Personal Qualities of a Health Care Worker

Chapter 3

Intro to HST

Personal Appearance - Unit 1

Confidence & positive self image

Rules vary

Certain standards apply to most health careers

Includes good health and professional appearance

Good Health

Involves health promotion and disease prevention

Includes

Diet

Rest

Exercise

Good Posture

Avoid drugs & alcohol

Diet

Well-balanced meals with nutritional foods

5 major food groups

Milk

Meat (fish, poultry)

Fruits

Vegetables

Bread (grains)

Exercise

Maintains circulation and improves muscle tone

Helps mental attitude

Contributes to more restful sleep

Exercise daily

Many forms

Rest

Provides energy and ability to deal with stress

Amount required varies

Lack of sleep:

Impaired memory and thought processes

Depression

Decreased immune response

Good Posture

Prevents fatigue

Less stress on muscles

Avoid Drugs & Alcohol

Tobacco use affects heart, circulatory system, lungs, & digestive system

Smoke is offensive to many individuals

“Smoke-free” facilities

Alcohol interferes with mental function and ability to make decisions

Affects many body systems

Can result in loss of job

Professional Appearance

Rules/standards of dress/appearance established by place of employment; vary from place to place

In all cases maintain a neat, clean, and professional appearance

Uniform

Neat, well-fitting, clean, free of wrinkles

White or neutral undergarments

Variety of styles (avoid extreme)

Find out what type and color uniform required by employer

Regular Clothing

Worn in place of uniform in some careers

Must be clean, neat, in good condition

Be appropriate for position

Allow for freedom of body movement

Washable

Name Badge

Most facilities require picture identification

Name, title, and department

Required by law

(only in some facilities)

Shoes

White (most common)

Fit well and provide good support

Low heels

Avoid sandals/open-toe shoes

Clean daily, replace shoe laces often

White hose or socks – avoid prints

Personal Hygiene

Health care workers have close contact with others

Control body odor

Avoid strong odors that can be offensive

Nails

Keep short & clean

Avoid colored polish

Use lotion to prevent chapping and dryness of hands

Hair

Clean & neat

Styled attractively and easy to care for

No extreme styles

Pull back and keep off collar

Makeup

Avoid excessive makeup

Should create a natural appearance

Jewelry

Usually not permitted with uniform

Can cause injury and transmit germs

Wear only watch, wedding ring, & small pierced earrings

No body jewelry

Personal Characteristics – Unit 2

Certain characteristics and attitudes apply to all health occupations

Make effort to develop these characteristics and attitudes

Empathy Able to identify with and understand another

person’s feelings, situations, and motives

Honesty Truthfulness & integrity

Admit mistakes

Dependability Accept responsibility

Report to work promptly, good attendance

Perform tasks on time and accurately

Willingness to learn

New techniques and procedures

Additional education as needed

Patience

Tolerant and understanding

Control temper

Deal with frustration and overcome obstacles

Acceptance of criticism

Accept and learn from criticism

Some criticism is good and allows you to improve your work

Enthusiasm

Enjoy work and display a positive attitude

Concentrate on positive points

Contagious

Self-motivation

Ability to begin or follow through with a task

Determine what needs to be done and do it, set goals

Tact

Ability to say or do the kindest or most fitting thing in a difficult situation

Competence

Qualified and capable of performing a task

Know limits and ask for help as needed

Responsibility

Willing to be held accountable for your actions

Others can rely on you

Discretion Use good judgment in what you say and

do

Confidentiality & patient rights

Team Player Learn to work well with others

Each member has different responsibilities but a common goal

Accomplish goals faster

Effective Communications – Unit 3

Must be able to relate to patients, family, co-workers, and other professionals

Communication

Exchange of information, thoughts, ideas, and feelings

Verbal

Non-verbal

Parts of communication

Message

Sender

Receiver

Feedback

Allows person to

know if communication

is successful

Elements of effective communication

Message must be clear

Terminology

Deliver message in a clear and concise manner

Correct pronunciation, good grammar

Avoid slang

Avoid meaningless terms

Tone, pitch, speed

Written communication

Receiver must be able to hear and receive message

Receiver must be able to understand message

Avoid unfamiliar terminology

Attitudes and prejudices can interfere (patient and health care workers)

Avoid interruptions or distractions

Listening

Pay attention and make an effort to hear what the person is saying

Avoid interrupting

Avoid thinking about how you are going to respond while the person is still speaking

Eliminate prejudices and distractions

Observe speaker

Respond and ask questions to clarify

Non-verbal communication

Facial expressions, body language, gestures, eye contact, touch

Observe patient for contradicting messages

Health care worker must be aware of own communication behavior

Verbal + Non-verbal agree = better understanding of message

Barriers to Communication

Anything that gets in the way of clear communication

3 common barriers

Physical disabilities

Psychological attitudes & prejudice

Cultural diversity

Physical disabilities Deafness or hearing loss

Blindness or impaired vision

Aphasia or speech impairments

Psychological barriers Prejudice

Attitudes

Stereotypes

Health care workers must show respect to all individuals

Cultural diversity

Beliefs and practices regarding health and illness

Language differences

Eye contact

Touch

Respect and acceptance of other cultures are important for all health care workers

Recording and reporting

Use all senses

Sight, smell, touch, hearing

Report observations promptly

Subjective vs. objective

Maintain patient record

Must be accurate, concise, complete, neat, correct spelling and grammar

Errors

Teamwork – Unit 4

Goal: to provide quality holistic health care to all patients

Many professionals with many levels of education and backgrounds

Each member has an important role

Improves communication and continuity of care

Must understand the role of each team member

Team leader

Organize and coordinate activities

Encourages & motivates

Monitors progress and assists with problems

Provides feedback

Interpersonal relationships are very important

Remember the “golden rule”

Maintain positive attitude and be friendly

Assist, listen to, and respect others

Be open-minded and willing to compromise

Deal with conflict in a positive way

Legal responsibilities

Limitations and boundaries