A growing body of evidence attests to the positive relationship between assertiveness and patient safety. According to this literature, patients who assume and control their own health risk and experience improved self-care. This study reports the development and testing of an assertiveness communication therapy programme specifically designed to improve the ability of patients to communicate safety during clinical practice. The test was developed by a team of therapists and healthcare practitioners with a background in medical, nursing, and social services. This research was motivated by the need for safe patient-centered care. This article will provide details on the specific assessment instruments used.
For this report, we conducted a systematic review of the published literature. We searched the databases for studies that focused on the relationships of assertiveness and health professional students. The selected studies were individually reviewed and rated for systematic validity. We performed a mixed-type meta-analysis to determine the association between assertiveness and health professional students. The identified five studies that met our criteria yielded consistent and significant association between assertiveness and decreased rates of errors and injury in patients with diabetes, stroke, obesity, heart disease, and pulmonary disease.
The main outcome measurement in the meta-analysis was the rate of error or injury occurring in treatment. We hypothesized that the association between assertiveness and health professionals' work performance would be moderated by characteristics of the intervention. Consistent with previous research, we expected that patients who underwent interventions with high levels of assertiveness would have lower rates of errors and injuries. Furthermore, we expected that the interventions with the highest levels of assertiveness would lead to the lowest rates of errors and injuries. In addition, we predicted that the intervention with the lowest levels of assertiveness would lead to the highest rate of injuries and errors.
Using a within-out contingency analysis, we examined how assertiveness and perceptions of others influenced treatment and healing. Consistent with previous research, we predicted that clients who behaved assertively in the face of adversity would receive more care and faster recovery than their counterparts who took a passive attitude. Moreover, we expected that those who behaved assertively would have greater confidence in their health practitioners and in their own abilities. This increased confidence would, in turn, lead to improved self-image and improved interpersonal relationships. Our outcomes were consistent with previous research indicating that assertiveness was positively related to perceived control and power in interpersonal relationships.
One important outcome was that those who participated in assertiveness training showed greater feelings of control over their emotions and their ability to modify their emotional responses. Thus, they were not as likely to perceive their angry, hostile or fearful feelings as being uncontrollable. Interestingly, participants also showed greater feelings of control over their anger and aggressive behavior. This finding is contrary to previous studies that showed that individuals with low levels of assertiveness had greater degrees of anger and aggression.
The results were also consistent with prior research which indicated that people who are able to demonstrate assertive behaviour will be more likely to develop healthy relationships. Individuals who are successful at controlling their emotions are happier and healthier. Those who are unable to manage their feelings are generally dissatisfied with their relationships and have low self-esteem.
Although there is a relationship between assertiveness and self-esteem, the findings suggest that the link between the two may actually be inverse. Individuals who are highly assertive may also experience high levels of self-confidence. That said, if you feel you are lacking in assertiveness, it may be best to seek help to increase your self-confidence instead of waiting for your emotions to get the better of you. This may involve undertaking an assertiveness course or taking an assertiveness workshop.
There are many other possible outcomes from a concerted campaign to enhance assertiveness. These include better sleep, better relationships with friends and family, reduction of stress, improved confidence and improved productivity. It is clear that learning to express and control your feelings can have a significant positive impact on your performance and attitude. Taking the appropriate steps to improve your interactions with others, including how you react to difficult situations, can go a long way towards reducing negative feelings and therefore reducing the likelihood of aggressive behaviours.