Professionalism, appearance, and time management

Practicing professionalism as a team member

A team is a group of people organized for work or a specific purpose. In the healthcare setting, typically, the team consists of the employees working in the same department. A broader definition could include all the employees at the facility. A team member is loyal to the group and works well with the other people in the group. As a member, the medical assistant must help the team function. It is important to know the roles of the different team members to do this.

It is important to have several qualities to be a valuable team member. Work ethic, punctuality, cooperation, and the willingness to help are important traits in a team member. It takes all members working together to make an effective and productive team. When a member drops the ball, others must step in and do extra work.

The meaning of professionalism

Professionalism is defined as having a courteous, conscientious, and respectful approach to all interactions and situations in the workplace. It is characterized by or conforms to the recognized standard of care for the profession. Conducting themselves in a professional manner is essential for successful medical assistants. The attitude of those in the medical profession generally is more conservative than that seen in other career fields. Patients expect professional behavior and base much of their trust and confidence in those who show this type of demeanor in the healthcare facility.

Work ethic and punctuality

A work ethic is composed of sets of values based on hard work and diligence. The medical assistant should always display initiative and be reliable. People with a good work ethic arrive on time, are rarely absent, and always perform to the best of their ability. Co-workers become frustrated if another employee consistently arrives late or is absent. This forces others to take on additional duties, and it may prevent them from completing their own work.

One missing employee can disrupt the entire day. Phones may not be answered promptly. Patients may have to wait longer for appointments. Lunch breaks may be shortened to allow all the work to be done. All employees should know and follow the attendance policies of the facility as outlined in the policies and procedures manual.

Most new hires have a probationary period that may last 60 to 90 days. Excessive absences or tardiness (arriving late) will negatively impact the employee. It may be grounds for termination (loss of job). If the medical assistant is absent or tardy, the supervisor must be notified prior to the start time. Medical assistants must make sure to follow the office policy. All employees must be punctual (on time) every day. Providers and patients expect this reliability.

Cooperation and willingness to help, and teamwork

Each team member must be willing to cooperate and help others on the team. Teamwork is working with others in the best interest of completing their job. In healthcare practice, the overall goal should be providing the best patient care, which is done through cooperation between team members. Everyone in the facility has an important role that depends on someone else.

It is important to remember that the patient comes first and everyone is responsible for the care of that patient.

Team members watch out for each other. For example, if a coworker falls behind on charting before the next patient arrives, another team member might step in to room the patient or answer phones so the office stays on schedule. The role of the medical assistant requires cooperation, willingness to help, and coordination with all members of his or her team.

Team dynamics

Team dynamics consist of:

• Assisting each other on a daily basis with the duties required.
• Avoiding interpersonal conflict with members of the team and remaining professional at all times.
• Performing extra responsibilities without questioning or complaining.
• Being considerate of all other team members’ duties and responsibilities.

Professional appearance

A medical professional always strives to maintain a neat appearance in the workplace, and personal cleanliness is an important part of this. Your appearance is the first impression you make on your patients, coworkers, and the providers you work with. Medical facilities are considered “conservative” work environments, and your appearance should reflect a conservative style.

Professional guidelines

The following are a few examples of professional guidelines to be used in a medical environment:

• Your approved uniform or other clothes should be clean, be pressed, fit properly, and be in good condition.
• Your shoes should be comfortable, clean, and appropriate for the duties at hand. Open-toed should not be worn to prevent injury or infection to yourself.
• Choose a hairstyle that is flattering and conservative. Hair should be clean and pulled back from your face and off your collar if it is long. Natural colors for hair are the most acceptable in the medical environment.
• Your nails should be kept at a short working length, no more than one-fourth of an inch, and natural color. Acrylic nails should not be worn, as they pose a risk for infection.
• Body odors, including the odor of smoke, are offensive. Even pleasant odors such as hairspray, perfumes, and lotions may trigger nausea or allergies in some patients and should be avoided.
• Jewelry should be kept to a minimum and in good taste. No more than one ring should be worn. Rings may tear into exam gloves. Ears can be pierced with one hole, and small earrings are appropriate. Avoid dangling earrings, as patients (pediatric patients) can tear or pull them off.
• Visible tattoos, body piercings, and tongue or lip piercings are not acceptable.

Time management and prioritizing

Personal and professional time management skills are essential for medical assistants. Time management is controlling how you spend your time. People who use time management techniques routinely are the highest achievers in all walks of life, professionally and personally. Using these skills will help you function exceptionally well in the medical office, even under intensive pressure. Setting goals and concentrating on results, not just being busy, are the main focus of time management.

Prioritizing means to arrange and complete duties in the order of most importance. To be an effective medical assistant, you must be able to manage your time and prioritize effectively. You decide the order in which tasks are completed based on factors such as the task deadline and its importance.

Improving time management and prioritization

Evaluate yourself, and use the following ideas to improve your ability to manage time and prioritize:

1. Have a plan for your day. Know what needs to be done. Set your daily goals and try to meet them.

2. Take advantage of your own productivity. That is, you may work better at a particular time of day. Choose to do the most difficult tasks when you are working at your best. Remember, everybody has sluggish times, so recognize when yours are - maybe right after lunch or near the end of the day. Plan accordingly.

3. Avoid distractions when you can. Of course, if your job is to answer the phone, then you must do so. But if someone is just chatting or your smartphone is constantly ringing, this probably means you are not accomplishing what needs to be done. Personal cell phones and other electronic devices should never be used while you’re working; depending on workplace policy, you may be allowed to check a personal phone on break, kept on mute or silent, with social media avoided and work email kept separate from personal email. Personal phone calls, text messages, tweets, or other communications are not supposed to occur during your working hours. However, business electronic communication is vital. Consider setting specific times during the day to look at business correspondence so you will not have constant interruptions.

4. Evaluate yourself on a daily basis. Consider whether you accomplished your daily goal, and come up with a plan to continue or do better the next day.