Personal
Appearance
Chapter 3.1
First Impressions

Important to present an appearance that
inspires confidence & a positive self image
 Within 20 seconds to 4 minutes, first
impressions are made
 Rules for appearance vary with profession
 Professional standards apply to most health
careers & should be observed to create a
positive impression
Good Health
Involves promoting health & preventing
disease
 Should have a healthy appearance
 Diet – well balanced meals
 Rest – provides energy & ability,
amount varies from person to person
 Exercise – maintains circulation, muscle
tone, helps attitude, helps sleep

Good Health (cont)
Good posture – prevents fatigue, decreases
muscle strain. Demo standing & sitting
 Avoid tobacco & drugs – affects function of
circulatory system, heart, & digestive system.
Most facilities smoke-free
 Avoid alcohol – affects mental function &
decreases good decision-making, affects
many body systems. Can result in job loss

Uniform
May be required
 Clean, neat, well-fitting, wrinkle free
 White/neutral undergarments under
white clothing
 Avoid extreme styles
 Find out what type & color of uniform is
required, then follow standards
established by employer

Clothing
May wear in place of uniform if allowed
 Clean, neat, good repair
 Style should allow for body movement
 Appropriate for position – jeans?
 Washable fabrics best

Name tags
Most facilities require use of name
badge or photo identification
 States name, title, & department
 In some facilities, name badge is
required by law

Shoes
White shoes often required
 Should fit & provide good support
 Low heels best
 Avoid tennis shoes & sandals
 Clean daily & replace shoelaces
regularly
 Avoid colored or patterned stockings

Personal hygiene

Health worker is in close contact with others
 Control body odor – daily shower, deodorant
use, good oral hygiene, clean undergarments
 Avoid strong odors – tobacco, perfume,
scented hairsprays, aftershave lotion
 Certain scents can cause allergic reactions or
nausea
Fingernails
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Keep short & clean
Long nails cause injury, puncture or tear
gloves, transmit microorganisms
Avoid colored polish – conceals dirt, polish
chips off, flash of colors can bother an ill
person
If wearing polish, should be colorless
Use hand lotion to prevent chapping &
dryness caused by frequent handwashing
Hair
Clean & neat
 Avoid fancy or extreme styles or
ornaments
 Pinned back & off of collar – prevents
hair from touching pt, falling on trays or
equipment, avoids blocking vision
during a procedure

Jewelry

Usually not permitted with uniform
 Can cause injury to pt & transmit pathogens
 Can wear watch, wedding band, & small
pierced earrings – NO hoops or dangling
earrings
 Body jewelry (nose, eyebrow, tongue, lip
rings) detracts from professional appearance
& is prohibited at many facilities
Make-up
Avoid excessive make-up
 Should create natural appearance &
add to attractiveness

Personal
Characteristics
Chapter 3.2
Characteristics of a health care
worker

Empathy – ability to identify with &
understand another person’s feelings,
situation, & motives.
– Must have sincere interest in working with
people
– Must care about & be able to communicate
– Understand needs & learn effective
communication skills
Characteristics of a health care
worker

Honesty – truthfulness & integrity
– Must be able to trust you at all times
– Willing to admit mistakes so they can be corrected

Dependability – accept the responsibility
required by your position
– Prompt in reporting to work, good attendance
record
– Perform assigned tasks on time & accurately
Characteristics of a health care
worker

Willingness to learn – willing to learn new
things & adapt to change
– Due to research, new inventions, tech
– Learning new techniques or getting additional
education
– Lifelong learning required

Patience – tolerant & understanding
– Control your temper, count to 10
– Deal with frustration & overcome obstacles
Characteristics of a health care
worker

Acceptance of criticism – willing to accept
criticism & learn from it
– Pts, employers, co-workers, families
– Some is constructive – allows you to improve your
work
– Everyone can improve performance

Enthusiasm – must enjoy your work & have a
positive attitude
– Enthusiasm is contagious, helps you do your best
& encourages others to do the same
– Concentrate on positive points so that negatives
are not so important
Characteristics of a health care
worker

Self motivation – ability to begin or follow
through with a task
– Should be able to determine what needs to be
done & do them without constant direction
– Set goals & work to reach them

Tact – ability to say or do the kindest or most
fitting thing in a difficult situation
– Everyone has a right to feelings & should not be
judged as right or wrong
– Shows consideration for the feelings of others
– Requires constant practice
Characteristics of health care
workers

Competence – qualified & capable of
performing a task
– Follow instructions, use approved procedures
– Strive for accuracy & know your limits
– Ask for help if necessary

Responsibility – willing to be held
accountable for your actions
– Others rely on you, you will meet expectations
– Do what you are supposed to do
Characteristics of health care
workers

Discretion – using good judgment in what you
say & do
– Confidential information
– Need proper authorization to get info
– Be discreet, ensure that pt’s rights are not violated

Team player – learn to work well with others
– Each member of the team has different
responsibilities, but each must do his part
– Working together accomplishes the goal faster
Characteristics of health care
workers
All characteristics must be practiced &
learned
 Some take more time to develop than
others
 Be aware of these characteristics &
strive to improve
 If practiced, you will be a valuable asset
to your employer

Teamwork
Chapter 3.3
Teamwork

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Part of an interdisciplinary health care team
Provides quality holistic care
Consists of many professionals, with different
educations, backgrounds, ideas, & interests
working together for the good of the pt.
What professionals might be involved in the
care of a surgical pt?
Each team member has an important job to
do
Team working together = quality care given
Teamwork

Improves communication & continuity of
care
– Pt knows the caregivers & support staff
– All team members help identify needs, offer
opinions, participate in decision making, &
suggest others to help
– Allows a pt to become more educated
about options & make informed decisions
Teamwork

Every person must understand the team
member’s individual roles
– Knowledge provides a picture of the total
care plan
– Helps clarify responsibility & establishes
goals
– Most teams have frequent PATIENT CARE
CONFERENCES
– Pt may be an active participant
Leader
Important member of the team
 Responsible for:

– Organizing/coordinating activities
– Encouraging new ideas & opinions
– Motivating members to work towards goals
– Assisting with problems
– Monitoring progress
– Providing reports & feedback
Good interpersonal relationships
Quality of care harmed by poor
interpersonal relationships between
team members
 Team members have different cultural &
ethnic backgrounds, BE SENSITIVE
 Treat others as you would want to be
treated

Good interpersonal relationships

Include:
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Maintaining positive attitude & laughing at yourself
Being friendly & cooperative
Assisting others when they need help
Listening carefully to other’s ideas
Respecting the opinions of others
Being open-minded & willing to compromise
Avoiding criticism of other team members
Learning good communication skills
Performing your duties to the best of your ability
Legal responsibilities

All members of the team must function within
legal boundaries
 No team member should ever try to solve a
problem or perform a duty that is beyond the
range of duties permitted
 Effective teamwork results from hard work,
patience, communication, & practice.
 When every individual participates fully in the
team, the team achieves success
Professional
leadership
Chapter 3.4
Leadership
Definition – the skill or ability to encourage
people to work together & do their best to
achieve common goals
 Leader = One who leads or guides others,
one who is in charge or in command of others
 Leaders are NOT born, they are developed
by their own efforts

– Combine visions of excellence with the ability to
inspire others
– Anyone can be a leader
– Promote positive changes that benefit profession
– Every contributing member can be a leader
Characteristics of a leader
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All characteristics can be learned
Respect rights, dignity, opinions, & ability of
others
Understands democratic principles
Works with a group to guide toward goal
Understands own strengths/weakness
Self-confident & willing to take a stand
Communicates effectively
Self-initiative, willing to work, completes
tasks, optimistic, open-minded, compromises
Praises others & gives credit
Categories of leaders
Religious, political, club, organization,
business, community, experts, & peers
 Leaders develop based on involvement
 Any individual that joins an organization
can become a leader

Types of leaders

DEMOCRATIC
– Encourages participation of all people in
decision-making or problem solving
– Listens to others’ opinions & bases
decisions on what is best for the group
– Guides individuals to a solution so the
groups can take responsibility for the
decision
Types of leaders

LAISSEZ-FAIRE
– Informal leader that strives for minimal
rules & regs
– Allows individuals to function
independently
– Hands off policy, makes decisions only
when forced to
– Laissez-faire means “to let alone”
Types of leaders

AUTOCRATIC
– Often called dictator
– Maintains total rule, makes all decisions,
has difficulty delegating or sharing duties
– Seldom asks others’ opinions, emphasizes
discipline, expects others to follow direction
at all times
– Individuals follow this leader out of fear of
punishment or extreme loyalty
Leadership

All types of leadership have advantages &
disadvantages
 Rarely, autocratic leader may be beneficial
 Democratic leader is usually most effective
 Remember to respect the rights & opinions of
others for effective leadership
Stress & Time
Management
Chapter 3.5 – 3.6
Stress

Definition – the body’s reaction to any
stimulus that requires a person to adjust to a
changing environment
– Change always initiates stress, even if it is good

Stressors – stimuli to change, alter behavior,
or adapt to a situation
– Can be situations, events, or concepts
– External vs. internal forces
• External – new job
• Internal – heart attack
Stressors cause

Body goes into an alarm mode
– Called flight or fight response
– Sympathetic nervous system works OT
•
•
•
•
•
•
Adrenaline released (hormone from adrenals)
Blood vessels to heart & brain dilate
Blood vessels to skin & internal organs constrict
Pupils in eye dilate
Saliva decreases
Heart beats faster, blood pressure rises, respiratory rate
increases
• Actions provide body with burst of energy & stamina
required to respond to stressor
After the stress is over

Parasympathetic nervous system works
– Opposite reactions cause fatigue or exhaustion
while body recovers
– If body is subjected to constant stress, normal
body functions are disrupted
– Can result in serious illness or disease
– Migraine headaches, anxiety reactions,
depression, allergies, asthma, digestive disorders,
hypertension, insomnia, heart disease
Stress
Everyone experiences
 Amount of stress depends on the
individual reaction to & perception of the
situation

– Example – blood test can be stressful for
some, but routine for another
Causes of stress
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Relationships
Job or school
Foods – caffeine, salt, sweets
Illness & lifestyle
Finances
Family events – birth, death, marriage,
divorce
Overwork, boredom, negative feelings
Time limitations – too much to do
Failure to achieve goals
Response to stressors
If stress causes positive feelings, it can
be helpful (achievement, excitement,
anticipation, etc)
 If stress causes negative feelings, it can
be harmful (boredom, frustration,
irritability, anger, depression, distrust,
self-criticism, exhaustion)

Negative Stress

Can lead to substance abuse
– Smoking, alcohol use, drug use, excessive
eating
– Trying to find comfort & escape from
negative feelings
Can lead to mental breakdown
 Be aware of stressors & learn to control
them

Steps to control stress

Identify stressors
– Awareness of stressor & how you deal with
it, can you change it?

Solve or eliminate the problem
– Gather info, assess situation, identify
problem, list possible solutions, make a
plan, act on solution, evaluate results,
change solution if necessary
Managing stress
STOP – immediately stop to break out
of stress response
 BREATHE – slow deep breath to relieve
tension
 REFLECT – think about the problem &
cause of stress
 CHOOSE – decide how you want to
deal with the stress

Stress-reducing techniques
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Live a healthy life – diet, exercise, rest
Take a break from stressors
Take a warm bath
Escape to quiet music or book
Relieve tension – slow deep breaths
Rely on others – talk to a friend
Meditate & use imagery
Enjoy yourself & Renew yourself
Think positively
Develop outside interests
Seek assistance & delegate, say NO
Remember
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Stress is a constant presence & cannot be
avoided
Be aware of causes & learn how to respond
when a stress reaction occurs
Solve problems effectively
Practice techniques to reduce the effect of
stress
Patients also can experience stress as they
deal with their illness
Time Management
Definition – a system of practical skills that
allow a person to use time in the most
efficient & productive way possible
 Helps prevent or reduce stress
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–
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Puts individual in charge
Keeps things in perspective
Increases productivity
Uses time effectively
Improves enjoyment of activities
Provides time for relaxing & enjoying life
Steps of time management

Keep an activity record for several days
– Determines how you use time
– Activities that are performed, amount of time they
take, how effective activity was
– Wasted time obvious

Now begin to organize time
– Schedule important projects
– Work when feel energetic, rest when feel fatigued

Set goals to help you find your direction
– Short term & long term

Set effective goals – accomplish not avoid
– Prioritize & make sure goals are attainable
Steps of time management

Accomplish goals
– Organize steps to help you accomplish
– If goal achieved – enjoy accomplishment
– If goal not achieved – evaluate &
determine why you failed
•
•
•
•
Unrealistic goal?
Lack skills or knowledge?
Another way to accomplish?
Failure can be positive
Time Management to meet goals

Analyze & prioritize
– Review goals, list tasks to accomplish them most
important to least important
– Delegate if necessary

Identify habits & preferences
– Energy high vs energy low

Schedule tasks, make lists
 Plan your work – pace yourself
 Avoid distractions – screen calls, say no
 Take credit for job well done
Time management
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Provides for organized & efficient use of time
Things do not always go according to plan,
even with careful planning
Common events – emergencies, new
assignments, complications, overscheduling
Determine the reason for failure if time
management doesn’t work
Reevaluate goals & revise plan
Patience, practice, & an honest effort
necessary for success