CHAPTER 4 Personal and Professional Qualities of a

CHAPTER 4 Personal and Professional Qualities of a Health Care Worker

4: 1 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

Good Health ■ Health care involves promoting health and preventing disease ■ Health care workers serve as role models ■ Diet – – Eating well-balanced meals & nutritious foods promotes optimal health – Food Pyramid (variety – food groups) ■ Rest – See chart on next page ■ Exercise – Aerobic activity. Get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity. You also can do a combination of moderate and vigorous activity. ■ Good posture ■ Standing upright and having a strong core ■ Avoid use of tobacco and drugs

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

Regular Clothing ■ Some occupations allow use of regular clothing in lieu of uniforms ■ Must be clean, neat, and in good repair ■ Style that allows for body movements ■ Should be appropriate for position ■ Washable and less expensive to maintain

Other Considerations ■ Name badge ■ Shoes ■ Personal hygiene ■ Nails ■ Hair ■ Jewelry ■ Makeup and tattoos

Summary ■ Find out rules or standards established by the agency ■ Abide by the rules ■ Maintain a neat, clean, professional appearance at all times

4: 2 Personal Characteristics ■ 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

Desirable Characteristics ■ Empathy ■ Honesty ■ Dependability ■ Willingness to learn ■ Patience ■ Acceptance of criticism ■ Enthusiasm (continues)

Desirable Characteristics (continued) ■ Self-motivation or self-initiative ■ Tact ■ Competence ■ Responsibility ■ Discretion ■ Team player

4: 3 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)

Effective Communications (continued) ■ Verbal: spoken words ■ Written ■ Nonverbal: facial expressions, body language, and touch (continues)

Effective Communications (continued) ■ Essential elements – Sender – Message – Receiver – Feedback (continues)

Effective Communications (continued) ■ Message must be clear ■ How sender delivers message ■ How receiver hears message ■ How receiver understands message ■ Avoid interruptions and distractions ■ GAMES: – http: //www. livestrong. com/article/167054 -games-foreffective-communication/

Listening ■ Essential to communications ■ Attempt to hear what other is really saying ■ Need constant practice ■ Good listening skills techniques ■ Observe speaker closely ■ Reflect statements back to speaker

Nonverbal Communication ■ Facial expressions, body language, gestures, eye contact, and touch ■ 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

Barriers to Communication ■ Something that gets in the way or limits clear communications ■ Judgements are made – Things not always as they seem – Funny bad misunderstandings ■ https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=9 T 3 X 0 h. Rb. Tek ■ Common barriers – Physical disabilities – Psychological attitudes and prejudice – Cultural diversity

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

Summary ■ Good communication skills allow development of good interpersonal relationships ■ Health care worker also relates more effectively with coworkers and other individuals

4: 4 Teamwork ■ In any health career, you will be part of an interdisciplinary health care team ■ Team concept was created to provide quality holistic health care for every patient ■ Teamwork consists of many professionals, with different levels of education, ideas, backgrounds, and interests, working together for the good of the patient

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 ■ Legal responsibilities

Good Interpersonal Relationship 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)

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)

Good Interpersonal Relationship Guidelines (continued) ■ 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

Conflict Resolution (continues)

Conflict Resolution (continued) ■ Sometimes a mediator may be needed ■ Grievance policies define official process ■ To meet team goals, conflict must be resolved as quickly as possible

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

4: 5 Professional Leadership ■ Purpose: encourage people to work together and do their best to achieve common goals ■ Definition of a leader ■ Myths ■ Characteristics of a leader ■ Categories of leaders

Types of Leaders ■ Democratic ■ Laissez-faire ■ Autocratic

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

4: 6 Stress ■ Definition of stress ■ Stressors ■ What causes stress ■ Sympathetic nervous system response ■ Parasympathetic nervous system recovery ■ Stress is universal ■ Benefits of stress (continues)

Stress (continued) ■ Negative effects of stress ■ Learning to control stress ■ Stressors—how to problem solve ■ Managing stress reactions – Stop – Breathe – Reflect – Choose

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 (continues)

■ Stress-Reducing Techniques Meditate (continued) ■ Use imagery ■ Enjoy yourself ■ Renew yourself ■ Think positively ■ Develop outside interests ■ Seek assistance or delegate tasks ■ Avoid too many commitments

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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