1. CHAPTER 5 Work Ethics

2. WORK ETHICS Professionalism involves:  Following laws  Being ethical  Having good work ethics  Having the skills to do your work Work ethics deal with behavior in the workplace.  Work ethics involve:  How you look  What you say  How you behave  How you treat others  How you work with others

3. 5 LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS: KOUZES AND POSNER  Model the Way  Inspire a Shared Vision  Challenge the Process  Enable Others to Act  Encourage the Heart

4. HEALTH, HYGIENE, AND APPEARANCE Your health  You need a balanced diet.  Most adults need about 7 hours of sleep daily.  You need to use your muscles correctly.  Exercise is needed for muscle tone, circulation, and weight loss.  Have your eyes checked and wear needed eyeglasses or contact lenses.  Smoking causes lung, heart, and circulatory disorders.  Take only those drugs ordered by a doctor in the prescribed way.  Never report to work under the influence of alcohol.

5. HEALTH, HYGIENE, AND APPEARANCE (CONT’D) Personal hygiene needs careful attention.  Bathe daily.  Use a deodorant or antiperspirant to prevent body odors.  Brush your teeth often.  Use a mouthwash to prevent breath odors.  Shampoo often.  Keep fingernails clean, short, and neatly shaped.  Menstrual hygiene is important.  Foot care prevents odors and infection.

6. GETTING A JOB What employers look for  Employers want to hire people who:  Are dependable  Are well-groomed  Have needed job skills and training  Have values and attitudes that fit with the agency  Being dependable is important.  Employers need to know that you can do the required job skills.

7. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D) Job applications  How you fill out the application may mean getting or not getting the job.  Some agencies provide job applications on-line.  Follow the agency’s instructions for completing and sending an online application.  A job application is easier to complete if you have a file of your education and work history.

8. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D) The job interview  The employer’s chance to get to know and evaluate you  Your chance to find out more about the agency  Prepare for the interview.  Type a list of your skills and give the list to the interviewer.  You need to be neat, clean, and well-groomed.  Be on time.

9. Arriving for the interview  Turn off your wireless phone or pager.  Tell the receptionist your name and why you are there. Also, give the interviewer’s name.  Sit quietly in the waiting area.  Do not smoke, chew gum, or use your phone.  Review your answers to common interview questions.  Smile and be polite and friendly. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D)

10. During the interview  Politely greet the interviewer.  Stand until asked to take a seat.  When sitting, use good posture.  Have good eye contact.  Watch your body language.  Avoid distracting habits.  Focus on the interview.  Give complete and honest answers.  Speak clearly and with confidence.  Avoid short and long answers.

11. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D)  The interviewer will ask about your skills.  Share your skills list.  You can ask questions at the end of the interview.  Review the job description with the interviewer.  Ask any questions at this time.  Advise the interviewer of functions you cannot perform because of training, legal, ethical, or religious reasons.  Honesty now prevents problems later.  Ask when you can check on your application.

12. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D) After the interview, writing a thank-you letter is advised. Accepting a job  Accept the job that is right for you.  When you accept a job  Agree on a starting date, pay rate, and work hours.  Ask for the information in writing.  Find out where to report on your first day.  Ask for the employee handbook and other agency information.  Read everything before you start working.

13. GETTING A JOB (CONT’D) New employee orientation  The agency’s policy and procedure manual is reviewed.  Your skills are checked.  You are shown how to use the agency’s supplies and equipment.  Some agencies have preceptor programs.  If you do not feel comfortable after your preceptor program, ask for more orientation time.

14. PREPARING FOR WORK Keeping your job  You must:  Work when scheduled  Get to work on time  Stay the entire shift  Common reasons for losing a job  Absences and tardiness  Childcare issues  Transportation concerns

15. PREPARING FOR WORK (CONT’D)  Childcare  When you leave for work  While you are at work  Before you get home from work  During emergencies  Transportation  Always have a back-up plan for getting to work.

16. TEAMWORK Teamwork involves:  Working when scheduled  Being cheerful and friendly  Performing delegated tasks  Being available to help others Help willingly. Be kind to others.

17. ATTENDANCE Attendance  Report to work when scheduled and on time.  Call the agency if you will be late or cannot go to work.  Follow the agency’s attendance policy.  Be ready to work when your shift starts.  Attendance also means staying the entire shift.  You may need to work overtime.  When it is time to leave, report off-duty to the nurse.

18. ATTITUDE Your attitude  Show that you enjoy your work.  Listen to others.  Be willing to learn.  Stay busy and use your time well.  Always think before you speak.

19. GOSSIP Avoiding gossip  Remove yourself from a group or setting where people are gossiping.  Do not make or repeat any comment that can hurt others.  Do not make or repeat any comment that you do not know to be true.  Do not talk about patients, residents, family members, visitors, co- workers, or the agency at home or in social settings.

20. CONFIDENTIALITY Confidentiality  The person’s information is shared only among the staff involved in his or her care.  The person has the right to privacy and confidentiality.  Agency, family, and co-worker information also is confidential.  Share information only with the nurse.

21. IMPORTANT PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Hygiene and appearance  How you look affects the way people think about you and the agency. Speech and language  Your speech and language must be professional. Courtesies  Even the smallest kind act can brighten someone’s day. Personal matters  Personal matters cannot interfere with the job.  You could lose your job for tending to personal matters while at work.

22. MEALS AND BREAKS AND JOB SAFETY Meals and breaks  Meals and breaks are scheduled so that some staff are always on the unit.  Leave for and return from breaks on time.  Tell the nurse when you leave and return to the unit. Job safety  Everyone is responsible for safety.  You must protect patients, residents, families, visitors, co-workers, and yourself from harm.

23. PLANNING Plan your work to:  Use priority-setting.  Which person has the greatest or most life-threatening needs  What tasks the nurse or person needs done first  What tasks need to be done at a set time  What tasks need to be done when your shift starts; at the end of your shift  How much time it takes to complete a task  Who can help you and when  Give safe, thorough care.  Make good use of your time.

24. MANAGING STRESS Stress is normal. Stressors are pleasant or unpleasant. Stress affects the whole person.  Physically  Mentally  Socially  Spiritually

25. MANAGING STRESS (CONT’D) Dealing with stress is important. Stress affects:  You  The care you give The care you give  The person’s quality of life  How you relate to co-workers

26. HARASSMENT Harassment can:  Be sexual  Involve age, race, ethnic background, religion, or disability

27. HARASSMENT (CONT’D) Sexual harassment  Harassment is not legal in the workplace.  Sexual harassment involves unwanted sexual behaviors by another.  Victims of sexual harassment may be men or women.  Men harass women or men.  Women harass men or women.

28. RESIGNING FROM A JOB Whatever the reason, you need to tell your employer.  Give a written notice.  Write a resignation letter.  Complete a form in the human resources office. Giving 2-weeks notice is a normal practice.  Do not leave a job without notice. An exit interview is common practice.

29. LOSING A JOB AND DRUG TESTING Losing a job  To protect your job, function at your best.  Always practice good work ethics. Drug testing  Drug and alcohol use affects patient, resident, and staff safety.  Review your agency’s policy for when and how you might be tested.

30. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY Resume Creation and/or Update Bring your resume to class with you during BLOCK Day 9/20 and 9/21! Be Dressed for a mock job interview at the local rehabilitation hospital Health South East Valley.

31. GROUP PROJECT LAB ACTIVITY: PEER INTERVIEW See Handout Be prepared for a peer interview for an LNA Nights position at Health South East Valley Rehabilitation Hospital.