When a patient approaches a professional physician or medical assistant, a professional appearance creates a good psychological impact on the patient. This is true especially for a patient who is at a vulnerable status when sick. Professional appearance is one of good health, dress, and grooming (Goldstein et al., 2006). Most clinics and medical facilities use standardized uniforms. Inside most hospital's waiting room, medical assistant wears uniforms known as scrubs. The scrubs are made by the various uniform clothing companies and sold to stores or dealers specializing in medical supplies. These uniforms are in most cases in a shade of blue which determines the roles of the professional around. The attire may not be mandatory for some private health facilities. Many institutions have rules and regulation over what they consider appropriate attire. Upon hiring, the medical assistants are given a copy of the institution's policies containing rules on the official dress code (Goldstein et al., 2006). The medical assistants are obliged to review the policy and have knowledge of the manner of dress which is appropriate for the office or clinic.
Whereas rules vary across the different health care institutions, most of these institutions require the medical assistant to put on scrubs. Some of the institutions provide the medical assistants with scrubs but often the employees are expected to purchase their uniforms from a medical supply store. Some of the hospitals give their health professionals the option of wearing a T-shirt under the uniform to protect the body from cold. Besides the scrubs, medical assistants are required to wear comfortable shoes which can be suitable for long hours. The health professionals are always advised to avoid open-toed shoes, the flip-flops or the sandals since they can present a hazard when one encounters fluids like water, or broken glasses or loose wiring (Mueller, 2009). It is also advisable for these professionals to wear socks.
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Personal hygiene helps one to stay healthy, build relationships, and raises self-esteem. Hygienic lifestyle requires that one maintains all the body parts which affect smell and appearance through bathing, brushing teeth and keeping the hair clean and neatly arranged. In a healthcare setup, personal hygiene is an important way of maintaining a healthy environment for patients (Mueller, 2009). Whether working in a hospital, clinic or any healthcare institution, it is important that the medical assistants keep personal hygiene in their places of work. This is particularly important because it promotes the continued health of patients and clients prevent the spread of diseases and promotes the healing process of the patients (Martin et al., 2017).
Depending on the workplace, one may need to apply different hygienic methods. Personal hygiene is particularly important for medical assistants because it helps in the prevention of diseases. Infections such as common cold are spread when unwashed hands containing bacteria and other germs touch items which are shared by many people (Mason, 2017). Since the medical assistants frequently get into contact with many patients, it is important that they wash their hands with warm water and soap frequently. Washing hands makes them look cleaner and ready to handle the daily duties.
Whereas tattoos are gaining acceptance more widely, many employers still do not welcome their presence. There are still prejudices on people with tattoos, especially in the medical profession (Gomes, Butera, Chretien & Kind, 2017). This is similar for body piercings which together with the tattoos are seen to violate the code of dressing in medical practice. This, however, does not imply that people with piercings and tattoos do not have enough experiences for the medical job. Some patients refuse to be treated with medical officers with tattoos and excessive piercings. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission gives the employers the authority to determine the appearance policies and dress code so long as the dressing codes are not discriminative of people with regards to religion, race, class, age, disability status, sex or genetic information (Monrouxe, Rees, Ho & Chandratilake, 2017). It is, therefore, possible for one to be denied a job opportunity when one is in tattoos and piercing if the employer considers piercings and tattoos to violate the appearance policies of the institution (Mason, 2017). It is important that the medical assistants with tattoos to cover them so that they do not show when dealing with patients because there are several types of patients with different worldviews. Too many piercings and the tattoos may make them not to trust the medical assistants.
First impressions usually present an essential part of the interview process. Putting on a professional look with an appropriate outfit is a crucial step in preparing oneself for the medical assistant job interview. One should pick an outfit which gives one a professional appearance. Business attire like dress or bodysuit is appropriate for this kind of an interview. The Medical assistant interviewee should ensure that the outfit is clean, and ironed. Tucking in of the dress shirts makes one look more organized. When an individual is untidy, the employer may begin thinking less of the interviewee and end up not giving the opportunity (Currie, Lockett, Finn, Martin & Waring, 2012). The interviewee should avoid flashy jewelry which draws attention rather than complimenting the attire worn. The interviewee should also avoid casual outfits such as jeans and tennis shoes. Makeup should be done moderately and tastefully.
Professional appearance is important for the interview. Some of the appropriate looks are business outfits such as body suits. This is because they bring a serious look to the interviewee who appears to know what he or she wants. The dressing should be clean and without any form of wrinkles. Also, fitting closed shoes are also appropriate since they add to the professional look. The hair should be kept clean and simple. Simple hairstyle presents a humble signature on the part of the interviewee and shows that he or she can take instructions. Casual outfits such as jeans are not appropriate looks for an interviewee because they do not show that an individual is serious. Excess makeup and perfumes are also not appropriate for an interview because they show that the interviewee wants more than a job opportunity.
References
Currie, G., Lockett, A., Finn, R., Martin, G., & Waring, J. (2012). Institutional work to maintain professional power: Recreating the model of medical professionalism. Organization Studies , 33 (7), 937-962.
Goldstein, E. A., Maestas, R. R., Fryer-Edwards, K., Wenrich, M. D., Oelschlager, A. M. A., Baernstein, A., & Kimball, H. R. (2006). Professionalism in medical education: an institutional challenge. Academic Medicine , 81 (10), 871-876.
Gomes, A. W., Butera, G., Chretien, K. C., & Kind, T. (2017). The development and impact of a social media and professionalism course for medical students. Teaching and learning in medicine , 29 (3), 296-303.
Martin, G. P., Kocman, D., Stephens, T., Peden, C. J., Pearse, R. M., & This study was carried out as part of a wider randomised controlled trial, EPOCH. (2017). Pathways to professionalism? Quality improvement, care pathways, and the interplay of standardisation and clinical autonomy. Sociology of health & illness , 39 (8), 1314-1329.
Mason, D. J. (2017). Professionalism in health care organizations. Jama , 317 (12), 1203-1204.
Monrouxe, L., Rees, C., Ho, M. J., & Chandratilake, M. (2017). Professionalism Dilemmas Across National Cultures. Healthcare Professionalism: Improving Practice through Reflections on Workplace Dilemmas , 187-206.
Mueller, P. S. (2009). Incorporating professionalism into medical education: the Mayo Clinic experience. The Keio journal of medicine , 58 (3), 133-143.
