Introduction: The external appearance of healthcare workers has a significant impact on the
perception and impression they create among patients, family members, visitors, and the entire
work organization. Personal grooming, which includes hand, hair, and beard hygiene, plays a
crucial role in establishing trust and respect. Consistent personal hygiene, especially proper
hand hygiene, is essential for preventing the spread of infections and ensuring patient safety. In
addition to well-maintained hygiene, the choice of appropriate work attire and footwear also
has a significant influence. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to determine through a
literature review how the outward appearance of healthcare workers affects patient perception.
Methods: Descriptive methodology and literature review was used for writing the thesis.
Access to literature was provided through a remote access network. We conducted a review of
professional and scientific literature, searching in the PubMed, CINAHL databases, and the
DiKUL online portal, as well as using the Google Scholar search engine. Literature search
utilized English keywords such as "Appearance,", "Healthcare workers/nurse," "experience,"
"patient, " as well as Slovenian keywords like "zunanji izgled," "zdravstveni
delavci/medicinske sestre," "doživljanje," "pacient." Inclusion criteria encompassed highquality
literature in both English and Slovenian, including original and review scientific articles
published from 2014 onwards. Six units of literature were included in the analysis. Results:
Patients' trust in healthcare staff is largely influenced by their outward appearance, as patients
are directly exposed to it when visiting hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. Hand
hygiene plays a significant role in building trust between patients and healthcare personnel.
Patients perceive well-groomed nurses as providing higher quality and professional care, and
although some patients are bothered by visible tattoos, the percentage is lower than expected.
Discussion and Conclusion: Prejudices and stereotypes play a significant role in the
relationship between healthcare workers and patients, therefore it is important to eliminate
them. The criteria for outward appearance in workplaces is gradually changing, but they should
be more adaptable as new generations enter the workforce, interpreting tidiness in a different
way.
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