Professional Appearance Important to present an appearance that
inspires confidence and a positive self-image Research has shown
that within 20 seconds to 4 minutes people form an impression about
another person based mainly on appearance Rules for appearance may
vary Certain professional standards apply to most health careers
and should be observed to create a positive impression
Slide 3
Areas of Personal Appearance for Health Care Workers Good
Health Professional Appearance
Slide 4
Good Health Diet Rest Exercise Good Posture Avoiding the use of
tobacco, alcohol and drugs
Slide 5
Diet First Factor of Good Health Eat well-balanced meal with
nutritious foods Provides the body with needed materials for good
health Eat a variety of foods from the 5 major food groups (milk;
meat; fish and poultry; vegetables; fruits; and bread, cereals,
rice and pasta) should be eaten daily
Slide 6
Rest Need adequate rest and sleep Provides energy and ability
to deal with stress Amount of sleep required varies from individual
to individual
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Exercise Maintains Circulation and Improves Muscle Tone Helps
Mental Attitude Contributes to More Restful Sleep Choose the form
you like best and enjoy Obtain some type of exercise daily
Slide 8
Good Posture Prevents fatigue and puts less stress on muscles
Stand straight with stomach muscles pulled in, shoulders relaxed
and weight balanced equally on both feet
Slide 9
Avoid Use of Tobacco & Drugs Use of tobacco, alcohol and
drugs seriously affects good health Tobacco affects function of
heart, circulatory system, lungs, and digestive system Smoke is
offensive to many individuals Most facilities are smoke-free
environments Alcohol and Drugs also Affect Good Health Interferes
with mental function Decreases ability to make decisions Negatively
affects many body systems Use of Substances (legal or illegal) can
result in loss of job Avoiding use prevents damage to body
systems
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Professional Appearance
Slide 11
Parts of a Professional Appearance Uniform Clothing Name Badge
Shoes Personal Hygiene Nails Hair Jewelry Makeup
Slide 12
Uniform Required in some health occupations Should be neat,
well-fitting, clean and free from wrinkles Large variety of styles
is available-avoid extreme styles Find out what type and color of
uniform is required Follow standards established by place of
employment
Slide 13
Clothing Regular clothing worn in place of uniforms in some
careers Must be clean, neat, and in good repair Should be
appropriate for position Clean, neat jeans may be appropriate for
recreational therapist Jeans not proper dress for many health
occupations Washable fabrics usually best because frequent washing
is necessary
Slide 14
Name Badge Most facilities require employees to wear name badge
or photo identification tag States name, title, and department of
health care worker In some facilities, name badge required by
law
Slide 15
Shoes White shoes are frequently required Should fit well and
provide good support to prevent fatigue Low heels are best because
they prevent fatigue and accidents Avoid tennis shoes/sandals
unless they are standard dress Clean daily and clean or replace
shoelaces frequently Wear white socks with white pants uniform
Slide 16
Personal Hygiene Health care workers are in close contact with
other Control body odor Daily bath or shower Use of deodorant or
antiperspirants Good oral hygiene Clean undergarments Avoid strong
odors that can be offensive Tobacco Use Perfumes, scented
hairsprays, aftershaves lotions Certain scents can cause allergic
reactions in some individuals
Slide 17
Nails Kept short and clean Long pointed nails can cause injury
to patients Long nails can also puncture or tear gloves Germs are
transmitted when dirt collects under nails Avoid colored polish
Color conceals dirt that collects under nails Polish chips from
hand washing and germs collect on nails Flash of colors can bother
an ill person If polish is worn, should be colorless Use hand
creams or lotion to prevent chapping and dryness of hands caused by
frequent hand washing
Slide 18
Hair Clean and neat Styles attractively and easy to care for
Avoid fancy or extreme styles and hair ornaments Pinned back and
kept off collar Keeps hair from touching patient Prevents hair from
falling on tray or equipment Avoids blocking vision during a
procedure
Slide 19
Jewelry Usually not permitted with uniform Can cause injury to
patient and transmit germs and pathogens Exceptions include watch,
wedding ring and small pierced earrings Avoid dangling earrings or
earrings with hoops Body jewelry such as nose, eyebrow or
tongue-piercing jewelry interferes with a professional appearance
and is not allowed in many health care facililtes Limit jewelry
even when a uniform is not required Excessive jewelry interferes
with patient care
Slide 20
Makeup Avoid excessive make-up Should create a natural
appearance and add to attractiveness
Slide 21
Professional Characteristics
Slide 22
Empathy Honesty Dependability Willingness to Learn Patience
Acceptance of Criticism Enthusiasm Self-Motivation Tact Competence
Responsibility Discretion Team Player
Slide 23
Personal Characteristics Certain personal/professional
characteristics and attitudes apply to all health occupations You
should make every effort to develop these characteristics and
attitudes
Slide 24
Empathy To be able to identify with and understand another
persons feelings, situation and motives Health Care workers care
for persons of all ages 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 how to communicate
is one way to develop empathy
Slide 25
Honesty Truthfulness and integrity Others must be able to trust
you at all times Must be willing to admit mistakes so they be
corrected
Slide 26
Dependability Must accept responsibility Must be prompt in
reporting to work and maintain good attendance record Must perform
assigned tasks on time and accurately
Slide 27
Willingness to Learn Must be willing to learn and adapt to
changes Changes occur because of research, new inventions, and
technological advances Changes can mean learning new techniques or
procedures At times, additional education may be required to remain
competent Be prepared for lifelong learning
Slide 28
Patience Must be tolerant and understanding Must learn to
control your temper and count to ten Learn to deal with frustration
and overcome obstacles
Slide 29
Acceptance of Criticism Must be willing to accept criticism and
learn from it Patients, employers, co-workers and others may
critize you Some criticism will be good and allow you to improve
your work Everyone has some areas where performance can be
improved
Slide 30
Enthusiasm Must enjoy your work and display a positive attitude
Enthusiasm is contagious Helps you to do your best Encourages other
to do the same If you concentrate on positive points and negative
points will not seem to be quite so important
Slide 31
Self-Motivation Ability to begin or follow through with a task
Should be able to determine things that need to be done an do them
Set goals and work to reach the goals
Slide 32
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
Show consideration of the feeling of others Requires constant
practice
Slide 33
Competence Qualified and capable of performing a task Follow
Instructions Use approved procedures Strive for accuracy in all you
do Know your limits and ask for help or guidance if necessary
Slide 34
Responsibility Being willing to be held accountable for your
actions Others can rely on you Do what you are supposed to do
Slide 35
Discretion Using good judgment in what you say and do 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 care (HIPPA) Be
discreet and make sure patients rights are not violated
Slide 36
Team Player Become a team player Learn to work well with others
Each 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
Slide 37
To Summarize: Find out rules or standards established by agency
Abide by the rules Maintain a neat, clean, professional appearance
All characteristics and attitudes must be practiced and learned
Some characteristics take more time to learn than others Strive
constantly to improve Having professional characteristics will help
you provide good patient care and make you a valuable asset to your
employer and others
Slide 38
Review Questions 1. Sally begins your new job as a nursing
assistant at Shady Pines Nursing Center on Monday. What should she
do before purchasing a uniform? 2. Cynthias feet hurt after
standing up all day on the job at the local pharmacy. What might
she do to improve this problem? 3. What should all clinical
uniforms include?
Slide 39
Review Questions 4. T or F: A nursing assistant is called to
the nursing supervisors office for a professional appearance
violation. She was wearing red nail polish could this be the
violation. 5. Jill loves to dance and hopes to continue to dance
3-4 times a week. What will regular exercise help her to maintain?
6. T or F: Most health care facilities allow you to smoke while at
work. 7. What personal characteristic do HIPPA standards relate
to?
Slide 40
Review Questions 8. Juan is overweight and wants to lose weight
to improve his overall health. What could he do you help him
improve his diet? 9. Beyonc has long hair and is scheduled to
job-shadow on a pediatric unit. How should she wear her hair? 10.
How would a health care worker demonstrate self- motivation? 11.
What characteristics of personal appearance can be used to create a
positive first impression?
Slide 41
Review Questions 12. An elderly patient is loud, demanding,
impatient and critical. The patients son asks, Is my mother causing
you trouble? You respond by saying Your mother speaks her mind and
knows what she wants. Your response is an example of what personal
characteristic?