| Course | HCA 410 Healthcare Careers |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 2 |
| Paper type | Workplace professionalism paper |
| Length | About 1,065 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Health Care Administration |
| Updated | September 2026 |
Free sample paper for HCA 410 Module 2
What Employers Notice First: Professional Behaviors in Health Care Workplaces
Student Name
Health Care Administration Program, Aspen University
HCA 410: Healthcare Careers
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
What Employers Notice First: Professional Behaviors in Health Care Workplaces
Employers hire for skills but keep and promote people for behavior. In health care, where patients depend on reliability and discretion, professional behavior matters from the first day. This paper describes the behaviors health care employers expect, drawing on a composite practice manager's hiring list and the first 90 days of a new administrative employee.
The Manager's List
A composite practice manager at a multispecialty clinic keeps a list of behaviors she watches for in new hires: shows up on time and ready, communicates clearly, protects patient information, helps teammates, owns mistakes, dresses appropriately, uses phones and social media wisely and takes feedback well. She says most early departures are about behavior, not skill.
What Executives Rank Highest
Her list matches research. When executives ranked the people skills they most want in new staff, integrity and communication led a top-ten list that also included courtesy, teamwork, flexibility and a strong work ethic (Robles, 2012). These are not job-specific; they apply to every role in a health care organization.
Behaviors in Practice
The table shows what each behavior looks like and what undermines it.
| Behavior | Looks like | Undermined by |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability | On time, prepared, follows through | Late arrivals, missed tasks |
| Communication | Clear, courteous, timely | Vague messages, sarcasm |
| Confidentiality | Discreet with patient information | Discussing patients in public |
| Teamwork | Offers help, shares information | It's not my job |
| Accountability | Owns errors, fixes them | Blaming others, hiding mistakes |
| Receptiveness | Asks for and uses feedback | Defensiveness |
Reliability
In a clinic, one late front desk employee delays every patient that morning. Reliability means arriving on time, calling in properly when sick, finishing tasks and keeping promises. Jordan, the composite new hire, set two alarms and left early for the first weeks until the commute was predictable.
Communication
Clear, courteous communication with patients, colleagues and physicians prevents errors and conflict. That includes a calm tone on the phone, concise messages that state the request first and listening before answering. Jordan learned to repeat back instructions to confirm understanding.
Confidentiality
Protecting patient information is a legal duty and an ethical one. Professionals never discuss patients in hallways, elevators or at home, and they access records only for work. The administrators' code of ethics lists protecting confidentiality among core responsibilities (American College of Healthcare Executives, n.d.).
Teamwork
Health care is team work. Professionals help colleagues during rushes, share information that others need and avoid gossip. When Jordan finished check-ins early, Jordan offered to help the referral coordinator scan documents, which the manager noticed.
Accountability
Everyone makes mistakes; professionals own them. In Jordan's third week, Jordan scheduled a patient with the wrong physician. Rather than hide it, Jordan told the manager, called the patient to fix it and suggested adding a confirmation step. The manager later said that response mattered more than the error.
Appearance and Presence
Dress codes vary, but clean, appropriate attire and an identification badge signal respect for patients and the workplace. Presence also includes posture, eye contact and a greeting for each patient. First impressions shape patients' confidence in the whole practice.
Digital Conduct
Personal phone use at the desk, posting about work on social media and using work email for personal matters all undermine professionalism. Posting about patients, even without names, can violate privacy rules. Jordan kept the phone in a locker during shifts.
Receiving Feedback
New employees receive a lot of feedback. Professionals listen without arguing, ask clarifying questions, thank the person and act on it. Defensiveness signals that someone cannot grow. At the 30-day check-in, Jordan asked the manager what to improve and received two specific suggestions.
Professional Identity Behind Behavior
Behaviors reflect identity. Medical educators argue that supporting professional identity formation helps people behave professionally consistently, not only when observed (Cruess et al., 2014). New hires who see themselves as part of a profession are more likely to act professionally under pressure.
The 90-Day Result
At 90 days, Jordan's review noted reliability, accountability and teamwork as strengths and phone tone with frustrated callers as an area to grow. The manager extended Jordan's role to include training the next new hire on check-in, a sign of trust earned through behavior.
Ethics in Daily Choices
Professional behavior includes small ethical choices: declining a gift from a vendor, not looking up a friend's appointment, reporting a coworker's unsafe shortcut. These moments rarely come with a policy manual open. Employers value people whose choices are consistent whether or not anyone is watching.
Flexibility and Positive Attitude
Health care schedules and priorities change quickly. A physician calls in sick, a system goes down, a patient arrives in crisis. Employers value staff who adapt without complaint, pitch in where needed and keep a positive tone. Jordan's willingness to cover a colleague's shift on short notice in month two earned goodwill that lasted.
Behavior Toward Patients
Every patient deserves the same courtesy regardless of insurance, appearance or mood. Jordan learned to greet each patient by name, make eye contact and explain delays honestly. Patients who feel respected at the front desk are more forgiving of waits and more likely to return.
Behavior Outside Work
Professional behavior extends beyond the shift. Discussing work publicly, posting complaints about employers or patients, or behaving badly at work events can damage a professional reputation. Jordan kept work conversations inside work and treated social media as public.
What Managers Say Drives Promotion
When asked which new hires they promote, managers often describe the same qualities: people who solve problems before being asked, share credit, stay calm when things go wrong and keep learning. Technical skill is expected; these behaviors set people apart. Jordan's manager said she promotes the people she would trust to handle a crisis on a day she was out, which is really a description of consistent professional behavior.
Asking for Help
Professionals know when to ask. Jordan's early instinct was to struggle alone to avoid looking inexperienced, which led to one delayed referral. The manager explained that asking early is a professional behavior, not a weakness, because patients depend on tasks being done right the first time.
Conclusion
Health care employers expect reliability, communication, confidentiality, teamwork, accountability, appropriate appearance, careful digital conduct and receptiveness to feedback. Research on executive expectations and professional identity supports these priorities. Students can practice these behaviors now, in current jobs and classes, so they are habits by the time they enter their careers.
References
American College of Healthcare Executives. (n.d.). ACHE code of ethics. https://www.ache.org/about-ache/our-story/our-commitments/ethics/ache-code-of-ethics
Cruess, R. L., Cruess, S. R., Boudreau, J. D., Snell, L., & Steinert, Y. (2014). Reframing medical education to support professional identity formation. Academic Medicine, 89(11), 1446-1451. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACM.0000000000000427
Robles, M. M. (2012). Executive perceptions of the top 10 soft skills needed in today's workplace. Business Communication Quarterly, 75(4), 453-465. https://doi.org/10.1177/1080569912460400
What the HCA 410 Module 2 instructions ask for
The HCA 410 catalog description names professional behaviors among its core topics, and since Aspen holds each module's exact wording inside the course, workplace behavior became this example's subject. Assignments on professional behavior usually ask you to identify what employers expect, explain why each behavior matters in health care and describe how you will practice it. Check whether your prompt asks you to interview an employer or reflect on your own job. A table that pairs each behavior with what it looks like helps organize a long list. Use realistic examples from health care settings, and include at least one about handling a mistake, since graders often look for accountability. Show how each behavior protects patients, not only employers.
How this HCA 410 Module 2 example is built
The sample spans about 1,060 words across nineteen headings, including a six-row behaviors table. It begins with a manager's hiring list and research on the soft skills executives value. The table follows, then sections on reliability, communication, confidentiality, teamwork, accountability, appearance, digital conduct and feedback. Professional identity behind behavior and a 90-day result come next. Ethics in daily choices, flexibility, behavior toward patients, behavior outside work, what drives promotion and asking for help close the body. A note beside the survey section explains why one manager's list reflects widespread expectations. Each behavior section includes one thing the new hire actually did. The table gives a quick reference before the detailed sections.
Where the marks sit in the HCA 410 Module 2 rubric
Workplace behavior papers tend to be assessed on relevance, specificity, evidence and self-awareness. Relevance comes from health care examples, such as confidentiality at the front desk. Specificity shows in the table and in a new hire's concrete actions. Evidence includes an executive survey, research on professional identity and an administrators' ethics code, cited in APA form. Self-awareness appears in how the new employee responded to a mistake and to feedback. Graders also value attention to digital conduct and behavior outside work, areas where many new employees stumble. Consistent structure across sections, with a behavior, an example and a result, also helps graders follow the argument.
HCA 410 Module 2 help from the desk
Students often write about behaviors in general terms that could apply to any job. Tie each to health care. Another frequent gap is omitting confidentiality, which is central in this field. Some papers also skip how to respond to feedback. Use a realistic mistake and show a professional response. Keep the tone practical rather than preachy. For a check on whether your examples feel real, a tutor can read them with you and suggest a sharper health care detail where one would help. End with a plan for practicing one behavior this month, since graders look for application. Be honest about a behavior you still need to build.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
More HCA 410 and Health Care Administration sample papers
- HCA 410 Module 1: What It Means to Be a Health Care Professional
- HCA 410 Module 3: Professional Organizations for Students
- HCA 410 Module 4: Workshops, Seminars and Conferences
- HCA 410 Module 5: Community Involvement and Service
- HCA 410 Module 6: Credentials and Continuing Education
- HCA 410 Module 7: From Student to Employee
- HCA 410 Module 8: A Professional Development Plan
- HCA 315 Module 7: Confidentiality and HIPAA
- HCA 100 Module 6: Privacy and Confidentiality in Everyday Work
- HCA 130 Module 6: An Internal Memo Announcing a Change
- CIS 450 Module 1: Theoretical Foundations of Health Informatics
HCA 410 Module 2 questions, answered
What does HCA 410 Module 2 usually ask for?
Aspen's HCA 410 description addresses professional behaviors, so a paper on the behaviors employers expect is a typical assignment. Follow your Aspen classroom prompt.
What soft skills do employers value most?
Executives in one survey ranked integrity, communication, courtesy, responsibility and social skills highest, along with attitude, professionalism, flexibility, teamwork and work ethic.
How should a new employee handle a mistake?
Report it promptly, help fix it and suggest a way to prevent it, rather than hiding it or blaming others.
Where can I find a free HCA 410 Module 2 sample paper?
Read the professional behaviors paper above, from the manager's list to the 90-day review. It is the second HCA 410 sample.
Why is accountability important in HCA 410 Module 2?
Mistakes in health care can affect patients, so employers value staff who report and fix errors quickly rather than hiding them.