1 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Professional Behavior in the Workplace Chapter 4

2 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Questions to consider…  How do professional medical assistants put aside personal issues and devote themselves to the patients in the office?  How can Karen meet her familial and work obligations equally well?  What steps should Karen take to ensure that both her family and her supervisors understand her obligations to the other?  How can Karen exhibit professional behavior and compassion for patients on a daily basis at the physician’s office?

3 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Meaning of Professionalism Professionalism is exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. It is characterized by or conforms to the technical or ethical standards of a certain profession.

4 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Why Is Professionalism Important?  Patients expect medical personnel to be professional.  Patients place their trust and confidence in those they deem to be professional.  Attitudes are conservative in the medical field, mandating professionalism.

5 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Characteristics of Professionalism  Loyalty  Dependability  Courtesy  Initiative  Flexibility  Credibility  Confidentiality  Attitude

6 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Obstructions to Professionalism Sometimes it is difficult to be professional. Obstructions to professionalism include:  Personal Problems and Baggage  Rumors and “the Grapevine”  Personal Phone Calls and Business  Office Politics  Procrastination

7 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Personal Problems and Baggage  Situations medical assistants face outside of work may be difficult to leave at home.  These situations can interfere with the ability to perform at work.  Take a moment to discuss the situation with supervisors.  Use discretion when talking about the issues at hand.  Most supervisors will want to work with good employees through difficult times

8 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Rumors and the “Grapevine”  Rumors and gossip must be avoided in a professional medical facility.  These issues cause negative employee morale.  Rumors often become more exaggerated with each telling.  Medical assistants must be friendly and cordial to everyone.  Never take part in rumor-mongering or gossip in the office.

9 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Personal Phone Calls and Business  Avoid receiving personal calls at work unless a serious emergency occurs.  This rule includes both the office phone and personal cell phones.  Do not conduct any type of personal business during working hours.  Use personal time to check personal .

10 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Office Politics  Office politics can be positive or negative.  Positive office politics can lead to promotions and wage increases.  Negative office politics can lead to dissention and low employee morale.

11 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Procrastination  Procrastination is a sign of the fear of failure.  Never put off duties that can be done immediately.  Stop procrastination by doing something now.  Divide projects into small segments.

12 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Professional Attributes Professional attributes include:  Teamwork  Time Management  Prioritizing  Goal Setting

13 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Teamwork  Possibly one of the most important attributes to develop.  Staff members must work together for the good of the patients.  Cooperate with co-workers.  Teamwork promotes good employee morale.  Never say, “That’s not my job.”

14 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Teamwork

15 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Time Management  Use time efficiently.  Plan tasks that must be done.  Key to time management is prioritizing.

16 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Prioritizing  Prioritizing is deciding which tasks to do first.  Make a list of tasks.  Decide what must, should, and could be done today.  Place each task in numeric order within the “must,” “should,” and “could” categories.  Assign letters and numbers to categorize tasks.  Complete the tasks in order, and accomplish more every day.

17 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Goal Setting Goals should be:  Reasonable  Measurable  Written down  Monitored for progress  Set for all areas of an individual’s life  Celebrated when reached, even if it is a small accomplishment

18 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Knowing the Facility and Its Employees It is important to know the people who work in the medical facility and their general job descriptions, so that patients can be referred to the person who knows the most about their problems.

19 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Documentation When documenting medical information:  write legibly.  be complete.  state facts, not opinions.  state what was actually witnessed, not hearsay or information from a third party.  never use sarcastic language.  make corrections as directed.

20 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Note Taking  Always have pen and paper ready for note taking in meetings and seminars.  Keep a small pad and pen in a pocket for quick notes.

21 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Work Ethic A person with a good work ethic:  arrives on-time.  is rarely absent.  has a strong work output.  is honest.  is able to solve ethical problems.  has a character that is above reproach.

22 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Communication The success of any business is related to its ability to communicate effectively.

23 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Communication

24 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Substance Abuse Substance abuse is the repeated and excessive use of a substance to produce pleasure and escape reality, despite its destructive effects.

25 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Four Criteria That Suggest Substance Abuse  Continued use despite social or interpersonal problems  Repeated use resulting in failure to fulfill obligations at work, school, and/or home  Repeated use resulting in physically hazardous situations  Use resulting in legal problems

26 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Drug Dependence A person is dependent on a drug if it must be used to provide a specific health benefit. Physical dependence is not always a sign of addiction.

27 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Drug Abuse Drug abuse is the use of illegal drugs or the misuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

28 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Abuse Criteria  Tolerance for a drug  Withdrawal symptoms  Difficulty in controlling drug use  Negative consequences from drug use  Significant time or emotional energy spent seeking drugs  Neglecting regular activities  Desire to cut down on the use of a certain drug

29 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Drug Addiction Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a substance despite its negative and sometimes dangerous effects.

30 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Symptoms of Alcohol Abuse  Craving – a strong urge or need to drink  Loss of control – not being able to stop drinking once it has begun  Physical dependence – withdrawal symptoms, such as shakiness, nausea, sweating, and anxiety occur after drinking  Tolerance – the need to increase the amount of alcohol taken in to get the same effect

31 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Probing for Possible Abuse “On any single occasion in the last 3 months, have you had more than five drinks containing alcohol?”

32 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. CAGE Questionnaire  C – Have you ever felt that you needed to cut down on your drinking?  A – Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?  G – Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?  E – Eye opener: Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover?

33 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Summary of Scenario  Medical assistants are responsible for being team players  Arrive on time and avoid being absent from work  Put the patients first  Do not allow personal problems to interfere with work  Project a professional appearance  Discuss problems with supervisors before they escalate and become out of control

34 Copyright © 2011, 2007, 2003, 1999 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Closing Comments  Patients expect and deserve professional behavior  Show compassion, caring, and consideration to patients and visitors in the office  Earn the respect of co-workers  Become an indispensable team player in the medical office  Trust helps to prevent medical liability cases