2.  Certain personal / 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

3. Dependability Patience Enthusiasm Responsibility Discretion Competence Self-initiative Communication skills

4.  Empathy  To be able to identify with and understand another person’s feelings, situation and motives  Must have a sincere interest in working with people  Must care about others and be able to communicate and work with them  Understanding needs and learning effective communications is one way to develop empathy

5.  Deals with personal “attitudes” Empathy

6.  Honesty  Truthfulness and integrity  Others must be able to trust you at all times  Must be willing to admit mistakes so they can be corrected

7.  Dependability  Must accept the responsibility that your position requires  Must be prompt in reporting to work and maintain good attendance record  Must perform assigned tasks on time and accurately

8.  Willingness to learn  Must be willing to learn and adapt to changes  Changes occur because of research, new inventions and many other factors  Changes can mean learning new techniques or procedures  At times, additional education may be required to remain competent

9.  Patience  Must be tolerant and understanding  Must learn to control your temper and “count to ten”  Learn to deal with frustration and overcome obstacles

10.  Acceptance of criticism  Must be willing to accept criticism and learn from it  Patients, employers, co-workers and others may criticize you  Some criticism will be constructive and allow you to improve your work

11.  Self-motivation  Ability to begin or to follow through with a task  Should be able to determine things that need to be done and do them without constant direction

12.  Competence  Qualified and capable of performing a task  Follow instructions  Use approved procedures  Strive for accuracy in all you do  Know your limits and ask for help or guidance if necessary

13.  Discretion  In any health care career you have access to confidential information  Information should not be told to anyone without proper authorization  Patient is entitled to confidential care  Be discrete and make sure patient’s rights are not violated

14.  Tact  Ability to say or do the kindest or most fitting thing in a difficult situation  All individuals have a right to their own feelings and these feelings should not be judged as right or wrong  Shows consideration of the feelings of others  Requires constant practice

15. Tact & diplomacy

16.  Responsibility  Being willing to be held accountable for your actions  Others can rely on you and know you will meet your obligations

17.  Team player  Learn to work well with others  Each member of a health care team will have different responsibilities, but each member must do his or her part to provide the patient with quality care  By working together, a team can accomplish goals much faster than an individual

18.  Be a team player  Always apply the golden rule  Display leadership 3 types of leaders 1. Democratic 2. Autocratic 3. Laissez- faire

19.  All characteristics and attitudes must be practices and learned  Some take more time to develop than others  Be aware of your characteristics and strive constantly to improve  Will help you provide good patient care  Will make you a more valuable asset to your employer and others

20.  Your “look” should inspire:  Confidence  Positive self image  Factors to consider in your appearance: Good health  Diet  Rest  Exercise  Good posture  Avoid tobacco, drugs, alcohol

21. Look “professional”  Uniform/ clothing  Name badge  Shoes  Personal hygiene  Nails  Hair  Jewelry  Makeup

25.  Prioritize  Preferences for scheduling rest, social, & exercise  Schedule tasks with daily planner  Make a daily “to do” list  Avoid distractions  Take credit for a task well done