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Essay On Professionalism

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Professionalism is the skill set that society expects of a professional. For a nurse, professionalism is not merely knowing how to take someone’s temperature or how to administer medication. It goes beyond that and consists, not only of job competence, but also includes personal and ethical dimensions. Professionalism requires job knowledge, accountability, advocacy, communication, and ethical decision making. Knowledge is the foundation of professionalism, but accountability establishes trust in the profession. Davis (2017) defines accountability as being “answerable to oneself and others for one's own actions.” This means that when a nurse engages in an activity on the job, she/he will be responsible for the outcome and might suffer negative consequences if her/his actions are careless or reflect poor judgement. Accountability provides a motivation for all professionals to perform well. Most people who are passionate about their profession have an internal desire to perform well, but accountability to one’s colleagues and patients provides an important external motivator to perform well. Nursing is unique as a profession because a nurse is in a position …show more content…

It is not a term that can be defined in one sentence like many other words. It has several dimensions, and even a short essay cannot begin to fully address all of the aspects that define professional behavior. The cornerstone of professionalism will always be professional knowledge. Without it, the person cannot even function in the work environment. However, the concept of professionalism goes beyond providing a service. It is an attitude and a mind-set. The true professional works to provide the best services for clients. A nurse is truly interested in the well-being of patients and coworkers alike. All the other aspects of professionalism are related to this attitude, and with this attitude the nurse inspires trust and confidence in patients and

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