Personal and Professional Qualities of the Health Care Worker

Good Health O Five factors O Diet O Rest O Exercise O Good posture O Avoid tobacco, drugs, and alcohol

Appearance O What do we need? O Uniform O Clothing O Name badge O Shoes O Hygiene O Nails/Hair O Jewelry O Make-up

Uniform ― Required in some occupations ― Needs to be neat and clean ― Neutral undergarments ― Follow established guidelines from place of employment for type and/or color required.

Clothing  Worn in place of uniform (offices)  Must be clean, neat, and in good repair  Allow for freedom of movement  Appropriate for position  Washable fabrics

Shoes O White shoes worn frequently (for testing purposes – yes; but not really) O Fit well and provide support O Clean daily O Low heels best to prevent fatigue

Nails ~ Keep short and clean ~ Can cause injury to patient ~ May tear or puncture gloves ~ Germs collect under nails ~ Avoid dark colored polish ~ Use hand lotion/ cream to prevent dryness and cracking of skin

O Name Badge O All employees must wear – most with photo ID O States name, title, and department O Make – Up O Avoid excessive use O Should create a natural appearance

Hair  Clean and neat  Avoid fancy or extreme hair pieces  Pinned back and kept off collar

Jewelry  Usually not permitted with uniform  Can cause injury or transmit germs  Avoid dangling or hoop earrings  Body jewelry not allowed in many health care facilities  Exceptions include watch, wedding rings, and small pierced earrings

Personal Hygiene O Workers in close contact with others O Control body odor O Avoid strong odors: can be offensive

Characteristics

Personal Characteristics O All need to be learned and practiced O Need to be aware of characteristics O Will help to provide good patient care O Will make you a valuable asset to employer

Empathy O Able to identify with and understands another person’s feelings, situation, and/ or motives O Caring about others O Sincere interest in working with others O Understanding needs O Learning and being able to commuicate

Honesty O Truthfulness and integrity O Others able to rely on you O Willing to admit mistakes so they can be corrected

Dependability  Accept responsibility  Prompt in reporting to work  Maintain good attendance  Perform assigned tasks on time and accurately

Willingness to Learn  Willing to learn and adapt to changes  Be prepared for lifelong learning  Changes occur related to research, new technology/ procedures, and/or new inventions  May need new/ additional education

Patience  Tolerant and understanding  Learn to control temper  Deal with frustration and overcome obstacles

Acceptance of Criticism o Willing to accept criticism and learn from it o Employer, co-workers, and/or patients will criticize you o Criticism can be good and allow you to improve; everyone has an area where performance can be improved

Enthusiasm O Enjoy your work and display a positive attitude O Is contagious O Concentrate on positive and negative will not seem so important O Soft Skills--Enthusiasm And Attitude - YouTube Soft Skills--Enthusiasm And Attitude - YouTube

Self-Motivation - To begin or follow through with a task - Can determine what needs to be done and does it - Set goals and work to reach them

Tact O Able to say or do the kindest thing in a difficult situation O Shows consideration of the feelings of others O Everyone has the right to their own opinion/ feelings; these should not be judged as right or wrong O Requires constant practice

Competence  Qualified and capable of performing a task  Follow instructions  Use approved procedures  Know your limits and ask for help when needed

Responsibility  Willing to be held accountable for your actions  Others can rely on you  Do what you are supposed to do  Soft Skills--Professionalism - YouTube Soft Skills--Professionalism - YouTube

Discretion * Using good judgment in what you say and do * Being discreet to keep patients’ rights confidential * Have access to private information; can not discuss without patient consent

Team Player O Learn to work well with others O Each team member will have different responsibilities and each must complete their individual job to achieve maximum care for patient O A team can accomplish goals faster than an individual O Soft Skills--Teamwork - YouTube Soft Skills--Teamwork - YouTube

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Effective Communication O Soft Skills--Communication – YouTube Soft Skills--Communication – YouTube O Good and effective communication skills allows development of relationships O Patients feel accepted O Free to express fears and ideas O Develop confidence in provider(s) O Feel they receive quality care

Who, What, and How?  Patients, family, co-workers, and other health care professionals  Exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings  Verbal and Non-verbal

Essential Parts Sender: creates message to convey information or idea to another person Message: information, idea, or thought Receiver: receives message from sender

An optional 4 th part is feedback Can be used to determine if communication is effective Occurs when receiver responds to message **** Can be verbal or non-verbal****