Title: Professionalism and Your Personal Life
Course: HCP 0796 Patient Care Technician > Section: Module 7

Introduction

Module 7 furthers the student’s thought processes into career planning and employment as they prepare for the workforce. In this module students will learn how to establish career goals, explore what type of healthcare environment best suits their professional likes, how to find such jobs in their areas. The importance of establishing role models and mentors is also discussed.

Objectives

In this module students will be able to:

- Explain the difference between a stagnant career and a dynamic career.
- List five questions to ask yourself in career planning and identify three helpful resources.
- Describe personal assessments and what you can learn from them.
- Define goals, short-term goals, long-term goals, and realistic goals and explain why goals are important.
- Describe role models and mentors and explain their values.
- Identify the importance of computer skills in career advancement.
- Explain the importance of job application forms and identify four factors in completing them appropriately.
- Describe the role of pre-employment assessments.
- List five important factors in participating in a job interview.
- Describe why continuing education is important for healthcare workers and list two ways to obtain continuing education.

Pay attention throughout the course because each module builds upon the previous module in content and the student should be able to demonstrate this knowledge in the clinical setting.

Readings

Chapter 6 Career Planning and Employment – introduces you to the ways in which you will establish goals for career planning. We will discuss finding the area of healthcare that fits your likes while avoiding your dislikes by using such techniques as occupational preference tests, job shadowing, and evaluating transferrable skill that you may already possess. Exploring employment opportunities in your geographical area will also be explained as there are many ways to seek out these opportunities.

Goal setting for future career plans will also be part of the career planning process along with the use of role models and mentors for guidance. Though additional education may be a requirement of your future goals we will also discuss the importance of balancing priorities with career advancement. As you continue on your career journey there will be obstacles that will arise inevitably. We will explore the concept of expecting the unexpected and even some safe risks to take in your career. Lastly we will review the important concepts of resume development and the job application forms themselves. Some job applications will also include a pre-employment assessment which we will also cover. Once the job application is submitted the next step is conquering the interview. We will discuss how to be well prepared for the interview, how to actively participate during the interview, and what you can expect in return.

Discussion Board 10 will help you to utilize the information you have learned in this modules required readings to effectively handle the career planning and gainful employment process. It will also help you prepare for how to approach an annual performance review once you have acquired a job. Important ethical and moral aspects of the job application and resume will be visited in scenarios you may encounter within the workforce.

In Assignment 5 you will have an opportunity to answer the most common types of interview questions to prepare you for the style of questions that can be asked by any interviewer. These questions relate to behaviors that are essential to employers such as adaptability, trust, collaboration, decisiveness, energy, personal impact, integrity, and objectivity.

In Assignment 6 you will have the opportunity to complete an employee self-evaluation form based on your performances in the clinical settings throughout the Patient Care Technician Program. This helps the student to become comfortable with evaluating one’s self as this can be a difficult task to accomplish but is also one that most employers require of their employees annually. This assessment tool should help you as a professional and as an individual to recognize both strengths and weaknesses for improvement.

You will continue to conduct clinical rotations during this module.  Three 6-hour clinical days with a grade of satisfactory “S” for each day are required for successful completion of this course.  Please see the attachment located in this module for the guidelines of the clinical experience, clinical attendance policy, and clinical performance evaluation documentation.  These documents should guide you in your clinical experiences.

Instructions

- Complete Readings
- Complete Discussion Board 10
- Complete Assignment 5
- Complete Assignment 6
- Complete Exam 3
- Complete scheduled clinical (practicums)