Chapter 3

Learning Objectives
 Define, spell & pronounce the terms listed in vocabulary.
 Explain the reasons professionalism is important in the
medical field, & describe work ethics
 Discuss the attributes of professional medical assistants,
& project a professional image in the ambulatory care
setting.
 Identify obstructions to professional behaviors.
 Define the principles of self-boundaries.
 Describe the dynamics of the healthcare team
 Apply time management strategies to prioritize the
medical assistant’s responsibilities as a member of the
healthcare team.
 Summarize the role of professional medical assistant
organizations.
 Professional
Behavior in the
Workplace

Page 32 - 39
 Page 32
The Meaning of Professionalism
 Professionalism = having a courteous,
conscientious, & respectful approach to all
interactions & situations in the workplace.
 The attitude of those in the medical profession
generally is more conservative than that seen in
other career fields.
 Patients expect professional behavior & base
much of their trust & confidence in those who
show this type of demeanor in the healthcare
facility.
 Page 33
Work Ethics
 Work ethics = sets of values based on the moral
virtues of hard work & diligence. A person who
has a good work ethic is one who arrives on time,
is rarely absent, & always performs to the best of
his or her ability.
 Most new hires have a probationary period that
may least 30 to 90 days. Any absences or
tardiness during the probationary period can be
grounds to terminate the employee once the
probationary period is up or even before that if
multiple attendance issues arise.
 Page 33
Work Ethics: Cont.
 Ifthe medical assistant has an emergency & must
be absent or tardy, he or she should make sure to
notify the supervisor according to office policy.
 Providers & patients alike expect this reliability.
 All employees should know, & follow, the
attendance policies of the facility as outlined in
the policies & procedures manual.
 Page 33
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants
 Patientsoften see the medical assistant as an
extension of the provider & healthcare facility.
 As representatives of the healthcare facility,
medical assistants must consistently display
professionalism through their attitude,
appearance, & behavior.
 Regardlessof the situation, the medical assistant
must always act professionally.
 Page 33
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
Courteous & Respectful
 Treating patients with courtesy & dignity are
crucial to interacting with patients professionally.
Courteous behavior is polite, open, & welcoming.
Despite patient attitudes or the stressors in your
personal & professional life, you must always
treat patients with respect. Patients expect to be
treated as individuals, not just another health
problem.
 Page 33
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
• Display positive nonverbal behaviors, including
using an even, calm tone of voice; establishing
eye contact; & taking the patient into a private
area to discuss problems.
• Always use proper grammar, without slang
words, to demonstrate your respect for the
individual
• Explain medical treatments & conditions with
simple lay language rather than expecting the
patient to understand medical terminology.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
• Demonstrate interest in patients as individuals.
• Recognize the personal biases that you bring to
the field o medical assisting & how they can
affect respectful patient care.
• Respect the role of other members of the
healthcare team in meeting the needs of patients
& families.
• Demonstrate sensitivity to the patient’s & the
family’s needs
• Maintain patient confidentiality.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
Diplomatic & Tactful
 A diplomatic & tactful person always attempts to
interact honestly without giving offense. The
medical assistant must be sensitive to the needs of
patients & co-workers, especially if the person
you are communicating with is upset. What
methods can the professional medical assistant
use to communicate diplomatically & tactfully
with co-workers & patients?
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
• Respond calmly to problematic situations with
reflection, making sure the patient knows you
recognize how he or she feels about the problem.
• Consistently communicate politely & honestly.
• Gather feedback about the possible causes of the
problem
• Recognize the needs & rights of others &
attempt to reach a mutually beneficial resolution
to the problem.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
• Assess your personal response to the situation &
do not allow your personal beliefs & biases
prevent you from interacting diplomatically &
tactfully with patients, families, & co-workers.
• Provide patient- & family-centered care.
• Show sensitivity to the needs of health care team
members.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
Responsible & Honest
 A responsible medical assistant is one who is
dependable.
 The healthcare team must be able to rely on the
medical assistant to perform all his or her duties
within the accepted standards of care.
 Practice managers should be confident that once
given a task to do, the medical assistant will carry
it out accurately & in a timely manner.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
 At the same time, if an error is made or there is a
problem performing a particular task, the medical
assistant must honestly report these issues to
immediate supervisor.
 Patient safety is the number one priority, &
anytime it is compromised, the medical assistant
must report the problem so that the patient can be
safeguarded against any further injury.
 Dependability & honesty are critical components
in earning the trust & respect of others.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
 How can an entry-level medical assistant perform
his or her duties with responsibility, integrity, &
honesty?
• Interact with patients in a straightforward,
honest manner while supplying all the facts,
using lay terms so the patient understands & can
make educated decisions
• Be thorough & pay close attention to detail so
that the patient is confident you are a
responsible professional.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
• Never misrepresent yourself or the medical
practice.
• Honestly recognize your own limitations & do
not hesitate to seek guidance or assistance if
you are not sure of a particular administrative or
clinical procedure.
• Accept responsibility for your failures or errors
& determine how to prevent them from
occurring in the future.
 Page 34
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
Response to Criticism
 It can be very difficult to receive negative
feedback in the workplace.
 However, constructive criticism is a way for us to
recognize that there are areas in which we need to
improve our skills & develop more professional
methods.
 To grow beyond entry-level skills, the medical
assistant must be willing to recognize any
weaknesses & use this feedback.
 Pages 34 – 35
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
Professional Image
 How you appear affects the way you are treated &
what others think of you.
 Important assumptions are made within seconds
of meeting someone, based only on how they
look.
 Let’sconsider some standard guidelines for the
appearance of the professional medical assistant.
 Pages 34 – 35
Attributes of Professional Medical
Assistants: Cont.
 Most medical facilities require medical assistants
to wear uniform or scrubs;
 Hair should be clean & not overly styled.
 Shoes should be clean
 Nails should be cut short & without nail polish
(no artificial nails).
 Tattoos & body piercings are not considered
professional, so medical assistants must follow
office policy about their appearance.
 Page 35

Obstructions to Professionalism
Personal Problems & “Baggage”
 When a situation intrudes on our thoughts at
work, it is best to take time to talk to a supervisor.
 It is not necessary to share the intimate details,
but a quick explanation that some difficulties that
are occurring outside of work helps the supervisor
understand any changes in habit or attitude.
 The workday should be focused on delivering
quality patient care; therefore, do not allow
personal business to interfere with the time that
should be spent assisting patients & the provider.
 Page 35
Obstructions to Professionalism: Cont.
Rumors & the “Grapevine”
 Most people enjoy working in an environment in
which employees cooperate & get along with
each other, but rumors can cause problems with
employee morale, & often are exaggerations or
manipulations of the truth.
 A medical assistant should refuse to participate in
the office rumor mill & should attempt to be
cordial & friendly to everyone at work.
 Supervisors regard those who spread or discuss
rumors as unprofessional & untrustworthy.
 Page 35
Obstructions to Professionalism: Cont.
Personal Phone Calls & Business
 Don’t take unnecessary phone calls from friends
& family at the office. The office phone is a
business line & must be used as such, except in
emergencies. Using personal cell phones during
working hours is not acceptable.
 Visitors should not frequent the office, especially
the area where the medical assistant is working. If
someone must come to the office, always offer
the reception area as a waiting room. Visitors
should never be allowed to enter patient areas.
 Page 35
Obstructions to Professionalism: Cont.
 Checking personal e-mail also should be avoided
in the workplace. Any type of personal business,
such as studying, looking up information on the
Internet for personal use, Internet shopping, or
using social media should be done at home & not
in the office.
 Many employees are fired each year for
surfing or shopping on the Internet for
personal reasons or for checking personal e-
mail. Make sure all personal business is
handled outside of business hours.
 Page 36
Establishing Healthy
Self-Boundaries
 We all determine our physical, emotional, &
metal limits & use them to protect ourselves in
both our personal & professional lives.
 Personal boundaries are developed to protect us
from being manipulated or used by others.
 We expect those we live & work with to
recognize & understand our personal limits, but at
the same time we must respect the self-
boundaries of others.
 Page 36
Establishing Healthy
Self-Boundaries: Cont.
 Working out personal differences requires honest
communication & compromise so that everyone
understands your position & recognizes that you
are willing to be a team member.
 This process starts with you recognizing that your
needs & feelings are not more important than
those of anyone else, but also that your
preferences are just as important & deserve to be
recognized.
 Page 36
Establishing Healthy
Self-Boundaries: Cont.
 Establishing healthy self-boundaries results in:
• Improved self-confidence
• Better ability to communicate honestly with
others
• Relationships based on honesty & respect
 Page 36
The Healthcare Team
 Teamwork is high on the list important attributes
• Staff members must work together for the good
of the patients.
 Be willing to perform duties outside of the job
description if they are needed in other areas of the
office. Supervisors frown on employees who
state, “That’s not in my job description.”
• If the task is illegal, unethical, or places the
patient or anyone else in danger, it should not
be done.
 Page 36

The Healthcare Team: Cont.

 If you have an issue with another employee, the
first move would be to discuss it privately with
the other person.
 Ifthe situation does not improve, a supervisor
(office or practice manager) should be involved
for further discussions.
 Do not bring the provider into the discussion
unless there is no choice because the facility
manager is expected to deal with personnel
issues.
 Page 36
Time Management
 You must prioritize your duties & arrange the
schedules to ensure that these duties can be
performed.
 Taking 10 minutes to write down the tasks for the
day helps ensure that they are done.
 Stay on schedule throughout the day, unless you
are interrupted by emergencies.
 Even then, when days are well planned,
allowances can be made for emergencies & most
tasks can still be completed.
 The key to managing time is prioritizing.
 Page 37

Time Management: Cont.

Prioritizing
 Prioritizing is simply deciding which tasks are
most important. Many people make a “to do” list
for the day’s activities, but the secret to success is
prioritizing those activities into categories that
give order to the tasks.
 Most tasks can be prioritized into three general
categories: those that must be done that day, those
that should be done that day, & those that could
be done if time permits.
 Page 37

Medical Assistant Organizations

 Participationin a professional medical assistant
organization has multiple benefits:
• AAMA legal counsel represents medical
assistant across the US to fight for the rights of
medical assistant practice.
• Membership shows a level of seriousness about
your chosen profession.
• Members receive a complimentary
subscription to CMA Today, an informative
magazine devoted entirely to the medical
assistant profession
 Page 37
Medical Assistant Organizations: Cont.
• The CMA (AAMA) Exam is one of the
credentialing exams offered to medical
assistants.
 Another possible credential for medical assistants
is the Registered Medical Assistant (RMA).
 Becoming credentialed as a medical assistant has
definite benefits.
 For many new medical assistants, an earned
credential improves their chances of getting &
keeping a job in today’s healthcare environment.
 Page 38
Closing Comments
 Behaving in a professional manner in the medical
office helps gain the patient’s trust. Trust is one of
the most important factors in preventing cases of
medical liability.
 Performing as a cooperative team member goes a
long way in promoting a positive healthcare
environment for the patient.
 Incorporating time management strategies into
each day not only helps you perform tasks more
efficiently, but also ensures that no important
tasks are left uncompleted.
 Page 38

Closing Comments: Cont.

Patient Education
 Most patients do not understand many of the
phrases used by the medical community.
 Always be patient & explain any aspect of the
instructions the patient does not understand.
 If the patient seems concerned about revealing
pertinent information, assure the person that
medical assistants & the rest of the staff in the
facility are bound by rules of patient
confidentiality.
 Page 38

Closing Comments: Cont.

 Before the patient leaves the exam room, make
sure to ask, “Do you have any questions?” This
gives patients the opportunity to get all their
questions answered before they leave the facility.
 A professional medical assistant does not share
personal information with anyone at the medical
facility.
 Refrain from passing along rumors of any type to
patients or their families.
 Page 38

Closing Comments: Cont.

Legal & Ethical Issues
 The workday should centered around patient care,
so never allow personal business to intrude.
Otherwise, the patient may be left with the
impression that you, or the entire staff, are
unprofessional, & this often leads to trust issues.
 Professional credentialing is becoming more
important each year. To safeguard future practice
rights, medical assistant should become credential
as either a CMA (AAMA) or an RMA.