1

Personal and ProfessionalQualities of a

Health Care Worker

2

Personal Appearance

• Appearance communicates level of confidence and positive self-esteem

• First impressions are based on appearances and form quickly

• Rules about appearance may vary

• Certain professional standards apply to most health careers

3

Good Health

• Health care involves promoting health and preventing disease

• Health care workers serve as role models

• Diet• Exercise• Good posture• Avoid use of tobacco and

drugs

4

Uniform Considerations

• Required in some health occupations

• Neat, well-fitting, clean, and wrinkle-free

• Choose undergarments that will not show

• Avoid extreme styles• Follow standards

established by place of employment

5

Other Considerations

• Name badge

• Shoes

• Personal hygiene

• Nails

• Hair

• Jewelry

• Makeup and tattoos

6

Personal Characteristics

• Certain personal and professional characteristics and attitudes apply to all health occupations

• You should make every effort to develop these characteristics and attitudes and incorporate them into your personality

7

On a separate sheet of paper, list

5 desirable characteristics of a healthcare professional,

and describe how you either demonstrate or lack

each of these characteristics.

8

Desirable Characteristics

• Empathy• Honesty• Dependability• Willingness to learn• Patience• Acceptance of

criticism• Enthusiasm

(continues)

9

Desirable Characteristics(continued)

• Self-motivation or self-initiative

• Tact

• Competence

• Responsibility

• Discretion

• Team player

10

Effective Communications

• Health care workers must be able to relate to patients, family, coworkers, and others

• Understanding communication skills assists in this process

• Communication: exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings

(continues)

11

Effective Communications(continued)

• Verbal: spoken words

• Written

• Nonverbal: facial expressions, body language, and touch

(continues)

12

Effective Communications(continued)

• Message must be clear

• How sender delivers message

• How receiver hears message

• How receiver understands message

13

Listening

• Essential to communications

• Attempt to hear what other is really saying

• Good listening skills techniques

• Observe speaker closely• Reflect statements back

to speaker

14

List

5 types

Of

Nonverbal

Communication

15

Nonverbal Communication

• Facial expressions

• body language

• Gestures

• eye contact

• touch

16

Nonverbal Communication

• Can conflict with verbal message

• Be aware of own and other’s nonverbals

• Don’t always need verbals to communicate effectively

• When verbal and nonverbal agree, message more likely understood

17

Barriers to Communication

• Something that gets in the way or limitsclear communications

• Common barriers– Physical disabilities– Psychological attitudes and prejudice– Cultural diversity

18

Recording and Reporting

• Observe and record observations

• Use all senses in the process

• Report promptly and accurately

• Criteria for recording observations on a patient’s health care record

• HIPAA regulations

19

Summary • Good communication skills allow

development of good interpersonal relationships

• Health care worker also relates more effectively with coworkers and other individuals

20

Teamwork

• In any health care career, you will be part of an interdisciplinary health care team

• Teamwork consists of many professionals, with different levels of education, ideas, backgrounds, and interests, working together for the good of the patient

21

Teamwork Concepts

• Teamwork improves communication and continuity of care

• Every person on the team must understand the role of each team member

• A leader is an important part of any team

• Good interpersonal relationships essential

22

Good InterpersonalRelationship Guidelines

• Poor relationships interfere with quality of care, goals, and work satisfaction

• Respect differences due to cultural and ethnic backgrounds, gender, age, socioeconomic status, lifestyle preference, beliefs, and levels of education

• Show sensitivity to the hopes, feelings, and needs of team members (continues)

23

Good Interpersonal Relationship Guidelines

(continued)

• Golden Rule: treat others as you would want to be treated

• Have a positive attitude• Be willing to laugh at

yourself• Be friendly and cooperative• Assist others• Listen carefully (continues)

24

• Respect the opinion of others• Be open-minded and willing to

compromise• Don’t criticize others• Practice good communication

skills• Support and encourage team

members• Perform your duties to the best

of your ability

Good Interpersonal Relationship Guidelines

25

Conflict Resolution

• Deal with conflict in a positive way

• Meet with people involved to discuss it

• Listen to each other’s point of view

• Avoid accusations and hostility

• Solve problems cooperatively

26

Conflict Resolution

• Sometimes a mediator may be needed

• Grievance policies define official process

• To meet team goals, conflict must be resolved as quickly as possible

27

Summary

• Effective teams are the result of hard work, patience, commitment, and practice

• When each individual participates fully in the team and makes every effort to contribute, the team achieves success

28

Professional Leadership

• Purpose: encourage people to work together and do their best to achieve common goals

• Definition of a leader – someone who is in charge or command of others, who guides others

• Characteristics of a leader

____________________

____________________

____________________

29

Types of Leaders

• Democratic – encourages the participation of all individuals in decisions that have to be made. Listens to the opinion of others

• Laissez-faire – more of an informal leader. Believes in non-interference. Strives for minimal rules or regulations.

• Autocratic – often called a “dictator”. Maintains total control, makes all the rules, and has difficulty sharing duties or responsibilities

30

Summary

• All types of leadership have advantages and disadvantages

• In some rare situations, an autocratic leader may be beneficial

• Democratic leader usually presented as most effective for group interactions

• Respecting the rights and opinions of others is an important guide for a leader

31

Stress

• Stress – defined as the body’s reaction to any stimulus that requires a person to adjust to a changing environment. Change always initiates stress.

• What causes stress – can be situations, events, concepts, and can be caused by either internal or external forces.

• Sympathetic nervous system response

• Parasympathetic nervous system recovery

• Are there benefits to stress?

32

Stress

Managing stress reactions– Stop – immediately stop what you are

doing– Breathe – take a slow deep breath to

relieve the tension– Reflect – think about the problem at hand

and the cause of your stress– Choose – determine how you want to deal

with the stress

33

Stress-Reducing Techniques

• Live a healthy life

• Take breaks

• Relax with a warm bath

• Listen to quiet, soothing music

• Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and relax each muscle group

• Seek support from others

34

Stress-Reducing Techniques

• Meditate• Use imagery• Enjoy yourself• Renew yourself• Think positively• Develop outside interests• Seek assistance or delegate tasks• Avoid too many commitments

35

Summary

• Stress is constant and cannot be avoided

• Be aware of causes• Learn how to respond• Solve problems

effectively• Practice techniques to

reduce• Be mindful of patient’s

stress• Patients can use same

coping techniques

36

4:7 Time Management

• Definition

• Helps prevent or reduce stress

• First step is to keep an activity record

• Start to organize time based on information collected in activity record

37

Setting Goals

• Why set goals?

• Short- and long-term goals

• Completion of goals results in satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, and motivation to attempt other goals

(continues)

38

Setting Goals(continued)

• Take the opportunity when starting high school to set short-term goals for researching careers in health care

• Talk with a guidance or career counselor

• Make sure you are taking the courses that are needed

• Establish your own goals

39

Set Effective Goals

• State in positive manner

• Define clearly and precisely

• Prioritize multiple goals

• Write goals down

• Make sure at right level—should present challenge, but not be impossible to complete

40

After Setting Goals

• Focus on how to accomplish goals

• Review necessary skills

• What information do you need to gather?

• What resources will be needed?

• Identify potential problems

• Prioritize goals

• Organize steps

41

Evaluating Goal Success

• If goal is achieved, enjoy sense of accomplishment and satisfaction

• If goal is not achieved, evaluate why failed– Was it realistic?– Did you lack needed skills/knowledge?– Is there another way to achieve the goal?– Remember, failure can be a positive learning

experience

42

Use Time Management to Meet Goals

• Analyze and prioritize

• Identify habits and preferences

• Schedule tasks

• Make a daily “to do” list

• Plan your work

• Avoid distractions

• Take credit for a job well done

43

Summary

• Time management provides for an organized and efficient use of time

• Won’t always succeed when unexpected events occur

• If fail, reevaluate goals and revise the plan

• Patience, practice, and an honest effort are the best guides to a healthier, more content life