FO OF A B737-500 ENTERED ARR HOLDING PATTERN WITH WRONG DIRECTION TURNS. ARTCC CTLR NOTICED THE MISTAKE AND ALERTED FLC.

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FLT FROM IAH TO EWR. ASSIGNED HOLDING AT RBV AT 8000 FT. FO FLYING ACFT. I BROUGHT THE OFFSET INBOUND RADIUS TO THE FO'S ATTN; BUT DID NOT MENTION THE R-HAND PATTERN. FO SET UP FMC WITH L-HAND TURNS -- I DID NOT CATCH HIS ERROR. ATC HAD SAID HOLD AS DEPICTED. UPON REACHING RBV; WE TURNED L INTO HOLDING INSTEAD OF TURNING R AS DEPICTED. ATC CALLED US AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGS OF TURN AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTINUE L TURN AND RETURN TO RBV AND ENTER R-HAND PATTERN; WHICH WE DID. THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS WITH OTHER ACFT. AFTER HOLDING; FLT CONTINUED TO EWR. REMAINDER OF FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. FACTORS WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THIS MISTAKE INCLUDE FATIGUE AND COCKPIT DISTRS. THE ERROR OCCURRED AT THE END OF A 12 HR DUTY DAY WHICH INCLUDED DEP DELAYS; HOLDING (2 HRS 30 MINS) DUE TO WX AT EWR; AND A DIVERT TO IAD FOR FUEL. MY MONITORING OF THE FO FLYING WAS INTERRUPTED AT LOW ALT BY CALLS TO THE COMPANY; PA'S AND COPYING ATIS THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN DONE EARLIER; BUT DUE TO THE SHORT FLT; WERE BEING DONE AS WE ENTERED HOLD. I DID NOT PROPERLY MONITOR AND BACK UP THE FO. WHAT I DID ON THIS FLT I HAVE DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE WITHOUT A PROB; BUT IN THE FUTURE I WILL NOT BE DISTR DURING CRITICAL PHASES OF FLT LIKE ENTERING HOLDING. IT MAY HAVE BEEN HELPFUL HAD THE ATC CTLR STATED R-HAND PATTERN RATHER THAN 'AS DEPICTED;' ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT REQUIRED TO DO SO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 500360: ALSO WE HELD WITH L TURNS EARLIER (ALL OTHER HOLDS ON THE ARR ARE L TURNS EXCEPT RBV).