aawhot.pbworks.comaawhot.pbworks.com/f/Work Experience Preparation BOOK MATERIA… · Web...

HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

HEALTH OFFICE TECHNOLOGY

WORK EXPERIENCE PREPARATION

HLTH 2210

STUDENT WORKBOOK

2006

CONTENTS

Introduction Preparing a portfolio 3

Unit 1 Identifying Skills, Strengths & Weaknesses

5

Unit 2 Applying for a Job 20

Unit 3 Presenting yourself for an Interview 36

Unit 4 Occupational Health and Safety 51

Unit 5 Emergency Response 84

References 98

2

INTRODUCTION

As a Health Office Technologist it is important that you know how to respond confidently to members of the multidisciplinary health care team and the customers of the health care facility. You need to know how to act professionally, ethically and confidently.

This work book is provided to assist and support students in meeting the learning outcomes identified in the Course Outline and will be used as a tool to guide the students through the course.

The course will prepare you for work experience. You will build a portfolio of work which you will be able to take with you to any interview in the future. As you complete pieces of work in each Unit, you can keep them together to form your portfolio which will be assessed at the end of the Course.

This portfolio will contain work which will show any employer what your skills are and how you have gained knowledge and experience.

This portfolio will grow with you. As you go out on placement and as you complete this course, you will update the information in your portfolio and add to it.

Your portfolio should look professional. It is a record of your achievements. You should be proud of it and keep it neat and up-to-date.

Assessed Task

Start to put together your portfolio.

You will need a binder to put your work in.

Your portfolio should include:

- up-to-date C.V.

3

- any references, certificates or testimonials you have

- a summary of the work placement you did on your last placement as part of the Certificate Course.- details of any work experience you have, including work in the family business.

- list of the skills you have developed, including life skills and work skills

- examples of good work you have done at College (eg projects / reports)

- any other material you think is needed.

This will demonstrate your skills and will impress a future employer.

Hand in your portfolio to your instructor by the deadline given.

REMEMBER YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE ACHIEVED!!

4

UNIT 1

Identifying Skills, Strengths and

Weaknesses

A. Focus

Organize and document work and life skills in an individual inventory

B. Outcomes

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

Identify and explain your own person / individual skills, strengths and weaknesses.

Explain how personal and college skills can be utilized in the workplace.

C. Graduate Outcomes addressed

1. Communication and Information Literacy1.1, 1.2, 1. 3,

2. Critical thinking, problem-solving and Interdisciplinary exploration2.1,2.2, 2.3

3. Global awareness3.1

4. Technological literacy4.1, 4.2, 4.3

5. Self-management and independent learning5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4

6. Teamwork and leadership6.4

7. Vocational Competencies7.1, 7.2,7.3

5

IDENTIFYING SKILLS

What do we mean by skills?

Work Skills

Skills which have been learnt in a working or training environment.

eg. A secretary develops skills in typing and computer software. A receptionist develops skills in dealing with people.

A doctor develops skills in diagnosing medical problems and giving out medicine.

Life Skills

Skills to do with your personality and natural abilities. Are defined as abilities, knowledge, attitudes, and behavior that are

learned for success and happiness. They are necessary for successful living.

eg. Are you a confident person?Are you careful with money?Are you good at repairing things when they break?Are you good at looking after your brothers and sisters?

We find it difficult to identify the life skills we have although we use them every day without knowing we are using them.

6

http://www.comstock.com/web/search/loupe.asp?Image=bxp64688.jpg&Type=BX&CatID=&LightboxID=&NoPopUP=T

It is essential to know the range of skills that we have so that we can develop our careers. They can be thought of as falling into six main areas:

self family job community leisure spirituality

Essential life skills include such things as being able to recognize and describe one's feelings, giving and receiving feedback, recognizing assumptions (taking things for granted), setting realistic and attainable goals, and employing problem-solving strategies.

From University of Vermont: Growing Connections

7

The Targeting Life Skills Model is often referred to and includes four of the key life skills . These life skills include:

HEAD - Thinking Clearly state my thoughts, feelings, and ideas to others.

HEART - Cooperation Work well with others and be able to follow instructions.

HANDS - Leadership Act as a good role model and motivate others to action.

HEALTH - Choices Make healthy food choices.

TASK 1

Assess your life skills

Write down 5 life skills which you think you have.

1. _______________________________________________2. _______________________________________________3. _______________________________________________4. _______________________________________________5. _______________________________________________

Discuss your answers with your class.

Do people agree or disagree with you? __________________

TASK 2

8

Now complete the table below.Read the skill on the left and give yourself a mark of 1, 2, 3, or 4.

1. Very well – no need for improvement2. Well – slight need for improvement3. Could be better – moderate need for improvement4. Not very well – much need for improvement

SKILLS 1 2 3 OR 4Can write a letterCan explain things to othersCan make friends easilyCan follow instructionsCan organise and lead othersCan manage money (budget)Can be assertiveCan collect informationCan find out why things do not workCan come up with new ideasCan draw picturesCan play a musical instrumentCan work on your ownCan organise the houseCan communicate by speaking Can talk to someone you do not knowCan make things (models or clothes)Can work quickly and accuratelyCan speak more than one languageCan be punctual all the timeCan be patientCan work hard even if you do not enjoy the workCan meet all deadlinesCan help othersCan produce neat workHow many 1s did you give yourself? ____________How many 2s did you give yourself? ____________

9

How many 3s did you give yourself? ____________How many 4s did you give yourself? ____________

Now that you have thought about your life skills you should find that you have more than you thought.

No one is good at everything so we expect to have some 3s and 4s. Any 1s and 2s you have show that you have some skill in those areas.

You have looked at your life skills, but what about your work skills? These are just as important.

Remember! Work skills are those skills which you learnt in a working or training environment.

Think of all the courses you have taken at HCT.

Think of all the skills you learned in those courses.

Example: English typing speed of 50 words per minute.

Make appointments using Microsoft Outlook

Use Merge functions of Word

Write cheques

Keep a monthly ledger

Use medical words

Notice that skills usually begin with a verb. Then, describing words are added.

10

TASK 3

Write a list of the courses you have taken and the skills you have learned.

Course Taken Skill Learned

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

11

These are skills which we have and which can be used in different situations.

Eg. If you are good at fixing things at home and can find out whythings do not work, then these skills could be used at work tofix machinery or equipment.

OR

If you can communicate well by speaking then this skill couldbe used at work as a receptionist.

OR

If you are good at explaining things to others and can think quickly then these skills could be used as a teacher.

DO NOT UNDERVALUE YOUR SKILLS - YOU HAVE MORE SKILLS THAN YOU

THINK!

As you begin your job search, it is important that you know your own qualifications. Many of your college skills become transferable to many occupations. A prospective employer expects you to be able to apply the skills you have learned in college to the work environment

Try the website below: It may help to give you some ideas how you can transfer your skills to the workplace.

http://www.d.umn.edu/kmc/student/loon/car/self/career_transfer_survey.html

You are now ready to complete Assessment 1 to add to your portfolio.TASK 4

12



Using your answers for Tasks 2 and 3, write a list of your life and work skills in the space provided and write how these skills could be used in the work place.

Eg. Good with money Could work using money.Write in Cashier or TraineeAccountant.

Eg. Can file information correctly Could work as an Office Clerk.

LIFE /WORK SKILLS HOW SKILL CAN BE USED

LOOKING AT STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

13

You have spent some time looking at the skills you have. These are things you are good at, or STRENGTHS.

None of us are perfect. We all have things we are not good at, or WEAKNESSES.

We must be able to highlight our strengths and weaknesses.

TASK 5

List at least 5 strengths you have.

1. __________________________________________2. __________________________________________3. __________________________________________4. __________________________________________5. __________________________________________

Discuss these with the person sitting next to you.

Does she agree with your list?Can she tell you about any other strengths?Can your instructor tell you about any other strengths?

Get the person sitting next to you and your instructor to write any other strengths below.

1. _________________________________________2. _________________________________________3. _________________________________________4. _________________________________________5. _________________________________________

TASK 6

14

List at least 5 weaknesses you have.

1. __________________________________________2. __________________________________________3. __________________________________________4. __________________________________________5. __________________________________________

Discuss these with the person sitting next to you.

Does she agree with your list?Can she tell you about any other weaknesses?Can your instructor tell you about any other weaknesses?

Get the person sitting next to you and your instructor to write any other weaknesses below.

1. _________________________________________2. _________________________________________3. _________________________________________4. _________________________________________5. _________________________________________

We all have weaknesses. We can, however, try to improve our areas of weakness.

When we know what our weaknesses are, then we can do something to improve them.

TASK 7

15

List the weaknesses you highlighted in Task 8.

Now write how you can improve them.

WEAKNESSES HOW I CAN IMPROVE

IDENTIFYING JOB INTERESTS

16

What do we mean by Job Interest?

Job interest means the sort of jobs we are interested in doing.

TASK 8

Look at the lists below and tick the sorts of jobs you are interested in.(You can tick as many boxes as you like.)

Teaching AdvertisingMeeting people Taking care of childrenFiling and typing Taking care of sick peopleDriving Arranging appointmentsSelling Working aloneMaking clothes Working with booksComputing Drawing/paintingLooking after animals Looking after touristsWorking with money CookingAdministrating Using the telephoneTranslating Writing letters and reportsInstalling equipment Filling out formsRepairing things Helping people with

problems

Are there any other sorts of jobs you are interested in? List them below.

______________________ _________________________

17

______________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _________________________

We have highlighted the sorts of jobs we are interested in. Now we must look at our skills and the jobs we are interested in to see if our skills match the needs of the job.

We may be interested in a job but do we have the skills to do it?

TASK 9

Match the sorts of jobs on the left to the skills required on the right. The first one has been done for you.

JOBS SKILLS REQUIRED

teaching communication

translating computer literacy

word-processing good with numbers

advertising different languages

repairing things creativity

working with money good with your hands

Now you need to look at actual job titles and highlight those jobs you would prefer to do.The choices we make

18

You should have a reason for choosing a particular job.

Eg. You choose to be a Receptionis because:

- you like meeting people- you speak more than one language- you know the local clientele well- you are a good organiser

Decisions we make about our careers are very important. We must make sure we are choosing the right job to suit our needs and skills.

TASK 10

Using your answers from tasks in this Unit, complete the following table.

Sort of jobs you are interested in

Skills required Do you have these skills?

UNIT 2

19

Applying for a Job

A. Focus

To obtain the skills necessary to prepare documents used in the job search to industry standard

B. Outcomes


Prepare a personalized CV to an error free standard.

Complete a job application form to a professional standard.

Write a personalized application (cover) letter for an advertised position to a professional standard.







6. Teamwork and leadership6.1, 6.2,6.4

7.Vocational Competencies7.1, 7.2,7.3

APPLYING FOR A JOB

20

The Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)

This is a brief guide to your educational and work achievements and your interests. It also includes relevant personal details.

It can be used to support a job application or an application for work experience, and enables an employer to quickly read important facts about your background.

Having a good, clear C.V. can make the difference between getting an interview and being rejected even before an interview.

TASK 1

Answer the following questions with either true or false.

1. A C.V. is never used to select a candidate for interview. _______

2. A C.V. should be neatly presented. _______

3. You should include details of your family in your C.V. _______

4. You should include details of examinations/qualifications. _______

5. An employer will spend at least an hour reading your C.V. _______

6. Your C.V. will be used to match your skills against the criteria for the job. _______

7. A C.V. should be at least 2 pages long. _______

8. You should update your C.V. regularly to include new information. _______

Did you get all the answers correct? YES / NO

21

Your C.V. should contain the following information:

Personal details - name- address- telephone number- marital status- nationality

Education and - schools attended and datesqualifications - qualifications/examinations taken, dates and

grades

Work experience - name of company and dates(most recent experience - job titleshould come first) - brief description of duties

Other skills - any other skills you have eg. driving licence, languages.

Interests and leisure - activities outside work, past and presentactivities

TASK 2

Working in groups of 2 or 3, look at the C.V. on the next 2 pages and answer the questions.

1. Is the C.V. clear and easy to read? Why?/ why not?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

C U R R I C U L U M V I T A E

22

NAME: MARYAM AL MANWAHLI

ADDRESS: P.O. BOX 401736ABU DHABIU.A.E.

TEL: +971 - 2 - 710985

D.O.B. 6th MARCH 1975

NATIONALITY: EMIRATI

EDUCATION

AL WAHDA SCHOOL General school certificateP.O. BOX 23864ABU DHABIU.A.E.

FURTHER EDUCATION

NOTTINGHAM UNIVERSITY HLED (Hons) Health EducationSheffield England1995 - 1999

HIGHER COLLEGES OF Health Office Technology DiplomaTECHNOLOGY ICDL CertificateADWCABU DHABIU.A.E.2000 - 2003

23

CAREER SUMMARY

HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY Senior Health Lecturer (Women’s College) Abu Dhabi.January 2007 -

Main Responsibilities: Responsible for all day to day personnel administration with direct responsibility for 2 members of staff. Duties include dealing with employee problems, liaising with Health Departments in other colleges, teaching students in the Health Information Management degree program and Health Office Technology diploma program.

NATIONAL BANK OF DUBAI Personnel OfficerAbu Dhabi..June 2005 – December 2006

Main Responsibilities: Responsible for the recruitment and selection of staff within the bank.. Duties also included arranging visas and accommodation, dealing with all personnel problems and working with the Personnel Manager to carry out all necessary administration.I left to become a senior Lecturer at the H.C.T.

AL CORNICHE HOSPITAL Personnel AssistantAbu DhabiSeptember 2003 – May 2005

Main Responsibilities: This was my first job after graduating from Nottingham University. Main duties included organising interviews, writing offer letters and general personnel administration. I was also involved in interviewing some staff and assisted in the arrangement of visas.I left for promotion to Personnel Officer at NBAD.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Full U.A.E. driving licenceFluent written and spoken Arabic and English

2. What qualification does Maryam have?

24

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. What sort of work experience does Maryam have?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Has Maryam included all relevant information in her C.V.? If not, what has she forgotten to include?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We have looked at what information we should put into our C.V., however the layout is just as important.

Below are some tips to help improve the overall appearance of your C.V.

It should be typed and fit onto 2 sides of A4 paperDo not include photographsCheck errors and spelling mistakesPut relevant words in bold to highlight themMake it attractive and easy to readPresent it on good quality paperUse a standard typeface/font

STUDENT NAMEPO Box 17258

25

18 - 20 pt Arial bold

14 pt. Arial

ABU DHABIUnited Arab Emirates

03-654-321 (Home) 03 050 123-4567 (Mobile)

PERSONAL DATA

Nationality: EmiratiDate of Birth: 07 September 1979

EDUCATION

1995--present Certificate in General BusinessHigher Colleges of TechnologyAbu Dhabi Women’s CollegeGraduation: June 2000

TASK 3

Prepare your C.V. Use the template on the next page. You should make sure that you include all relevant information, including details of any previous work experience you have.

Make sure that you C.V. looks attractive.

Hand in your completed C.V. to your instructor.

You have now written your C.V. When it is returned by your instructor keep it in your portfolio as you will need it later in this Unit.

PO Box

(Home) (Mobile)

26

11 pt. Arial

14 pt. Arial bold

12 pt. Arial

PERSONAL DATA

Nationality

Date of Birth

EDUCATION

Subjects Studied (Instruction in English)

SKILLS Computer

27

Medical Office

Languages

Keyboarding

English: words per minute

Arabic: words per minute

WORK EXPERIENCE

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES

ACHIEVEMENTS

REFERENCES

Tel: Fax: E-mail: @hct.ac.ae

Tel: Fax: E-mail:

28

The Application Form

Each company has its own style of application form. Many employers prefer you to complete one of their application forms rather than, or in addition to, sending your C.V.

TASK 4

In groups of 2/3 discuss the reasons why a company might prefer you to complete one of its own application forms, rather than send a copy of your C.V.

Write your reasons below._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Discuss your findings with the rest of the class.

Tips for completing an application form:

Do not write straight onto the form - write in rough firstUse black ball pen or ink as it is easier to photocopyComplete all sectionsWrite neatly and clearlyMake sure all information is accurateCheck your spellingsMake sure you include all relevant information

29

TASK 5

You are applying for an 8 week work placement with a local company. The company has asked you to complete its application form.

1. Complete the application form. (Your instructor will give you a copy.)

2. When you have completed the form exchange it with the person sitting next to you.

3. Write your comments about the form and hand it back to the person sitting next to you. You should write your comments on the back of the application form.

4. Read the comments that have been written and file the form in your portfolio.

Complete the next Assessment to add to your portfolio.

APPLICATION FORM

30

Position Applied For_________________________________________

Personal Details

Full Name: ___________________________________

Date of Birth: ___________________________________

Status: ___________________________________

Address: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tel. Number: ___________________________________

Qualifications_____________________________________________________________________From To School/College Qualifications Dates

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_____________________________________________________________________Additional InformationPlease give details of any other skills you have. (You should include details of languages written and spoken and degree of fluency)

Work Experience

31

_____________________________________________________________________From To Company and Brief description of duties Salary/Benefits

Job Title-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_____________________________________________________________________Why do you want to work for this company?

___________________________________________________________What do you think are your main strengths?

32

The Letter Of Application (Covering Letter)

This is a short one page letter that is sent with a C.V. or application form. Your letter can be typed or handwritten.

It is a quick and easy way of introducing yourself, your skills and your experience to the employer.

Hopefully your letter will make the employer look at your C.V. or application form and this may lead to an interview.

Your letter should contain the following:

The job you are applying forHow you heard about the jobA brief summary of qualifications and experienceThe skills you have which would help in the jobA final paragraph to say why you are interested in thejob / company

TASK 6

Read the covering letter on the next page and answer the following questions.

1. Who is the letter to? ____________________________

2. How did Maryam find out about the job? _______________________

3. What experience does Maryam have?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Is this a good covering letter? YES / NO Why? / Why not?

PO Box 401736

33

Abu DhabiUAE

9 September 2006

Mr A AliSheikh Khalifa Medical HospitalPO Box 7120Abu Dhabi

Dear Mr Ali

Health Education Specialist vacancy

Please find attached my C.V. in response to your advertisement in the Gulf News for the position of Health Education Specialist.

You will see from my C.V. that I have an Honors Degree in Health Education and a diploma in Health Office Technology. In addition I have worked for 8 years in Personnel Departments and have experience in general personnel administration.

In my current position I am responsible for all day to day personnel administration with direct responsibility for 2 members of staff. Duties include dealing with employee problems, liaising with Health Departments in other colleges, teaching students in the Health Information Management degree program and Health Office Technology diploma program.

Other skills include a full U.A.E. driving licence and fluency in English and Arabic.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Maryam Al Manwahli

TASK 7

34

You want to apply for the job advertised.

Write a covering letter to send with your C.V.

Your letter should be wordprocessed.WORK PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITY

Al Noor Hospital has a vacancy for a student.

The work will be for 9 weeks and the student will work in the reception area and is expected to work from 8.00pm to 5.00pm Sunday to Thursday.

Student must have already gained some work experience and must have a qualification from the Higher College of Technology.

No salary will be paid for the 9 weeks, however there is the possibility that the job will become permanent at the end of the course.

Apply in writing with your C.V. to:Mrs M. Dhalbi, P.O. Box 9912, Abu Dhabi.

Closing date is 15 November 2006.

Show your work to your instructor and then put the letter into your portfolio.

35

UNIT 3

Presenting Yourself for an Interview

A. Focus

To understand the importance of wearing appropriate clothes, looking your best at work and gain confidence in presenting oneself professionally for an interview or in the workplace.

B. Outcomes


Highlight appropriate forms of dress to suit different occasions

Demonstrate different kinds of body language and voice tones and the understand the importance of appropriate body language in a professional environment

Take part in a simulated employment interview exercise.







6. Teamwork and leadership6.4

7. Vocational Competencies

36

7.1, 7.2,7.3

PRESENTING YOURSELF

What we look like

The first impression people get of us is how we look. It is therefore very important to dress in the correct way to suit the occasion.

We should also be aware of different forms of dress, for example Arabic and Western. It does not matter whether we dress in Arabic or Western style, we should always be clean, tidy and dressed to suit the occasion.

TASK 1

1. List the things you would wear to a wedding, or wear to work in the armed forces. Include jewellery/decorations.

____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

2. Now list what you wear to college.

____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

3. Finally list what you would wear to a job interview.

____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

37

____________________________________Are the 3 lists you have completed the same? YES / NO

Why / why not?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TASK 2

In groups of 2 or 3, list what you should wear to a job interview in the West. (Eg. England, America ……)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

TASK 3

Now complete the following sentences using the words from the box. Some words can be used more than once.

T shirt neat smart clothes Western

clean jeans Arabic jewellery

Arabic tidy occasions clothes

1. When you dress for an interview you must look ______________ and

38

____________.

2. For an interview shoes should always be _____________.

3. Too much __________________ is not necessary for a job interview.

4. People in the West wear _____________ _____________ for an interview.

5. At work you should not wear ____________ and a ______________.

6. It does not matter if we wear ______________ or _____________ dress. At work we must always be ______________ and ____________.

7. We wear different ______________ for different _______________.

* TIP

Interviews are a good time to make a mental note of how employees dress on the job, so that you’ll be sure to look professional by dressing the art when you are an employee yourself.

Body Language and Voice Tone

We have seen that how we look is very important. It is also important to give the right impression by what we do and say and how we do and say it.

Our bodies can sometimes tell other people what we are thinking. Someone who understands body language can tell if we are happy, sad, bored or interested just by how we are sitting or standing, or even just by our facial expressions.

39

TASK 4

Watch your instructor carefully. She will demonstrate several different types of body language .

Try to guess whether she is bored, happy, sad, interested, nervous, angry, pleased, confused, confident or shy.

How we sound during a presentation is as important as how we look. We should try to speak clearly, slowly and loud enough so that people can hear and understand us.

When we give presentations we must be careful of our body language and voice tone.

Eg. We should not fold our arms as this is putting a barrier between us and our audience.

TASK 5

Complete the table on the next page using the types of body language and voice tone listed below. The first one has been done for you.

standing with arms foldedlooking downshoutingleaning against a tablestanding with hands behind your backtalking in a quiet voicespeaking quickly

40

sitting with feet on the tablesmilinglooking at the audience (good eye contact)hiding your facespeaking clearlylaughingspeaking in a monotone voicespeaking more slowly than you normally wouldrigid standing positionplaying with clotheshands in pocketsusing arms as you talk

Should be used in a presentation Should not be used in a presentation

standing with arms folded

41

It is easy to identify different types of body language and voice tone when we are discussing them in class. It is more difficult to demonstrate good body language and voice tone in a presentation as we are usually nervous and worried.

Only by practising will we gain more confidence and our body language and voice tone will improve.

Presentation Techniques

Most people find it difficult to do a presentation. The more

you do, the easier it becomes and the more preparation you

do, the more confident you will feel about the presentation.

Below are a few guidelines for delivering a successful

presentation.

1. Do your preparation carefully. Make notes and practice your presentation before you deliver it.

2. Write key words or phrases onto card which you can use to remind you of what you have to say during your presentation.

(Do not write out your whole presentation otherwise you will end up reading NOT presenting!)

3. Use visual aids whenever possible.

4. Do not give out handouts during your presentation as people will read them and not listen to you!

5. Remember your body language especially eye contact and voice tone during your presentation.

42

TASK 6

Prepare and present a 5 minute presentation on yourself.

You should imagine you have been asked to talk about yourself by someone who does not know you - perhaps an interviewer in an interview.

In your presentation include the following:

- your name and personal details- your family- your education background- why you are doing the Diploma course- what you like/dislike about the course- what you would like to do in the future and why- your work experience - your work and life skills - your strengths- what your hobbies/interests are

Listen carefully to all the presentations in the class and make some notes on whether they are good or bad presentations. (You should comment on body language, style and voice tone.)

Now write a few lines about your own presentation performance.

Do you think you did well? YES / NO

Why? / Why not? (include comments on your own body language and voice tone)

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

43

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

44

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES

The Interview

The job interview is like a game. It has a goal, rules, winners and losers.

The goal, or aim, is to get the offer of a job.

It is a chance for the interviewer to find out more about the candidate. It is a chance for the candidate to learn more about the job, the company and impress the interviewer.

You may have one interviewer or a group of interviewers (panel).

T he R ules

Rule 1: The interviewer is in charge.- he decides whether or not to offer you a job depending on how you perform in the interview.

Rule 2: Interviewers are human.- they will react better to someone who smiles and who looks interested in what they are saying.

Rule 3: Interviewers have a very short time to get to know you- help them by giving full answers to their questions

Rule 4: Interviewers are impressed if you show that you knowsomething about their company.- do some preparation before the interview.

Rule 5: The interviewer is in charge - but it is your interview.- look at the interview as a chance to show the best things about yourself (without showing off).

45

TASK 1

It is very important to prepare for an interview. Few job seekers realize how important a little investigation can be before an interview. If you come to an interview armed with information about the company, you’ll be able to ask intelligent questions and supply details about how you can be good for that company. It will also leave the impression that you have both know-how and are willing to take initiative.

Collect information that gives you: a sense of the company’s goals and identity, and that will enable you to ask valuable questions during the interview.

Your goal is to impress the interviewer with your questions and with the quality of your “homework”. You will have shown your eagerness and shown that you’re not just there to see what the company can offer you, but also how your skills and interests may benefit the company.

Before the interview it is important to prepare questions you want to ask the interviewer and prepare the answers to questions you think the interviewer will ask you!

In groups of two, write down how you would prepare for a work placement interview.

46

TASK 2

Write a list of 5 questions you would ask an interviewer in an interview for a work placement.

1. ________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________

TASK 3

Write 6 questions you think an interviewer might ask you in an interview.

1. ________________________________________________________

2. ________________________________________________________

3. ________________________________________________________

4. ________________________________________________________

5. ________________________________________________________

6. ________________________________________________________

Now write how you would answer these questions.

1. ______________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________________

6. ______________________________________________________

47

TIP

There are some answers that interviewers have heard too often: for example, “ I am a people person” or “ I want to work somewhere where there is opportunity for growth.” These statements may be true, but you need to try and be more original.Rather offer an example how you acted as a “people person” – by listening constructively to customers or by forming a social work group. Or show how you’re taken advantage of growth opportunities in the past by taking on extra projects that gave you new skills.

You should now be feeling more confident about answering questions in an interview.

Before the Interview begins

First impressions count, so give attention to the following:

- arrival Arrive early- appearance Last minute check of hair, clothes, shoes

and makeup- walk The way you come into a room says a lot

about you, so stand up straight and holdyour head up

- smile √- shake hands √- greeting Good morning etc

During the Interview

- sitting Wait to be invited to sit down- listening Smiling and nodding are a sign that you are

listening and are interested

48

- answering Do not be defensive - be open questions Do not give 1 or 2 word answers

Do not tell lies

At the End of the Interview

- Smile- Shake hands- Thank the interviewer for the interview (even if you do not think you did very well).

TASK 4

Work with a partner.

Your instructor will give you 2 sets of coloured cards.

1. Take 2 cards of the same colour and decide who will be the interviewer and who will be the candidate.

2. Spend 10 minutes preparing for the interview using the information on your card to help you.

Do not exchange ideas with your partner. Remember one of you is the interviewer and the other is the candidate.

3. Role play the interview.

Take this part of the task seriously.

Your instructor will listen to part of your interview and may select you to do your interview in front of the class.

4. When the interview is over, write your comments about how you feel the interview went.

49

If you were the candidate, write how you feel you did. Could you answer all the questions? Did you give enough information about yourself? Did you do enough preparation?

If you were the interviewer, write how you felt the interview went. Did you ask the right questions? Did you find out all you wanted about the candidate?

You may wish to give each other feedback.

5. Take the other 2 cards and swap roles. If you were the candidate last time, this time you will be the interviewer.

INTERVIEW 1

CANDIDATE______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INTERVIEWER______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

50

Sample Questions

These questions can be used by an interviewer and are useful to have answers as a general guide. Think about the possible answers you may give. Remember not to memorize the answers totally as you may be asked a totally different set of questions.

1. What do you find challenging?

2. How do you spend your average work day?

3. Why did you select the area of study you did at college?

4. What are your main responsibilities in your present job?

5. What aspect of your job did you enjoy the most and least?

6. What problems did you encounter in your job?

7. How did you overcome these problems?

8. Why are you considering leaving your present position?

9. In what way has or hasn’t your supervisor developed your skills?

10. What goals would you like to achieve in one year? Five?

11. What do you think best qualifies you for this position?

12. How does this job fit into your overall career objectives?

13. How could you make a difference to this company?

14. Why do you want this job?

51

UNIT 4

Occupational Health and Safety

A. Focus

To recognize common hazards and evaluate the danger presented by them

B. Outcomes


Recognise common hazards.

Evaluate the danger presented by common hazards.

Review UAE Standards for workplace health and safety.







6. Teamwork and leadership6.1, 6.2,6.4

7.Vocational Competencies7.1, 7.2,7.3

52

Recognise Common Hazards

Every place has risks to health. Many hazards are to be found at or near home.

Is your home safe?Is your family safe?Has there ever been an accident or injury in your home?Have you or your family ever been in a car accident?

Take a minute to think about and discuss any accidents you know about. Mind-map or brainstorm your findings in the space below.

53

TASK 1

In the table below, name six things at home and work that could cause an injury or accident. State what the danger could be. The first one is done for you as an example.

Area Problem

1. Gas Stove (cooker) Burn a person Start a fire in the home Cause injury by an explosion Cause injury by breathing in poison gas.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

54

Evaluate the danger presented by common hazards

The Accident Triangle

10

1

30

600

Serious injury

Minor injury

Property damage

Almost

In the triangle, you can see that, for

every one accident at the top, there

are many small accidents at the

bottom.

For every one big accident, 600

accidents almost happen. An

accident that almost happens is a

warning.

An accident can cause damage to

property or to people.

An accident can cause a small

(minor) or large (serious) injury.

If we change something when there is a warning, we can prevent damage or injury.

Preventing accidents stops property damage and injury. To stop accidents, we need to recognise the dangers that can cause accidents. A warning is a chance to prevent another accident.

What happened? What could have prevented this accident?

55

Case Study

Read the following case study. Then answer the questions below.

Yesterday, Amina and her maid Jamila drove on Sheik Zayed Road. Jamila held baby Badr in her arms. Amina felt that the Badr was safe because he was in the back seat. The law in the UAE says that all children must be in the back seat.A car pulled in front of Amina. Amina stopped suddenly. Jamila said, “It is very hard to hold the baby when you stop suddenly”.Today, Amina drove again. A big truck stopped in front of Amina. Amina’s car hit the truck. The baby flew out of Jamila’s arms. The baby hit the glass. The baby died. Jamila hit the front seat. She broke many bones. Amina wore a seat belt so she was not injured. The car had minor damage.

1. Who was in danger? Explain.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. What was the warning?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. How could Amina have prevented the serious injury to Jamila?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. What were the injuries?

___________________________________________________________

56

5. How could Amina have prevented the baby’s death?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

6. What can YOU do to prevent an accident like this one?

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

TASK 2

Your local Civil Defence Department has information on hazards and risks

in the home.

Ask someone from that department to come and talk to you about safety.

57

Hazardis the potential to cause harm.

Maybe something or some person will have an accident.

Riskis the likelihood of causing harm.

For sure, something or some person will have an accident unless there is some sort of prevention.

TASK 3

Look in any First Aid text.

The first units will talk about recognising hazards.

1. For the hazards that you found in the Task 2 above, explain the dangers

and risks.

2. Then, discuss ways to reduce the risk and prevent accidents.

Health and Safety at work

What are the factors that make a person healthy?

Some of the same factors that cause ill health can also cause

accidents.

Physical, mental and environmental factors can cause accidents:

A tired worker can make a mistake when driving or using equipment.

(physical)

A worker who must complete many tasks in a short time may feel

stress. (mental)

This can cause him/her to make a mistake.

Poor environmental conditions also cause accidents, such as

no air-conditioning,

long line-ups

crowded offices

58

Accidents are also the result of unsafe working

conditions

such as broken equipment or wet floors.

Look at the accident below, which happened to patient records in a hospital.

Poor condition of roof caused patient files to be damaged by rain

Managers cause accidents at work because of poor planning.

Workers cause accidents when they are careless.

Accidents also happen when workers are not trained well, and do not know

the rules in their workplace.

Rules are made to protect workers and prevent accidents.

TASK 4

59

Walk around the college. Go on a field trip. Look at the hazards and risks. Name some things that could cause an injury or accident at work. State in the table below what could happen as a result of the hazards and risks. The first one is done for you.

Causes of accidents, hazards and risks

Results

1. Wet floorA wet floor is a hazard.

Person could slip and break a leg.A person is at risk for a broken leg.

2.

3.

4.

5.

TASK 5

Can you think of rules to keep people safe in the workplace? Here are some to get you started. Write in the lines beneath them how each rule keeps people safe.

1. Work for a set period of time. Have rest breaks: 15 minutes every four hours.___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

60

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. In many modern countries, the rule is:

eight hours work, eight hours play, eight hours sleep.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. Have a clean area to eat and drink in.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

4. Wear proper safety gear.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

61

Now write your own rules, with examples. Be ready to explain how they keep people safe.

5. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

6. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

7. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

8. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Occupational Health

The branch of health called occupational health is concerned with work

health (health in the workplace). Occupational health is preventative.

The World Health Organization says that the aim of occupational health is to

be sure of the highest physical, mental and social wellness of all workers in

all jobs (1950).

To be sure of physical, mental and environmental/social health for all

workers, every organisation needs a person or department that is responsible

for health and safety.

62

How occupational health keeps workers safe

The way that occupational health helps to keep workers safe is to:

Find hazards

Find risks

Promote health

Manage sickness and absence

Help employees go back to work after illness or injury

Give first aid

Give advice about health and safety policy

Manage stress

Give advice about travel and vaccination

John Connell, Occupational health and safety officer, DUBAL, 2000

Many organisations in the UAE want to be accredited to International

Standards. Accredited organisations must have a health and safety policy.

Most large UAE health care organisations have a health and safety officer or

department.

Injuries to workers can be prevented – think of some injuries and how

occupational health rules could have prevented these injuries.

In the picture on the next page, describe what safety clothing prevents – or

would prevent – the workers from serious injury.

63

What safety clothing protects these workers from injury?

TASK 6

1. Find out what the health and safety activities for students and workers are in your college.

2. Ask a worker in any company or organisation about occupational health and safety activities. Are there any in his or her workplace in the UAE?

3. Give examples below.

TASK 7

Find the health and safety policy of any organisation in the UAE. Explain the main points to the class.

64

http://www.northernsafetyltd.co.uk/health_safety_consultants.php

Keep Safe at Work

Everyone is responsible for health and safety at work.

There are many ways that you and your employer can keep and improve

health and safety at work. In many countries, this is done by groups called

health and safety groups. In other countries, safety staff are responsible for

company health and safety policies.

A written health and safety policy and a good safety record are usually

necessary for a company to receive accreditation.

What do the following safety signs tell you about the organisation?

TASK 8: Case Studies

Could the following situations lead to a health or safety problem? Write your ideas about causes and results. How could you prevent injury or damage in each case?

65

Seat Belts Save Lives.

Belt up.

Kill germs dead.Wash your hands before eating.

Keep fire doors

CLOSED

IN CASE OF FIRE, USE THE STAIRS

1. A driver drove for four hours, from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, without stopping.

2. You are carrying files and you don’t see the computer cord.

3. Aisha is talking to Noura about her new job. “I work Saturday to Thursday. I start work at 7 a.m. and finish at 5 p.m. every day. I never take a break as I am always so busy.”

4. Amna doesn’t know how to use the fire extinguisher.

5. The cover on the floor electrical plug is always open.

6. Maryam’s wrists hurt. She types six hours a day.

7. Amina drinks only one glass of water during her shift.

8. There are files piled high on top of every cabinet in your office.

66

9. The fresh air fan in the hospital laboratory is broken.

10.Every time you walk past the photocopier, you bump your elbow on its sharp corner.

11.Your co worker always leaves the filing drawer open.

12.When you open the top drawer of the filing cabinet, the cabinet tips over.

13.Amina is pregnant. She works in an office where everyone smokes.

14.Maryam has told her supervisor many times about a safety problem but

the supervisor never fixes the problem.

15.All the cleaners are picking their fingers on the syringes in the trash.

67

16.The medical waste from the clinic is thrown in the municipality rubbish bin.

17.Fatima is short. She jumps up every time she pulls a file in medical records.

18.Amna was working at reception. The phone rang and the person said “Code blue room 123”. Amna didn’t know what to do.

19.Shaikha cut her finger on the paper cutter. There were no bandages in the first aid box.

20.Amna broke her leg at work, falling down the wet stairs. After 6 weeks, she went back to work. She broke her leg falling down the wet stairs again.

21.The outside doors to the building open inwards. They do not have a panic bar.

22. All the students at college are getting flu.

68

TASK 9

How can these occupational health and safety ideas prevent an accident? An example is done for you. Be sure to add more methods to share your good ideas.

Idea Example

Equipment design:

Shelves

Paper cutter

Keyboard and monitor

Shelves must be the right height for an employee

A paper cutter needs a guard

________________________________________

Equipment operation:

Cords

Chairs

Fuse box

Socket

Read the manual!!

Safe way to work:

safe clothing

safe tools

bend

exercise breaks

Health and safety staff

69

Medical examinations:

Workplace checks:

Temperature

Fire door “locks”

Air quality

Noise level

Describe what makes this room safe?

What people make this room safe?

TASK 10

Invite the health and safety officer from your local hospital to speak to your class about safe practices at work.

70

TASK 11

Design a poster, newspaper advertisement or radio commercial promoting a health or safety practice.

http://safetylex.typepad.com/photos/safety_posters/ilo_occupational_health_and_safety_a_hum.html

Review UAE Health and Safety Standards

When you are in a new place, you are at risk - especially if there is an emergency.Do you protect yourself? If you are in a new building, do you always know the fast way to get out?What would you do if you couldn’t use the lift? What would you do if the stairs were blocked? Where is the closest fire extinguisher?

Know how to

find and how

to use the fire

extinguisher

You must

know what

to do in an

emergency and where to find:

Emergency exits

71



Fire alarms

Meeting points

Fire extinguishers

Knowing this can save your life and the lives of others.

When you start a new job, the organisation will teach you some common safety practices. These may include how to use fire extinguishers, and the procedures to follow in an emergency.Safety training is standard practice for all accredited health facilities.

TASK 12

Read the UAE Ministry of Health Manual of Health Records Practices, Standard two - Physical Facilities.Discuss the Standards expected regarding:

Fire

Lighting

Temperature

Ventilation

Training

Equipment (racking, steps)

Records.

Independent Learning

72

In case of fire, dial 444

To prevent accidents and improve health, standards in the workplace must be:

recognised

evaluated

controlled

At work, you must first see or recognise a problem before you can solve it. You must also understand how much of a problem it is (evaluate). Then, you can solve the problem (control).

Recognise ► Evaluate ► Control

Case Study

Read the following case study, and find out how the Occupational Health and Safety Department solved a Health and Safety problem.

A medical clinic in Abu Dhabi found that a lot of the workers had red sores (a rash) on their skin. The Occupational Health and Safety officer checked on the workers.He found that the workers’ uniforms were made of polyester cloth.

This cloth did not let the skin cool, so the workers got red sores. This meant that they lost work time because of the sores. They felt very uncomfortable. Medicine for the rashes cost the company a lot of money as well.

In the scenario overleaf:

73

Recognise…

The Health and Safety Department found:

all of the workers had a rash

all of the workers had pain from the rash

all the workers took time off because of the sores

the rash cleared up away from work but came back when the workers

returned to work

The Health and Safety department recognised the problem.

Evaluate…

More checks found that:

none of the workers had a skin rash before they came to the company

all the workers with the rash wore the same uniform

The Health and Safety Department evaluated the problem. They found it was a serious problem because the workers were:

in pain, they lost work time the company lost money - both from the lost time and medicine for

the workers. Therefore, it was important for the company to solve or control the problem.

Control…

The company tried to control the problem. The safety department gave ten workers cotton uniforms to try wearing for some time. They found that they did not get sores.The company thus changed to cotton uniforms for all the workers.

74

This solved the problem.The solution used the following Occupational Health and Safety ideas:

use safe clothing

workplace checks

medical examinations

health and safety department

This case study shows that when people get hurt or sick at work, it is important to:

Find out and recognise exactly what the cause, hazard and/or risk are.

Next, it is important to evaluate the problem. A proper solution can then be found to control the problem.

TASK 13: Group Work

In small groups, look at a problem you see in a workplace or in college.

Discuss the hazards and risks to students or workers.

Complete a Problem Identification Form (see following page) for this problem, including paragraphs on recognition, evaluation and control.

75

HEALTH AND SAFETY DEPARTMENT

PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION FORM

Date: ______________________ Time: __________________________________

Exact location:________________________________________________________

Report completed by: ________________________Position: __________________

Recognition: Describe the problem

Evaluation: How serious is the problem? Why?

Control: Explain what you recommend to control the problem.

Summary: Which ideas will you use to solve the problem? Tick üas many as apply:

□ Equipment design

□ Equipment Operation

□ Safe way of work

□ Workplace checks

□ First Aid

□ Emergency response

Signature: _______________________________

Copies to:

76

Department Supervisor Health and Safety Officer

77

Office Ergonomics – What is it?

The way you work could be making you sick, affecting your productivity at work and destroying your life. Many people are not aware of the “best” body posture and the musculoskeletal disorders caused by it, and increased mechanisation in the workplace.

Ergonomics is thus the science of equipment design and workstation set-up, body posture, prevention of computer related injuries and more. It is intended to get the most out of us by maximizing productivity while at the same time making us less tired and uncomfortable.

Repetitive and prolonged use of a computer keyboard and/or mouse can lead to muscle aches and discomfort. Posture and positioning are important. On should always try to incorporate the following tips into your work style to avoid problems.

78

Look at the diagrams below to see the correct way to sit at your desk:

Pictures taken from: http://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/Tips_Users.html

79

http://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/Tips_Users.html

Checklists are drawn up as learning tools to help make people more comfortable at their place of work. Below is an example of what to look for and possible solutions for each problem is also listed.

Things to look for Possible solutions:

Prolonged hunched or elevated shoulder while holding the phone

Telephone headsetSpeakerphone

Elbows splayed outwards

Lower work surfaceLower chair armrestsBring chair armrests in closerAwareness and habit training

Raised or tensed shoulders

Habit or tension trainingLower work surface or keyboardLower chair armrestsRaise chair, if foot contact with the floor can be kept constant

Twisting the head to the side Bring viewed item closer to centerline of view

Elbow flexed for long periods using the telephone

Telephone headsetSpeakerphone

Elbow or forearm resting for long periods on hard or sharp work surface, chair armrests

Cover or round surfaces, corners, and armrestsReplace armrestsTelephone headsetHabit training

Wrists bent to the sides when using side keys

Habit trainingKeyboard with more accessible keys or split keyboard design

80

Wrists bent back (extended) or forward (flexed) for prolonged periods

Habit trainingPalm restLower, raise, or change slope of the keyboard

Wrists or palms resting for long periods on hard or sharp keyboard or work surfaces

Habit trainingPalm restPadded or rounded surfaces, corners

Hands held actively over the keyboard during typing pauses

Habit trainingPalm or forearm rest

Rapid, continuous, or typing for a long period

Greater work varietyMore breaksLess overtime

Forceful typing, hitting keys hard

Habit trainingLight-touch keyboard

Significant amounts of hand stapling, punching, lifting, opening mail, or other forceful efforts, especially combined with awkward/uncomfortable postures

Mechanical aids, such as electric stapler or punchReduce size of lifted loadsBring heavy loads close to the body, at a medium heightReplace sliding (work surface)Sharpen letter openers

Prolonged mouse use

Greater work varietyMore breaksAlternate handsAlternative pointing devicesArm support, including small tableMouse close to body (extended keyboard tray)Learn other keystrokes for menus

Sitting for long periods of time, especially in only one

Greater work varietyMore breaks

81

posture

Chair that supports posture change, through movement, size, or easy adjustabilityHabit trainingMove phone and printer to the other side of the office to force standing, or suggest standing when on phoneCheck chair fitMonitor in-out mechanism of chairSit-stand work surface

Lumbar (lower) back area not supported

Lumbar (lower) back cushionBackrest height and tiltCheck chair fit, especially backrest/lumbar height

Feet dangling, not well supported, or a posture which seems to put pressure on the backs of the thighs

Lower chairLower work surfaceHabit trainingFoot rest (last resort)

Chair backrest not used for long periods

Check chair fit, especially seat pan depth and heightCheck leg roomCheck monitor distance and character heightHabit training

Twisted upper body

Rearrange workProvide more knee spaceU-shaped work surface layoutSwivel chair

Frequent or prolonged leaning or reaching

Rearrange workMouse pad, palm or forearm restBring mouse and keyboard closer to body

Working with one or both arms "reaching" toward a mouse or keyboard

Bring keyboard closer to bodyMouse pad, palm or forearm restBring mouse closer to keyboard

82

Light sources that can be seen by the worker

Cover or shield light sourcesRearrange work arenaLower other viewed objects to lower field of view

Reflected glare on the screen

Shield light sourcesShade screenGlare screenMove monitor so light enter from side angle, not back Do NOT tip monitor downLower light levelsMove light sources

Too much contrast between screen and surroundings or document; worker feels relief when bright areas are shielded

Lower ambient light levelsTurn off, reposition, or dim task lightsBlock offending light sourcesChange screen polarity to black on white

Very bright ambient lighting (above 500 lux or 50 fc) or shadowed areas caused by over-illumination

Lower ambient light levels to 200-500 lux (20-50 fc) and use task lights

Monitor closer than approximately 65 cm (25")

Push monitor back (enlarge font size)Habit training for recliningComputer glassesBring keyboard forward, possibly with a keyboard tray

Different viewed objects (screen, documents) at different distances from the eyes

Use document stand or otherwise equalize distances to within about 10 cm (4") if rapid viewing changes are required

Screen or documents not oriented perpendicular to the line of sight (tipped back

Change monitor, document stand angle

83

slightly is even better)

Prolonged near focusing throughout the day with few far-focusing opportunities

Move monitor back as far as possibleHabit trainingRearrange space to provide viewIntroduce glazing

Monitor image dim, fuzzy, flickery, small, or otherwise difficult to read

Upgrade monitorUse software to enlarge image

Shiny, low-contrast, or small-print documents

Improve lighting on documents if documents cannot be changed

Forward head posture (peering) or squinting

Lower monitorTilt monitor back Check for monitor image quality problems, character height or monitor distanceSuggest consultation with vision specialist

Eyestrain complaints Check all aspects of visual environmentSuggest consultation with vision specialist

Neck extended backwards, head tilted back, even slightly

Remove CPU from under monitorRemove tilt-swivel base from monitor (leave ventilation space)Check for bifocals and suggest full-frame "computer glasses" prescription

Neck severely flexed (downward)

Tilt face of monitor backTilt document - do not lay flat on work surfaceRaise document or monitor to a comfortable heightAdjust postureHabit retrainingCheck glasses for proper prescription

(Adapted from: )

84

Habit training is training to do it in the correct way with the correct posture

TASK 13: Independent Learning – Ergonomics Project

Evaluate the hazards and risks of a computer work station in the labs or faculty areas in your college.Extra reading that will help you: http://office-ergo.com/index.htmlhttp://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/Tips_Users.html

TASK 14: Independent Learning

Visit a UAE health care organisation. Ask for the staff Health and Safety Policy and Procedure manual. Ask to see an Incident or Accident Report form.

After the visit, answer the following questions:

1. What are common hazards and risks there?

2. What Health and Safety signs did you see?

3. What Health and Safety training is there?

4. What are the emergency response procedures?

5. Ask to see an accident or incident report form. Describe it. Complete the Incident Report as an example.6. Does the Health Records department conform to the MOH Standard?

7. Is there safety information for patients / customers? Describe it.

8. What measures do you recommend to improve Health and Safety in the place that you visited?

85


http://office-ergo.com/index.html

UNIT 5

Emergency Response at Work and at

Home

A. Focus

To recognize common hazards and evaluate the danger presented by them

B. Outcomes


Recognise common emergencies

Respond to common emergencies

Respond as a HOT worker to a medical emergency in a UAE health care facility



2. Critical thinking, problem-solving and Interdisciplinary exploration

86

2.1,2.2, 2.33. Global awareness

3.14. Technological literacy

4.1, 4.2, 4.35. Self-management and independent learning

5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.46. Teamwork and leadership

6.1, 6.2,6.47.Vocational Competencies

7.1, 7.2,7.3

Recognise and Respond to Medical Emergencies.

We go to see a doctor when we are sick or hurt and cannot help ourselves. Think about when you went to see the doctor. Write down the why you, or a member of your family, went to see the doctor.

Now, think about when you have been sick or hurt. Describe how you felt. How did your friends or family know how you felt? Example: I told them _____________________________________________________They said I looked ________________________________________________________

87

What do you see or hear when your friend or a family member is sick or hurt?_____________________________________________________________Do you always take your friends or relatives to the doctor when they are sick? If not always, how do you decide if and when you need to take them? List two things that make you decide it is necessary to take them to a doctor._____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

88

Illness can be minor or serious. Illness can also be life-threatening. Accidents too can be minor as well as serious and life threatening. Have you, a friend or a family member ever seen the doctor because of a life-threatening illness or injury?

When we talk about life-threatening, we mean that a person may die if they do not get fast help from doctors or nurses. An example is a heart attack. Situations like these are called medical emergencies.

What would you do here?

What to do in an emergency depends on many things. It depends on:

where we are, whether we are at home or at work

whether we are alone or have someone with us to help

89

http://www.mgh.org/ems/index.html

http://www.mgh.org/ems/index.html

whether we can get help from the Civil Defense or a doctor quickly or

not.

whether we have First Aid training or not

the policy and procedures in our work place – do we have permission to help or do we call for help?

In case of emergency, call 999

TASK 1

Write your answers in the spaces provided.

1. Give the reasons we see a doctor.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. List adjectives we use to describe a person who is sick.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

3. What do the following terms mean?

Life threatening___________________________________________

Emergency _______________________________________________

90

Serious

___________________________________________________

Minor ___________________________________________________

4. On what does emergency response depend?

___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

TASK 2

Look at the websites below on medical emergencies:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_emergencies

http://abacoguide.net/medical.htm

http://www.emedicine.com/wild/index.shtml

1. Make a list of five medical emergencies.

2. Write down how to recognise these emergencies.

3. Explain what to do in these emergencies.

Codes

In health care, there are policies and procedures for what to do in an emergency. They policies explain what each member of staff should do in certain situations.

There is a common language in hospitals and clinics that tells staff there is an emergency. This language is called code.

91

http://www.emedicine.com/wild/index.shtml

http://abacoguide.net/medical.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_medical_emergencies

The codes often use colour. This is so the staff know what is happening and what to do, but the patients and visitors do not know what the code means. The use of codes helps to prevent patients and visitors from feeling afraid about what is happening to the sick person. It also allows trained staff to act in the emergency according to their training for that type of emergency.

“Code blue. Code blue. ICU”

Most hospitals have regular practices, so that all staff are always ready for an emergency. When you work on reception, you may have to announce a code.

“Code red. Code red. Room 511.”Comon codes

Code MeaningCode red FireCode blue Cardiac arrestCode green EvacuationCode orange Disaster - externalCode black Bomb threat

Note: (not every hospital uses the same colours. You must always check to be sure what codes are used in whatever hospital you are working.

TASK 3

Role-play an emergency phone call because of an accident in your home or neighbourhood. Use the emergency response procedures from St John’s Ambulance Young Lifesaver course, Session 2.

Independent Learning

92

If you have not already had the opportunity, take First Aid training at the Young Lifesaver or Lifesaver 1 and 2 levels. It will help you be confident in an emergency. It can help you save a life.

The Role of the Health Office Technologist

Everyone who works in Health Care must be able to identify people who are having a medical emergency so the Health Care worker can quickly get help for them.When you are a receptionist or an admitting clerk, you see many people. Some of them will be seriously ill. They may or may not have an appointment. Usually, a nurse in reception, admitting, or accident and emergency has the responsibility to decide which patients need help first. However, it is very important for all staff to know what to do in an emergency. For example, the receptionist plays an important role in knowing what an emergency is.Most Health Care organisations have a rule that only doctors or nurses are allowed to treat patients in a medical emergency. This rule is called a “no-intervention policy”. This policy protects the patient from people who may try to help, but are not qualified to treat patients, and who can end up making things worse for the patient. The Health Office Technologist must know what emergency policies are in place where she works.

TASK 4

Look at the following examples, and answer the questions below each.Example 1Mariam works at Emirates Hospital. She wants to help people. On the way to the cafeteria for her coffee break, she sees an old lady fall down. Mariam quickly goes to help the old lady. Mariam tries several times to lift the old

93

lady on to her feet, but the old lady cries out and falls back to the floor. Why can’t the old lady get up? She broke her hip when she fell.What did Mariam do to help?

Was this the right or wrong thing to do? Why or why not?

Example 2The worker comes to take Ahmed to x-ray. Ahmed is lying in bed. The worker tells Ahmed to get into the wheelchair, but Ahmed does not move or talk. The worker waits a few minutes, then shouts at Ahmed, and then shakes Ahmed. Why doesn’t Ahmed get up? Ahmed is unconscious.What did the worker do? Was this the right or wrong thing to do? Why or why not?Describe the correct procedure for this example.

Example 3Sara is a clinic receptionist. She has her First Aid certificate. She is confident that she can deal with any emergency. As she walks through the waiting area, a lady falls to the floor, holding her hands over her chest. Sara thinks “heart attack” and starts Dr ABC.

Has Sara done anything wrong?

If so, what?

If not, why not?

Explain the procedure to follow in this emergency.

Case Studies: Medical Emergencies

94

As a Health Care receptionist or admitting clerk, you must identify people who are having medical emergencies. You do this to get help quickly from a doctor or nurse.

TASK 5: Case Studies In the following cases, you must identify people who are having medical emergencies . For each case, explain what you would do.

Case 1Saeed arrived ten minutes late for his 11 am appointment. It is now 11:20. The doctor is with another patient. Saeed is impatient and says he has to get to a meeting. He is complaining to other patients about waiting.

Is Saeed a medical emergency? ________________________________________Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 2Amna and her husband Abdul brought their 6-year-old son to the clinic. Amna says that he fell off his swing. He fell over his bike onto his stomach. His bike was lying on the ground. The little boy is very pale. His eyes are closed tightly. He is holding his arms across his stomach. He does not want his father to put him down.

Is the little boy a medical emergency? _____________________________________

95

Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 3Mohammed has come for his appointment. He is sweating. He looks pale and anxious. He holds his hand on his chest and squeezes his hand shut. He is breathing faster than normal. He groans every few minutes. He waits patiently without interrupting you.

Is Mohammed a medical emergency? ______________________________________Why or why not? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 4Mariam and her mother wait 15 minutes for the doctor. Her mother is eating an apple. Suddenly Mariam shouts, “Mama, what’s wrong! What’s wrong!” You notice that the mother does not answer and is holding her hands up to her throat. The mother cannot speak. Her skin is almost blue.

Is Mariam’s mother a medical emergency? _________________________________

96

Why or why not? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 5Khalifa comes into reception shouting and holding his thumb. There is a bandage on his thumb and he is shouting that he needs the doctor to see him immediately. You see that the bandage is clean and no blood is soaking through.

Is Kalifa a medical emergency? __________________________________________Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 6Maryam comes into the hospital with her sister. Maryam cannot stand up. You know she is eight months pregnant because she has been coming to the clinic for some time. She is pale, she looks like she might faint and she is in pain. Her sister says Maryam is bleeding very heavily from her womb.

Is Maryam a medical emergency? ________________________________________

97

Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What to do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 7Amna comes into the clinic with her five month old baby. Amna does not have an appointment. The baby is very quiet, very red in the face and very hot to touch. Amna says the baby has had this high fever all night. The baby has vomited many times and will not drink. Amna is polite and says she will wait for the doctor.

Is Amna’s baby a medical emergency? _____________________________________Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What to do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 8Abdullah hops into the reception room. He hurt his leg while playing football. His leg is badly swollen and bruised. He is complaining loudly of pain. He wants to see the doctor immediately.

Is Abdullah a medical emergency? ________________________________________

98

Why or why not? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 9Suhaila comes to the diabetic clinic where you work each month to test her blood sugar. She takes insulin by syringe three times a day. Today she says she feels strange. It is Ramadan. Suhaila has been fasting all day. She is pale and clammy. She feels so faint she must sit down. She can’t speak properly and it’s difficult to understand her.

Is Suhaila a medical emergency? _________________________________________Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What to do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 10Sameya comes into the clinic with her two year old son. She does not have an appointment. The boy is unconscious. Sameya says he was bitten on the leg by a snake in the desert. His leg is very red and swollen.

Is Sameya’s son a medical emergency? ____________________________________

99

Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 11Amina comes into the reception room sneezing and coughing very loudly. She does not have an appointment. She has a tissue to her nose and says she has not slept all night. She wants to see the doctor for medicine right away.

Is Amina a medical emergency? __________________________________________Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Case 12Asma comes into the reception room with her grandmother. Her grandmother cut her hand while cooking. The bandage is soaked red with blood. The grandmother is very pale. She says she feels thirsty, dizzy, faint and nauseous.

Is the grandmother a medical emergency? __________________________________________

100

Why or why not? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What should you do? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

References

Anderson, Jen, beels, Christine and Derek Powell. (1994) Health Skills for Life, Key Stage 3. Surrey UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.

Anderson, Jen, beels, Christine and Derek Powell. (1994) Health Skills for Life, Key Stage 4. Surrey UK: Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd.

Nelson-Jones, Richard (1991) Lifeskills A Handbook Villiers House :London

Tweedy, James (1997 ) Healthcare Hazard Control and Safety Management Florida: Lewis Publishers

Websites:

*UCLA Ergonomics: Tips for Computer Users . Retrieved 27th December 2006 http://www.ergonomics.ucla.edu/Tips_Users.html

*Life skills for Vocational Success . Retrieved 27th December 2006 http://www.workshopsinc.com/manual/

101

http://www.workshopsinc.com/manual/


* Teaching Guides for Middle school. Retrieved from Live Wire media 27th December 2006 http://www.goodcharacter.com/MStopics.html

* Conflict resolution. Retrieved from Great Web Resources for Teachers 27th December 2006 http://www.goodcharacter.com/TeacherResources.html

* University of Vermont : Growing Connections http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/growingconnections/LIfe%2520Skills.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/growingconnections/%3FPage%3Dpage2.html&h=1485&w=1461&sz=452&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=QfFbcph_5NdlKM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlife%2Bskills%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLR,GGLR:2006-09,GGLR:en%26sa%3DN

Videos Available in the Library

Interview Skills

The Job Application (Basic Communication Skills)

The Business Letter (Advanced Communication Skills)

102

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/growingconnections/LIfe%2520Skills.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/growingconnections/%3FPage%3Dpage2.html&h=1485&w=1461&sz=452&hl=en&start=14&tbnid=QfFbcph_5NdlKM:&tbnh=150&tbnw=148&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dlife%2Bskills%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGLR,GGLR:2006-09,GGLR:en%26sa%3DN



http://www.goodcharacter.com/TeacherResources.html

http://www.goodcharacter.com/MStopics.html

Date post:	25-Mar-2019
Category:	Documents
Upload:	dangnhu
View:	216 times
Download:	0 times

aawhot.pbworks.comaawhot.pbworks.com/f/Work Experience Preparation BOOK MATERIA… · Web...

Documents