1. Open-mindedness
You will meet people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and have different behavioural, cultural and religious beliefs. Being open-minded to different ways of life, and how you can help them while being respectful of their lifestyle, is an important part of the job.
2. Friendly
You will be working closely with lots of people including colleagues, patients and their family. So, if you’re a good ‘people person’, it will be less daunting for you and make your work environment more pleasant for the people who are in an unfamiliar place or situation.
3. Empathy
Having empathy and compassion means that you can make people comfortable, feel listened to, understood and respected when they are facing a hard situation.
You might have more experience in being empathetic than you think! If you are someone who your friends and family approach when they’ve had a bad day, then it’s likely that you have this personal quality.
4. Flexible
Healthcare jobs can have unusual shift patterns, so you might have to work overnight or on weekends and holidays. If you’re flexible with your personal life, it might be the type of job for you.
Perhaps having a rigid 9-5 job with only the weekend to rest sounds like a nightmare to you and flexibility suits your personal needs. Some people prefer working long shifts but working less days per week or being able to avoid peak commuting hours.
5. Positive mindset
Working in healthcare can often be emotionally difficult. Being able to stay positive and help others see the progress they have made is important for both you and your patients.
6. Attentiveness
Whether you're checking up on patients or making sure that records are correct, attention to detail is massively important.
If you’re able to spot a change in behaviour or habits in others, it can be a useful part of someone’s recovery or health condition.
7. Calm under pressure
You will be in situations that require you to think on your feet and come up with quick solutions while remaining level-headed. Being able to deal with stressful situations and think rationally will help to get the best outcome for your patients.
8. Good communicator
There are a lot of medical words, phrases and instructions which patients and their families may not understand. Being a good communicator and able to break down information in an easy-to-understand way is a key quality to being a good healthcare worker.
Do these personal qualities sound like you?
You don’t have to be perfect to start your journey to becoming a healthcare worker. At WEA, we offer courses which will help you to develop the skills and gain the qualifications to get into this profession.
Explore our health and social care courses today.
