect.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/healthsystem-overview-contents
This document describes how treatment of illness and injury is delivered and paid for in Australia, with emphasis on the funding role of the Federal Government.

To access a wide range of Australian organisations who can provide information and assistance to clients with hearing loss access problems. tinnitus, vertigo and many other related conditions go to the links section of the Deafness Forum website, www.deafnessforum.org.au/

Maintain awareness of current issues influencing health care, including health issues for Indigenous Australians

/ Research health issues for Indigenous Australians on the Internet.
Below are a few websites to get started with:
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_overviews/overview.pdf
www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/html/html_keyfacts/keyfacts_plain_lang_summary.htm
www.aboriginal.health.wa.gov.au/healthinfo/index.cfm
/ Activity 2

When you have done some research into the health issues affecting Indigenous Australians, answer the questions below.

1 What is the most common illness or health condition affecting Indigenous Australian children?

2 Why is it important to screen Aboriginal children under five years of age?

3  What are some conditions (risk factors) that have put Aboriginal children at higher risk of otitis media (compared to the general Australian population)?

Feedback is provided at the end of this topic.

/ Reflect on the following scenario:
You have tested a group of Indigenous children aged between five and 10 years of age in a remote community. Seventy percent of the children tested have some degree of conductive hearing loss. Many of them have abnormal tympanograms and/or tympanic membranes of abnormal appearance.
What are your thoughts about a long-term approach to treating hearing loss in Indigenous communities?
Remember that this is a complex issue and while you may not have immediate answers, it is important for us as health care professionals to be informed, to contribute positively to the dialogue and to provide services as best we can.
Otitis media and conductive hearing loss affect every aspect of the development and education, both traditional and formal, of Aboriginal children.
Otitis media cannot be treated in isolation from the unique conditions that prevail in Indigenous communities. Only by coordinated efforts from the parents, community leaders, and the authorities responsible for provision of housing, and services such as water supply sanitation and rubbish disposal, and by sharing information with professionals in areas such as health, welfare, and education can an impact be made on the prevalence of this disease.

Summary

Although we did not cover every aspect of what it means to be an effective worker but this topic, what we covered will help us to develop our awareness and help us to continuously strive towards greater heights. This topic has also given us a starting point at which to start thinking about current issues affecting health in Indigenous communities.

Feedback to Activities

Activity 1 feedback

Example of how certain body language can be misinterpreted:

You may have come across people who do not make much eye contact during conversation. Remember that this is not a sign of disrespect or insecurity on their part. It may be because making eye contact is considered disrespectful in their culture. However, remember that there are many people from the same cultural groups who will make eye contact during conversation from the very first meeting. In other words, it is important to remember that there is a lot of diversity within each culture—and generalising or stereotyping may be dangerous. By generalising or stereotyping, we are not seeing the individual for who they are as an individual. Stereotypes and generalisations provide us with a simple way of looking at people, when individuals are complex and unique.

Activity 2 feedback

1 Otitis media

2 Otitis media and conductive hearing loss are prevalent in Aboriginal communities and if babies and young children are not screened and treated early, they run the risk of developing chronic problems.

3 Some risk factors associated with otitis media are:

·  poor nutrition

·  inadequate housing and sewerage and waste disposal

·  lack of clean water

·  upper respiratory tract infections

·  lack of easy access to health services.

Work effectively within the health care system (Audiometry) XXX

© NSW DET 2007