PERSONAL QUALITIES OF A

HEALTH CARE WORKER

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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

DependabilityPatience Enthusiasm ResponsibilityDiscretionCompetenceSelf-initiativeCommunication skills

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Deals with personal “attitudes”Empathy

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Honesty

Truthfulness and integrityOthers must be able to trust you at all timesMust be willing to admit mistakes so they

can be corrected

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Patience

Must be tolerant and understandingMust learn to control your temper and

“count to ten”Learn to deal with frustration and overcome

obstacles

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Competence

Qualified and capable of performing a taskFollow instructionsUse approved proceduresStrive for accuracy in all you doKnow your limits and ask for help or

guidance if necessary

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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 careBe discrete and make sure patient’s rights

are not violated

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

Tact & diplomacy

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Responsibility

Being willing to be held accountable for your actions

Others can rely on you and know you will meet your obligations

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS Team player

Learn to work well with othersEach 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

TEAMWORK Be a team player Always apply the golden rule Display leadership

3 types of leaders

1. Democratic2. Autocratic3. Laissez- faire

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 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

PERSONAL APPEARANCE 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

PERSONAL APPEARANCE

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

5 C’S OF COMMUNICATION

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

TIME MANAGEMENT

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