The chapter discusses the importance of effective communication and interpersonal skills for Central Service Technicians. It defines professionalism and lists traits of professional technicians, including having knowledge and a positive attitude. The chapter reviews tactics for communication, developing teamwork, appreciating diversity, and providing good customer service. It also addresses appropriately handling promotions, priorities, and patient care during disasters.
2. Explain the need for Central Service
Technicians to utilize effective communication
and human relations skills
Define the term, “professionalism,” list traits of
professional Central Service Technicians, and
describe their fundamental beliefs and
behaviors
Use basic tactics of effective communication in
the workplace
Practice procedures to enhance and maintain
effective working relationships
3. Discuss tactics to improve teamwork
Define the term, “diversity,” explain why it is
important, and review how Central Service
Technicians can develop a “diversity mindset”
Practice basic customer service skills, and
utilize tactics to appropriately handle customer
complaints
Review concerns applicable to handling
promotions, relating experience to job success,
setting priorities, and committing to patient
care during disasters
4. The development
and maintenance
of effective
interpersonal
relationships that
enhance
teamwork
5. The process of
transmitting
information and
understanding
from one person
to another by use
of words and non-
verbal
expressions such
as body language
6.
7. Work in an
occupation that
requires extensive
knowledge and skills
Have education and
experience in a
specialized body of
knowledge
8. Have a positive attitude and pride in themselves and
the important work that they do
Possess the knowledge and skills to be proficient
Are alert to the need for ongoing improvement.
Contribute 110% to help their team meet its goals
Are genuinely interested in helping others
Know and attain (or exceed) their facility’s quality and
quantity standards
Are competent communicators
Practice appropriate human relations skills
Respect their supervisors and their peers
Have imagination
Are creative
9. Follow high ethical and moral standards
Are self-confident
Are courteous to their co-workers ad all other whom they have contact with
Admit mistakes and learn from them
Follow appropriate personal hygiene and dress standards
Have a sense of humor
What Should Central Service Technicians Expect from their Employer?
Fair pay for the work which is done
Safe working conditions
Training to meet job standards, and then additional training to maintain
performance and, possibly, advance to more responsible positions
Help to make sure that all employees work well together
An explanation of all applicable policies, rules and regulations
A fair evaluation of their work
12. Following professional
standards of practice and
conduct
Code of Ethics – ethical behaviors
relative to the standards of conduct for
your profession
13. Is the proposed action legal?
Will the proposed action hurt anyone?
Is the proposed action fair?
Am I being honest as I undertake the
proposed action?
Can I live with myself if I do what I am
considering?
Would I like to publicize my decision?
What if everyone did it?
14. Identifies how the
employees of a
healthcare facility
should interact
with and relate to
each other and the
constituencies
whom they serve
29. “Stereotypes”
This happens
when we assign
general qualities
to a specific
group of people
30. Good Day/ Bad Day
Effect
Happens when we allow
personal feelings to
affect communications.
“What’s the Mood of
the Day?”
31. We value people that
have qualities we
admire
When this happens
negative behaviors
may be “overlooked”
This may create
favoritism
32. This happens when we
dislike someone because of
one quality or characteristic
The Pitchfork Effect can
prevent us from seeing the
good in others
The Pitchfork Effect is the
opposite of the Halo Effect
33. By recognizing them
and being willing to
work on them,
we can get
communication
moving again
34. Know what you want to say. Keep on target
as your speak
Identify the main points in the message;
organize what you will say, and assure that,
while speaking, you will address each main
point
Stay focused; do not ramble, digress, or talk
about things that are not critical to your
message
Concentrate on the listener rather than
yourself. Remember that the main objective
of speaking is to communicate – not to make
a good impression
Ask open-ended questions
Use language that the listener will
understand.
35. Speak enthusiastically. Be committed to the
purpose of your message and show interest and
enthusiasm when speaking
Be able to support the information provided. If
points are well documented, the listener will be
able to concentrate on what you say rather than
questioning whether your statements are accurate
Think about your listener’s background and speak
in a way that will help assure that the message is
accurately received
Concentrate on the central idea the speaker is
trying to convey
Focus on what the speaker is saying; do not
become distracted
36. Don’t just listen for specific facts. There may be
a hidden agenda that is part of the message
Understand the speaker’s basic ideas before
objectively criticizing them
Don’t let emotions influence you. Avoid
immediate evaluation of the message and try
think about the content objectively
Don’t tune out the speaker because the message
seems familiar, strange, or unimportant
Don’t let an uncomfortable physical environment
cause distraction
Consider the speaker’s perceptions as you listen
to the message
37. Search for special meaning in the speaker’s
message. Some elements may be more important
than others
Note the speaker’s non-verbal communications.
Sometimes the real message is non-verbal
Don’t avoid listening to information that is
complicated. Ask questions
Concentrate on the message and its contents, not
it’s delivery. Problems with the speaker’s voice or
pronunciation can cause difficulties. Try to see
through to the real meaning of the message
Allow the speaker to finish, then react fairly and
sensibly
Take notes if the information is detailed and
specific
Don’t formulate a response to the message while
listening to the speaker
38.
39. Instruction, Advice and Counseling by Managers and
Supervisors
Facility and Department policies and procedures
Discussions in departmental staff meeting and other
meetings
Individual and group training presentations
Facility and departmental bulletins, memos,
newsletters, etc.
Performance Evaluation Sessions
Employee Work Schedules
Conversations related to delegated project
assignments
Monitoring of on-going work activitie
40. Casual conversations between
employees before, during, and after
work and while on breaks
“The Grapevine”
Rumors/Gossip
41. Two Basic Types of
Interview Questions:
◦ Open-ended. Permit
the interviewee to
respond in an
unstructured manner
◦ Closed ended. Call for
a brief response
42. 1. Interview is scheduled. It must be
planned
2. Transitional conversation to set the tone
of the interview
3. Questions
4. Review
43.
44. Try to answer the phone in the fewest possible rings
State you name and department. “Central Service, This is Bob”
If you are answering someone else’s phone, identify the individual for whom
you are answering
Always identify yourself
If calls must be screened, never ask who is calling before you inform the
caller that someone is unavailable
Ask the caller if he/she wishes to leave a name and phone number if the
person they are calling is unavailable
If the caller must be placed on hold, ask if they wish to be placed on hold, or
called back
When transferring calls give the caller the number where the call is being
transferred so that they can call it if the transfer does not go through
When taking messages, be sure to write down all information such as
complete name, company affiliation, date, time, phone number and
additional information
45. E-mail is different from written memos:
◦ Other people may read an e-mail
◦ Messages may be sent to the wrong mailbox.
◦ E-mails may not be received
◦ Some common e-mail phrases may confuse
readers
◦ Long e-mail messages may be difficult to
read. Limit the text to one screen if possible.
◦ It is best to use e-mail for messages that
require urgent attention
◦ E-mail should not become a substitute for
personal and telephone conversations
47. Should be used for
work activities, not
personal use
Only web sites that
relate to approved
work activities
should be accessed
from an employer’s
computer
48. The Development and Maintenance of
Effective Interpersonal Relationships that
Enhance Teamwork
49. Try to understand co-workers as
individuals and incorporate that
understanding into interactions
Help other employees achieve their
highest possible level of job satisfaction
Increase their contributions to the team
Develop a genuine spirit of cooperation
and teamwork
50. Do all that is reasonably possible to
maintain sound working relationships
Act in a professional manner
Be a contributing member of the team
Accept responsibility to continually learn
and help other around you to learn
Promote cooperation
57. Common goals are
defined and accepted by
group members
Group members
cooperate as a team
Group members have the
resources needed to
attain their goals
58. Group members help
each other
The atmosphere within
the group is comfortable
Group members
participate in discussions
about matters that affect
the group
59. Group members are creative; they
contribute without fear of ridicule
There can be healthy disagreement
between group members
There is a general consensus about
matters affecting the group
Group members do not subjectively
criticize each other’s ideas of position
Group members feel free to express
their feelings
Assignments are made and accepted
when action must be taken
60. There is seldom a power
struggle between group
members.
The group leader does not
always dominate. “What
must be done” is more
important than “Who
controls”.
Group members know how
the group operates.
61. A group of
employees from
different
departments within
the healthcare
facility that work
together to resolve
operating problems
Central Service
Other
Departments
Surgery
Patient
62. Diversity – The broad range of human
characteristics and dimensions that impact the
employees’ values, opportunities, and perceptions
of themselves and others at work
63. A welcoming and rewarding work environment
encourages excellent job performance
The changing make-up of the labor force increasingly
requires the employment of those with diverse
personal dimensions
When persons are valued turnover and absenteeism
are minimized
A culture of understanding, respect, and cooperation
encourages teamwork
Diverse backgrounds create more creative alternative
as decisions are made
64. Equal Employment Opportunity and
Affirmative Action Programs provide
legal guidelines to address
discrimination
Organizations often go beyond the legal
requirements to develop cultures that
value diversity. They attempt to create
cultures in which diversity is desired and
it strengthens the organization
65. Requires a Willingness to Change
Requires Time
Requires Education
Requires Commitment
Requires Central Service Technicians to
take the long view of how they want their
workplace to be
66.
67. Can be formed with
a single positive (or
negative) encounter
Central Service
Technicians must strive
to develop good
customer service skills
68. Consistent Delivery of Goods and Services
Quality at each step of the processing cycle
The ability to focus on the process, not
emotions
Communication
Cheerful, courteous and friendly behaviors
An atmosphere of trust
Professionalism
The ability to stay focused and calm during
emergencies
69. The CS/OR relationship is critical to
patient care
The fast-paced atmosphere creates
challenges for both groups
The CS/OR relationship is based on
mutual trust
Communication is KEY
Slang Terms, Jargon, and Nicknames
can impede communication
Rapidly changing needs pose additional
communication issues
70. Address issues without assigning blame.
Focus on identifying and correcting the
problem. Ask:
◦ Is adequate training provided for the task?
◦ Does everyone involved in the process understand
their role?
◦ Is there adequate equipment and are expectations
realistic?
◦ Do other factors interfere with the process?
71. After problems are
identified, staff from both
department s can work
together to resolve them
Communication between
Surgery and Central
Service should be ongoing
in a continual effort to
improve processes
73. Improve Patient Relations by:
◦ Always looking neat and professional
◦ Performing your job well
◦ Having pride in your work and your facility
◦ Follow service strategies that focus on
patients
◦ Soliciting ideas about ways to be more patient
friendly from your customers
74. Empowerment: The act of
granting authority to
employees to make key
decisions within their areas
of responsibility
Empowerment allows
employees to handle many
customer complaints
immediately
75. Service Recovery:
The sequence of
steps used to
address customer
complaints and
problems in a
manner that yields a
win-win situation for
the customer and
department
76. 1. Acknowledge the customer
2. Carefully listen to the customer’s problem
3. Remain calm and give undivided attention
4. Ask questions
5. Empathize with the customer
6. Apologize for the problem and accept responsibility to
resolve it
7. Do not justify or place blame
8. Provide time frame for remedial action
9. Monitor problem resolution progress
10. Follow-up with th4e customer
11. Learn from the experience
77. The goal is always improved customer service
that results in quality patient care
78. Promotions may create
situations where
Technicians move to
supervising their former
workgroup
Changes in work duties
and in relationships are
inevitable
Technicians consider
specific tasks.
Supervisors consider the
broader needs of the
department
79. Experience is more than time. For example, one
technician may have 20 years of time within a
department, but have limited experience, while
another person with 20 years of time may have
developed by gaining more experiences doing
specific tasks, etc.
Experience is important, but it must be coupled
with continuing education and professional
development
80. Experience can be invaluable because it can
improve knowledge, skills, and common sense
Experience can be detrimental when it
encourages employees to develop a sense of
entitlement or to take shortcuts
81. Unsuccessful employees
are often not those who
cannot perform the job,
they are ones who have
attitudinal problems and
an inability (unwillingness)
to appropriately interact
with others
Experience can improve
human relations skills, but
cannot improve attitudinal
problems
82.
83. Must frequently meet
unexpected challenges
Must always put the
patient’s needs ahead
of all else
Must rely on teamwork
to meet demands
84. During routine (non-emergency) work times,
some basic questions can help you prioritize:
◦ What is the most important part of my job.
◦ What few things make the biggest difference in how I
perform my job?
◦ What task would I want done if I was the supervisor?
◦ What is the best use of my time right now?
◦ What can I do to help my team?
◦ What are things I have been waiting to do until I got
around to it?
85. Also helps reduce stress
and ensure more efficient
systems
Central Service Technicians
who practice good
prioritization are able to
make more contributions to
their team
87. Study your department’s disaster plans. Make
sure you are familiar with your role and your
department’s role in the event of a disaster.
Take disaster drills seriously. Practice will help
you respond more quickly and efficiently during an
actual disaster.
88. Keep your department informed of your current
telephone number so an accurate call back
roster can be maintained
Make personal arrangements that will allow you
to support patient care in the event of a disaster.
For example:
◦ Back up Childcare Arrangements
◦ Family communications
89. Keep calm and positive during a disaster. Don’t
add to the stress
Focus on your job and what is needed to meet
patient needs
Recognize that your skills are an important part of
your facility’s emergency response
Do not share patient information with anyone
outside the hospital
90. Human Relations and Communication skills are
a critical component to the success of every
Central Service Department and to the success
of every Central Service Technician
Human Relations and Communication Skills can
be improved and enhanced to provide excellent
customer service and quality patient care
