Habits of a

Health Care
Provider
By:
Anne Shaira B. Saria

BIOETHICS
BSN 2-A
HABITS
Habit
Habits are routine behaviours done on a
regular basis. They are recurrent and often
unconscious patterns of behaviour and are
acquired through frequent repetition. Many of
these are unconscious as we don’t even realise
we are doing them.
 2 Types of Habits

Good Habits
 2 Types of Habits

Good Habits Bad Habits

 Good Habits

ef ic ia l t o
a t is be n
v i ou r t h h e a l t h,
A beha al o r m e n ta l
f
h y s ic v e l o
one’s p to a hi g h l e
n li nk e d ol .
oft e e l f - co n t r
li n e a n d s
disc i p
 Bad Habits

l if e a n d
p t y o u r
t i n te rr u g y o u r
it s t h a p l i s h in
A ha b f ro m ac c o m
e a lt h —
e n t y o u y o u r h
prev j e o p ar d i ze
n d t h e y
. T h e y i c a l ly . A
goals l y a n d p h y s
h m en t a l e r g y .
bo t e a n d e n
y o u r t i m
waste
Being a health care
provider can be
stressful.

Having healthy habits in

place can mitigate
stress and help you be
better at your job!
 Examples of Good Habits:
1) Be Proactive, Not Reactive!
2) Be Thinking About the End from the very Beginning!
3) First Things Come First

4) The Win – Win Mindset

5)Understanding is more Important than being Understood

6) Achieve Synergy

7) Self Care
 Examples of Bad Habits:
1) Skipping Meals
2) Procastinating, then rushing
3) Resisting Change

4) Gossiping

5) Taking things too personally

6) Being Disorganized

7) Isolating Yourself
Your Picture Here The Power of Habit
Much of what we do in our
personal and work lives is a
series of habits, both good and
bad that we develop over time.
Habits are the brain’s way of
saving energy. Yet, not all of our
work or personal habits are good
habits. If we want to replace bad
habits with good habits, we need
to be intentional whether it
involves losing weight or getting
staff to wash their hands before
they enter a room.
-Charles Duhigg
 The Habit Loop
This is a three step process
deep within our brains that
begins with a cue or trigger
that tells our brains to go into
automatic process, and
which emotional, physical or
mental behavior to use in
response to this cue. The
final step is the reward that
we feel from the behavior.

-Charles Duhigg
 Elements of the Habit Loop
The Cue
 The cue for a habit can be anything that triggers the habit. Cues most generally
fall under the following categories: a location, a time of day, other people, an
emotional state, or an immediately preceding action.

The Routine
 A habit's routine is the most obvious element: it's the behavior you wish to
change or reinforce.

The Reward
 The reward is the reason the brain decides the previous steps are worth
remembering for the future. The reward provides positive reinforcement for the
desired behavior, making it more likely that you will produce that behavior again
in the future.
 Case Example

Sue Morris is a new graduate nurse working on your unit. Natalie Cody is an
experienced charge nurse who is technically very competent but has a
reputation of being a bully. Your unit has just implemented walking rounds.
Sue is attempting to give report during this walking rounds, but is unsure of
her assessments. Sensing her hesitancy, Natalie sees this a cue and
immediately begins questioning Sue in an antagonistic tone about the care
she has given her patients and her lack of organizational abilities. This
discussion takes place in front of whole team who react to this discussion
with amused looks on their faces. Natalie’s reward in this situation is a sense
of power and superiority. The culture on the unit where Sue and Natalie work
is one in which this disrespect among co-workers has been tolerated. A new
manager has recently started on this unit. She has spoken to Natalie about
what she has observed. Natalie is shocked when her manager tells her that
she has a habit of bullying. The manager tells Natalie that she will work with
her to break this destructive habit.
Cue – the hesitancy or insecurity of the new graduate

Response– shift from questioning in an antagonisitic

tone to supportive coaching and concern

Reward– the nursing staff who observe Natalie will give

her positive feedback about her great coaching
Why Your Brain Can’t
Tell The Difference
Between Good
Habits and Bad
Habits??
At the subconscious level,
your brain cannot
distinguish between a
habit that is ultimately
GOOD for you, and one
that’s ultimately BAD for
you.
GOOD habits move you
toward your goal or
destination; whether it’s to be
happy, healthy, and be an
effective and productive
healthcare provider.
BAD habits, however, block
you, stop you, hinder you,
slow you down, or ultimately
prevent you from reaching
your goal or destination.
These habits hold you back
from the success you desire
and are perfectly capable of.
HOW, then, can you
actually change your
habits and your
behavior, when the very
thing you’re trying to
change, is fighting you
every step of the way?
If you want to get better
results and reach your
goals, how can you
change our habits, so
you stop driving down
the road of life with one
foot on the brake, and
actually reach your
goals?
Bottom line:
If you want to get a better results
being a health care provider, you
must learn how to change your
.

habits at the subconscious level.

Once you see everything as a

bunch of habits; it’s like someone
gave you a flashlight and a
crowbar and you can get to work.
Take Action Challenge:

Stop trying to change

your habits using
willpower. Be open to
a new way of thinking
and get ready for
massive changes very
quickly in your life.
Thank You!
 References:
• Sherman, R. ( 2013). Emerging RN Leader. The Power of Habit. Retrieved from
https://www.emergingrnleader.com/changinghabitsinnursing/?
fbclid=IwAR1YEArdVp_leQB5K6A4zHcYesY4Jg79YBaU4hugYfbJCSqMyqWCbP5hdzg. Retrieved on
2019, November 02.
• Noah, J. (2009). Why Your Brain Can’t Tell The Difference Between Good Habits and Bad Habits.
Retrieved from noahstjohn.com/why-your-brain-cant-tell-the-difference-between-good-habits-and-bad-
habits/?fbclid=IwAR1-JRTHMiHwn3kduosAXOMofqR1nzcI2sv3TDiLz5qQ394FtIfeoXS2SSk.
Retrieved on 2019, November 02.
• Proctor, G.I. (2016). Good Habits vs Bad Habits. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Ke3QgEArXyo&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR3o7HYoeC0JX6P-_7xMlt17BI-c4f3-
Rivp05S6wjD3EPcaOGxSidQP8Rg. Retrieved on 2019, November 02.