Personal Qualities of a Health Care Worker
Chapter 3
Intro to HST
Personal Appearance - Unit 1
Confidence & positive self image
Rules vary
Certain standards apply to most health careers
Includes good health and professional appearance
Good Health
Involves health promotion and disease prevention
Includes
Diet
Rest
Exercise
Good Posture
Avoid drugs & alcohol
Diet
Well-balanced meals with nutritional foods
5 major food groups
Milk
Meat (fish, poultry)
Fruits
Vegetables
Bread (grains)
Exercise
Maintains circulation and improves muscle tone
Helps mental attitude
Contributes to more restful sleep
Exercise daily
Many forms
Rest
Provides energy and ability to deal with stress
Amount required varies
Lack of sleep:
Impaired memory and thought processes
Depression
Decreased immune response
Good Posture
Prevents fatigue
Less stress on muscles
Avoid Drugs & Alcohol
Tobacco use affects heart, circulatory system, lungs, & digestive system
Smoke is offensive to many individuals
“Smoke-free” facilities
Alcohol interferes with mental function and ability to make decisions
Affects many body systems
Can result in loss of job
Professional Appearance
Rules/standards of dress/appearance established by place of employment; vary from place to place
In all cases maintain a neat, clean, and professional appearance
Uniform
Neat, well-fitting, clean, free of wrinkles
White or neutral undergarments
Variety of styles (avoid extreme)
Find out what type and color uniform required by employer
Regular Clothing
Worn in place of uniform in some careers
Must be clean, neat, in good condition
Be appropriate for position
Allow for freedom of body movement
Washable
Name Badge
Most facilities require picture identification
Name, title, and department
Required by law
(only in some facilities)
Shoes
White (most common)
Fit well and provide good support
Low heels
Avoid sandals/open-toe shoes
Clean daily, replace shoe laces often
White hose or socks – avoid prints
Personal Hygiene
Health care workers have close contact with others
Control body odor
Avoid strong odors that can be offensive
Nails
Keep short & clean
Avoid colored polish
Use lotion to prevent chapping and dryness of hands
Hair
Clean & neat
Styled attractively and easy to care for
No extreme styles
Pull back and keep off collar
Makeup
Avoid excessive makeup
Should create a natural appearance
Jewelry
Usually not permitted with uniform
Can cause injury and transmit germs
Wear only watch, wedding ring, & small pierced earrings
No body jewelry
Personal Characteristics – Unit 2
Certain characteristics and attitudes apply to all health occupations
Make effort to develop these characteristics and attitudes
Empathy Able to identify with and understand another
person’s feelings, situations, and motives
Honesty Truthfulness & integrity
Admit mistakes
Dependability Accept responsibility
Report to work promptly, good attendance
Perform tasks on time and accurately
Willingness to learn
New techniques and procedures
Additional education as needed
Patience
Tolerant and understanding
Control temper
Deal with frustration and overcome obstacles
Acceptance of criticism
Accept and learn from criticism
Some criticism is good and allows you to improve your work
Enthusiasm
Enjoy work and display a positive attitude
Concentrate on positive points
Contagious
Self-motivation
Ability to begin or follow through with a task
Determine what needs to be done and do it, set goals
Tact
Ability to say or do the kindest or most fitting thing in a difficult situation
Competence
Qualified and capable of performing a task
Know limits and ask for help as needed
Responsibility
Willing to be held accountable for your actions
Others can rely on you
Discretion Use good judgment in what you say and
do
Confidentiality & patient rights
Team Player Learn to work well with others
Each member has different responsibilities but a common goal
Accomplish goals faster
Effective Communications – Unit 3
Must be able to relate to patients, family, co-workers, and other professionals
Communication
Exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings
Verbal
Non-verbal
Parts of communication
Message
Sender
Receiver
Feedback
Allows person to
know if communication
is successful
Elements of effective communication
Message must be clear
Terminology
Deliver message in a clear and concise manner
Correct pronunciation, good grammar
Avoid slang
Avoid meaningless terms
Tone, pitch, speed
Written communication
Receiver must be able to hear and receive message
Receiver must be able to understand message
Avoid unfamiliar terminology
Attitudes and prejudices can interfere (patient and health care workers)
Avoid interruptions or distractions
Listening
Pay attention and make an effort to hear what the person is saying
Avoid interrupting
Avoid thinking about how you are going to respond while the person is still speaking
Eliminate prejudices and distractions
Observe speaker
Respond and ask questions to clarify
Non-verbal communication
Facial expressions, body language, gestures, eye contact, touch
Observe patient for contradicting messages
Health care worker must be aware of own communication behavior
Verbal + Non-verbal agree = better understanding of message
Barriers to Communication
Anything that gets in the way of clear communication
3 common barriers
Physical disabilities
Psychological attitudes & prejudice
Cultural diversity
Physical disabilities Deafness or hearing loss
Blindness or impaired vision
Aphasia or speech impairments
Psychological barriers Prejudice
Attitudes
Stereotypes
Health care workers must show respect to all individuals
Cultural diversity
Beliefs and practices regarding health and illness
Language differences
Eye contact
Touch
Respect and acceptance of other cultures are important for all health care workers
Recording and reporting
Use all senses
Sight, smell, touch, hearing
Report observations promptly
Subjective vs. objective
Maintain patient record
Must be accurate, concise, complete, neat, correct spelling and grammar
Errors
Teamwork – Unit 4
Goal: to provide quality holistic health care to all patients
Many professionals with many levels of education and backgrounds
Each member has an important role
Improves communication and continuity of care
Must understand the role of each team member
Team leader
Organize and coordinate activities
Encourages & motivates
Monitors progress and assists with problems
Provides feedback
Interpersonal relationships are very important
Remember the “golden rule”
Maintain positive attitude and be friendly
Assist, listen to, and respect others
Be open-minded and willing to compromise
Deal with conflict in a positive way
Legal responsibilities
Limitations and boundaries
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