Effective Personal and Professional Characteristics for Health Care Workers

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12. Personal Qualities of a Health Care Worker Unit 3

13. Personal and Professional Characteristics • Certain personal attitudes, values, and rules of appearance apply to all health care professions. • It is an appearance that inspires confidence and a positive self-image.

14. Personal and Professional Characteristics • Research shows that within twenty seconds to 4 minutes people form an impression about a person based on their appearance.

15. 5 Factors That Contribute to Good Health • Health care professionals promote health and disease prevention. A health care worker should present a healthy appearance. • Diet • Rest • Exercise • Good Posture • Avoid tobacco, alcohol, and drugs

16. Personal Appearance • In health care it is importance to have a clean, neat and professional appearance. • Know what rules are established at your place of employment.

17. Professional Appearance • Uniforms • Clothing • Name Badge • Shoes • Personal hygiene • Nails • Hair • Jewelry • Make up

18. Personal Characteristics • Many personal/professional characteristics and attitudes are required in health occupations. Make every effort to develop the following characteristics and incorporate them into your personality. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFLp34Pcmew

19. Personal Characteristics • Empathy – being able to understand another persons feelings, situation, and motives • Honesty – truthfulness and integrity are important in any career • Dependability – employers and patients rely on you, so you must accept responsibility by being prompt to work and doing your job accurately and timely

20. Personal Characteristics • Willingness to learn – the field of health care changes because of research, new technological advances, and inventions. Change often requires learning new techniques or procedures. As a health care provider you need to keep current on these changes.

21. Personal Characteristics • Patience – tolerant and understanding • Acceptance of Criticism – criticism can be constructive and allow you to improve your work • Enthusiasm – enjoy your work and display a positive attitude • Self-motivated – ability to begin and follow through on a task. Set goals and work to attain them

22. Personal Characteristics • Tact – the ability to do and say the kindest and most fitting thing in a difficult situation. • Competence – you are qualified and capable to perform a task. • Responsibility – willing to be held accountable for your actions. • Discretion – use good judgment in what you say or do. Confidentiality is important. • Team Player – learn to work well with others. Working together can accomplish a goal much faster than individually.

23. Teamwork • Teamwork consists of many professionals, with different levels of educations, ideas, backgrounds, and interests, working together for the benefit of the patient. • Teamwork improves communication and continuity of care. • A leader is an important part of every team. • Good interpersonal relationships are essential. • The “Golden Rule” (treat others as you would want to be treated) should be the main rule of team work.

24. Professional Leadership • Leadership is the skill or ability to encourage people to work together and do their best to achieve common goals. • A leader is defined as an individual who leads or guides others, or who is in charge to command others. • In a group, every member who makes a contribution to an idea can be considered a leader. Leadership in a group passes from person to person as each individual contributes to the group’s goal.

25. Professional Leadership • Leaders are frequently classified as one of three types based on how they perform their leadership skills. • Democratic leader – encourages the participation of all individuals in decisions. Listens to others opinions. • Laissez-faire leader – informal type of leader, will have minimal rules, group functions with little or no direction. • Autocratic – often called a dictator, maintains total rule, makes all decisions.

26. Stress • Stress is the body’s reaction to any stimulus that requires a person to adjust to a changing environment. Change always initiates stress. • The stimuli (an event) to change, alter behavior, or adapt to a situation are stressors.

27. Stress • Stressors can be caused by internal or external forces. • Internal stress – “heart attack,” cancer • External stress – new job, marriage, divorce, etc. No matter what the cause, a stressor will cause the body to go into alarm or warning mode…..the “fight or flight” response. The sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for action by releasing the hormone adrenaline into the blood stream.

28. Stress • Not all stress is harmful. A small amount of stress is essential to an individual’s well-being because it makes the person more alert and raises the energy level. • Stress can cause positive feelings such as excitement, anticipation, self-confidence, and a sense of achievement.

29. Stress • Stop: immediately stop what you are doing to break out of the stress response. • Breathe: take a slow deep breath to relieve the physical tension. • Reflect: think about the problem and the cause of the stress. • Choose: determine how you want to deal with the stress. (What do these steps remind you of?)

30. Time Management • Time management is a system of practical skills that allows an individual to use time in the most effective and productive way possible • Helps prevent or reduce stress • First step is to keep an activity record • Start to organize time based on information collected in activity record

31. Goal Setting • Why set goals? • Short- and long-term goals • Completion of goals results in satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, and motivation to attempt other goals

32. 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

33. 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

34. 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