Socialization of Caregivers: Effects and Reform Efforts            The system of today’s health care requires caregivers to have an intensified and more dedicated principle and practice towards caring for their patients. This condition is absolutely ideal given the medical requirements and challenges of the contemporary setting. Particularly for caregivers, the concept and structure of socialization play an important function in strengthening the caregiver-patient relationship.

Additionally, the caregivers’ socialization process has long proven its value to the profession and the people concerned.            Just like any other undertaking however, the socialization process of caregivers has harmful effects on both the caregivers and patients. These negative effects occur when the care-related task takes its toll on the person supposedly responsible for providing care or affection to a patient, thereby affecting the medical as well as the personal and social aspects of a patient. While reform efforts are being done with regard to the improvement of the socialization skills of caregivers, they are not enough hence ineffective. This is primarily due to one reason. That is, unless caregivers adhere to and supports the idea of personal care; it is almost likely that they would be unable to provide quality care for others, thereby endangering the socialization process. Thus, before enhancing the socialization aspect of caregivers, reform efforts toward improving their own selves or lives must be instituted first because doing such lead to worthwhile socialization between caregivers and patients.

            According to du Pre (2004), an efficient health communication is part of the socialization process of caregivers. This is because the theory, study and application of health communication allow caregivers to successfully perform not only their medical responsibilities but also their personal relationship towards their patients. In doing so, the socialization process of caregivers is definitely enhanced, which works to the advantage of both the caregivers and patients (du Pre, 2004).            The author explained that the caregivers’ system and procedure of socialization comprise the need to promote caregiver-patient communication.

This socialization process involves several elements such as: a physician-focused kind of communication; a communication geared towards cooperation; the restructuring of the medical environment; and the nature and implementation of communication technology or what is called telemedicine (du Pre, 2004).            The socialization process is generally beneficial to the patients in terms of significant health effects as well as emotional satisfaction and mental stability. Despite these however, the method also created harmful effects first on the caregivers and eventually to the patients. The socialization process overwhelmed caregivers with out-of-the-box obligations which subjected them to physical and psychological implications. These include experiences of stress and burnout that caregivers ultimately passed on to their patients (du Pre, 2004).            The socialization process of caregivers is an influential principle and practice. This was what Miller (2003) stated when she explained that that such concept may strengthen or jeopardize the quality of relationship between caregivers and patients. Sympathy is one aspect that is affected by the socialization process.

This is because the level of the socialization process is a factor in the achievement of understanding between caregivers and patients and the eventual effectiveness of the professional care in general (Miller, 2003).            The improvement of caregivers’ skills is important in the success of socialization process. The kind of reform efforts being implemented today is one that is centered on the social abilities of caregivers and aimed at promoting beneficial behavior, intellectual success, and safety (“Social Skills,” 2002). While these undertakings are advantageous to caregivers and patients, they are not totally effective because in my opinion, they do not address or resolve the problems related to the profession. It is not enough that social skills are enhanced and implemented, but it is more essential to institute improvements that directly develop caregivers’ individual care. It is necessary for caregivers to give extra effort and special attention to their own lives. The personal health of caregivers is the best assurance that they are able to perform the socialization process and ultimately provide quality care to patients.

Referencesdu Pre, A. (2004). Communicating About Health: Current Issues and Perspectives. New             York: McGraw-Hill.Miller, J. R. (2003).

Encyclopedia of Human Ecology. California: ABC-CLIO.National Association of School Psychologists.

(2002). Social Skills: Promoting Behavior,            Academic Success, and School Safety. Retrieved June 15, 2009. from             http://www.nasponline.org/resources/factsheets/socialskills_fs.aspx.