Professional Pressence Essay

Society has progressed both socially and technologically as has medicine. This includes our understanding of health and healing as evidenced by Dossey’s three eras of medicine. Era 1, beginning in the 1800’s, reflected the prevailing view that health and illness are totally physical in nature and therapies included surgical procedures and drugs. Era 2, starting in the 1950’s, related to the mind and body. Practitioners began to realize that emotions and feelings can impact health. Era 3, still developing today, began in the 1990’s and builds on the previous eras by adding the spirit and proposes that consciousness is not confined to one’s

How do you conduct yourself as a ‘professional’, not just generally but with specific reference to ‘professionalism’ within the HR function? What improvements could you make?

The ‘Thinking Performer’ also challenges what (s)he sees/does and thinks for him/her-self instead of blindly following orders. The situation may have changed which affects the usual way things are being done or why they are needed. (S)he looks beyond the results to why they are required and tries to make a positive difference to the organisation. Every organisation is a living organism and the HR professional should be a (pro)-active member rather than a follower. In the HR Professional Map this is represented by required behaviour such as ‘curious’, ‘courage to challenge’ and ‘personally credible’.

Through experience, I?ve found that to heal is very different than to be cured. Cure implies a successful outcome and the eradication of disease from the body. Healing on the other hand is born out of self discovery and examination. It is the recovery of the whole self from the trauma of disease. It is my job as a volunteer to aide patients during this laborious journey as much as possible and I believe the first step is to help them change the way they perceive the situation and provide them with inspiration.

The newest and most recent of Larry Dossey’s Eras is Era III which took shape in the 1990’s. Era III is considered the body, mind, spirit and biopsychosocial model. In this model Dossey explains that healing is not only on a physical level but a conscious level. Dossey states “Consciousness is not confined to an individual body, an individual mind may affect not just their body but also other people around them” (Dossey,L. nd). The Eastern models of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) and the Ayurvedic beliefs about being human and caring for people are similar to Dossey’s theories. These theories underlying belief in how to provide care are the body is made of 5 elements and disease is caused when there is an imbalance between the elements (“Traditional Chinese Medicine: In Depth & What is the Philosophy of Ayurvedic Medicine, nd).

A1. Models of Health and Healing- The candidate provides a logical discussion, with substantial detail, of the differences between 2 models of health and healing as they relate to what it means to be human.

Another model of health that evolved over time is the physical-mind model. This model purports that a person’s overall state of health or ability to heal can be affected on how or what they think. For instance, that depression or anxiety can negatively impact a critically ill patient’s ability to heal. It also recognized that feelings or emotions can physically manifest as illness. For example, someone who is extremely anxious can give themselves an ulcer, without doing something to physically harm themselves. Simply being under significant stress can cause a physiological response to stimulate the creation of more stomach acid and wears a hole in the lining of the stomach, creating an ulcer. When using this model of health, doctor and nurses can treat a person, mind and body, when they have an illness.

Healing Hospitals have specific components that comprise their makeup. They are” 1) A healing physical environment, 2) The integration of work design and technology. 3) A culture of radical loving care” (Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, n.d.). These three components intermingled with spiritualty makes up the basis for the healing hospital.

1. Era I – “Mechanical Medicine” began in the 1860’s. Its focus is on surgical procedures and drugs. The thought was that health and illness are only physical in nature and consciousness is equated to functioning of the brain. Era I thinking in displayed in review of psychiatric care in the early 1900 with the use of frontal lobotomies to cure hysteria. The thought was that performing a surgical procedure on the brain will remove the area that is causing the Hysteria. Era I focuses on performing a procedure or providing a medication to fix the body physically, while Era III takes into account the patients perception of health, their stats of mind and their support

1. Briefly explain how the CIPD HR Profession Map defines the HR profession, including the professional areas, the bands and the behaviours.

When a patient enters the healthcare setting the primary focus is the process of helping the patient get better. Patient care has emerged into the healing hospital paradigm. This new focus is on patient care and not just the disease process. Healthcare organizations are now recognizing that the latest research demonstrates the benefits of a healing environment. Healthcare providers need to reach people on a personal level. The concept of the healing hospital paradigm research reveals that specific design changes in healthcare

This philosophy is further dissected through Georgetown School of Medicine’s mind-body program. Through my experiences in healthcare, I have gained a specific interest in this way of thinking. I shadowed Dr. Wagner, a chiropractor, whose philosophy was in treating the person as a whole rather than a list of symptoms to be fixed. He would sit and talk to his patients about their diet, exercise, and well being before performing his chiropractic adjustments. Seeing the impact on his patient’s health over treatments, I became intrigued with the effects and benefits of this philosophy. There was a bond of trust and comfort that formed between him and his patients, leading to better understanding of their health, procedures, and actions they needed to take. I see importance in the way this new integrative model of healthcare brings together the importance of treatment balanced with teaching, prevention, and self-awareness. Georgetown’s philosophy of caring for a patient as a whole both body and mind is something I find extremely important to focus on in the future of healthcare. The chance to learn more about this philosophy of medicine and how to incorporate it into my patient care is an amazing and unique

A healing hospital is a healing community providing radical loving care (Journal of Sacred Work, 2009) in a safe environment that focuses on human interaction, interpersonal caring and enhancing the wellbeing of patients, caregivers, and all other members of the healing community. While a healing hospital is, of course, dedicated to providing excellent medical care to its patients (Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, 2012), it is also dedicated to integrating work design and technology (Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, 2012), and ultimately to the overall wellness of every healing community member. Using physical healing, education and supportive human interaction, this care model seeks healing on physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels for everyone involved in the process (Zarren, n.d., pp. 1-2). The success of this model requires the cooperation of every

One important factor to consider is establishing the education foundation as early as possible. Due to life circumstances, younger employees are more likely to receive more professional training then their older counterparts. More of them are single and therefore have fewer familial commitments. They simply have more time to complete the training. Additionally, many younger adults have a stronger educational background from the start. As a general rule, the more education one begins with, the more likely more education is to be granted in the form of formal learning. Another way that age is a factor is because older adults often do not feel that there will be much benefit in additional education. Employers may have similar thoughts. An employer stands to gain much more in return for their investment in a younger employee. Seniority also comes into play when an organization is deciding where to spend valuable training dollars. The higher the position in the company, the more likely one is to be offered training opportunities. (Learning for life, 2009).

Spirituality in the healing hospital environment commences with the initial point of contact with the staff. The staff not only includes nurses, patient care technicians, and management, it involves every person who is working within this hospital. The standards must be met to be named a healing hospital, all staff must adhere to a culture which not only serves the patients but serves the community as well. All management must commit to allow their staff the time and provide the resources that are needed to heal the body, the mind and spirit as one.