In the Know, Inc. Inservice Club presents A Professional Growth Module ...

[Pages:10]In the Know, Inc. Inservice Club present s

A Professional Growth Module:

Professionalism & Work Ethic

We hope you enjoy t his Inservice, prepared especially for nursing assist ant s like you. You work very hard, and we appreciate the effort you m ake to com plete these educat ional m at erials. It show s your desire t o cont inue learning and grow ing in your p ro fessio n .

Aft er finishing t his inservice, you w ill be able t o: ? Discuss the work ethic in America. ? Explain how you feel about work and work ethic. ? List at least six qualities that demonstrate professionalism. ? Describe at least six nursing assistant skills that demonstrate professionalism. ? Discuss how a positive attitude relates to professionalism and work ethic. ? Demonstrate professionalism in your daily work.

Instructions for the Learner

If you are studying the inservice on your own, please: ? Read through all the attached materials. You may find it useful to have a highlight-

ing m arker nearby as you read. Highlight any inform at ion t hat is new t o you or t hat you feel is especially im port ant . ? If you have questions about anything you read, please ask ______________________________________. ? Take the quiz. Think about each statement and circle the best answer. ? Check with your supervisor for the right answers. You pass the quiz with at least six correct answers! Print your name, write in the date, and then sign your name. ? Keep the inservice information for yourself, and turn in the quiz page to _______________________________________ no later than _________________. ? Show your Inservice Club Membership Card to ______________________________________ so that it can be initialed.

THANK YOU!

In t h e Kn o w , In c.

IN THE KNOW

The Inservice Club for Nursing Assistants

How Does the Dictionary Define

Professionalism & Work Ethic

Professional?

"Professional" m eans... "t o be courteous, conscient ious, and

generally businesslike in t he workplace".

How Does the Dictionary Define

Work Ethic?

Do you see yourself as part of a professional health care team? You are. As a nursing assistant, you make a valuable contribution to your clients and your cow orkers. This is true w hether you w ork in a nursing home, a hospital, a client's home or some other setting.

For health care employees, being professional means acting in a kind, but businesslike manner. It also means that:

You have the knowledge to do the job-- you have studied how to be a nursing assistant.

You have the skills to do the job-- you have learned how to use the equipment and do the tasks needed in your work.

You have empathy for your clients-- you can put yourself in their shoes and understand how they are feeling.

"Work Ethic" means... "a belief that work is morally good."

? 1999 In the Know, Inc. May be copied for use w ithin each physical location that purchases m em bership in the Inservice Club. All other copying or distribution is strictly prohibited.

Throughout this inservice, you w ill learn more about professionalism and how to put your best foot forw ard at w ork.

Do you see your job as a necessary evil that you have to put up w ith to get a paycheck or as an important part of w ho you are and w hat you stand for? The w ay you view w ork is called your work ethic. Each individual has a w ork ethic and our society has an overall w ork ethic too. This inservice w ill review the w ork ethic of the United States and help you decide w hat w ork really means to you. You w ill also learn how important your attitude is to a successful w orking life and how attitude affects your professionalism.

IN THE KNOW

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What Is the Work Ethic of the United States And How Did It Get That Way?

The work ethic in the Un i t ed St at es w as shaped mostly by the early settlers-- the im m igrant s t hat cam e here from many different count ries around t he world. They cam e t o t his count ry w hen it w as just a w ilderness, and they weren't afraid of hard work. They had to build their homes, their schools and their tow ns. They had to grow their own food and make their ow n clothes. People who didn't work hard had a very rough time, so hard work w as seen as the best w ay to have a happy life. The early set t lers t ook great pride in their work and in the "new world" they were building.

As the United States became more developed, so did the national work ethic. Children were taught in school that it w as

important to work hard at reading, w riting and arithmetic. "Doing nothing" w as seen as a sure sign of laziness and failure.

In the late 1800`s,big businesses boom ed in America, and, unfortunately, some of them abused their workers. Many employees, especially women and children, were forced to work nonstop for sixteen hours a day, earning only pennies an hour. During this time, most people saw work as a drudgery, not as a pleasure.

In the last fifty years, co m p an i es have become more focused on workers' rights and have created "human resource" depart m ent s t o support their employees` needs. Labor law s have helped make workplaces

safer and work hours shorter. The work ethic has changed slightly to include t he ideas t hat :

? All work is important and can give employees sat i sf act i o n .

? Supervisors should help m ot ivat e em ployees by encouraging them to continue learning and developing on the job.

? Employees should try to pick a job that interests them. This w ill help them do qualit y work and give them the most personal satisfaction and pleasure.

In general, though, the work ethic in the U.S.has not changed much from the b eg i n n i n g . Working hard is st ill seen as

the best w ay to have a happy life.

IN THE KNOW

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How Do You Feel About Work?

To figure out how you feel about work,you might try answering these questions: ? While you were growing up, what were the messages you got about work? Did your parent s work? Did t hey enjoy t heir jobs?

? Did you have to do chores as a kid? If so, how did you feel about doing t hese chores? Did you have sum m er jobs t o earn spending m oney? Did you feel proud of earning your own money?

? When you were in school, did you have teachers who praised you when you worked hard? If you got a bad grade, did you take responsibilit y for it? Did you feel proud when you worked hard and got a good grade?

? Do you feel that work is an important part of your life? Do you look forw ard to coming to work most of the time? Do you enjoy being part of a health care team? Do you take pride in doing a good job? Do you get satisfaction from helping your clients?

? If you won a lottery and suddenly had millions of dollars, would you still w ant to work? If not, what do you see yourself doing all day, every day? Do you think your life would be satisfying without work?

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Only you can understand the "messages" you got about work as you were grow ing up. And only you can decide w hat work m eans t o you t oday. Just keep in m ind t hat m ost em ployers are looking for people w ho have a strong work ethic-- people w ho believe that the only job worth doing is a job done right.

Remember: A strong work ethic improves the quality of your work and the atmosphere of your workplace.

IN THE KNOW

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What Are Some Professional Qualities?

Since no t w o people are alike, w e all dem onst rat e our professionalism in different w ays. How ever, t here are cert ain qualit ies t hat supervisors look for w hen t hey are assessing som eone's professionalism . These qualit ies include being:

Helpful

En t h u siast ic

Pat ien t

Ded icat ed

Pleasant

Prod u ct ive

Coop erat ive

Dep en d ab l e

Hard w orking

Reliable

Cheerful

Honest

Friendly

Pu n ct u al

Loyal

Willing to follow directions

Efficient

Careful

What Qualities Are Unprofessional?

We all know unprofessional people when we see them. Many of them go through their work day being:

Host ile

Rude

Selfish Irresponsible Careless Tardy Negligent

No one is perfect ...we all have bad days. But someone who is unprofessional demonstrates t hese negat ive qualit ies nearly every day.

Uncaring

"From what we get in life, we can make a living. But, from what we give, we can make a life!"

A quote by Arthur Ashe, champion tennis player

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