Professionalism In Health

* Dignity - the patient (and the person treating the patient) have the right to be treated with dignity.

What does Professionalism mean to me? Professionalism in my term means it is someone who is very dedicated to their profession. It is an important and great decision to follow by the rules and ethics of professionalism. If we did not have anyone that cared about their profession it would cause a lot of problems in our society today. It could cause a lot of disruption in your workplace. In order to abide by professionalism you must take pride in your job, percieve realistic goals and values, and know what your expectations are.

Professionalism is an adherence to a set of values comprising both a formally agreed-upon code of conduct and the informal expectations of colleagues, clients and society. The key values include acting in a patient's interest, responsiveness to the health needs of society, maintaining the highest standards of excellence in the practice of medicine and in the generation and dissemination of knowledge. In addition to medical knowledge and skills, medical professionals should present psychosocial and humanistic qualities such as caring, empathy, humility and compassion, as well as social responsibility and sensitivity to people's culture and beliefs. All these qualities are expected of members of highly trained professions.

Human dignity includes personal qualities such as consideration, empathy, human kindness, respect and trust. It can be reflected in safeguarding the individual’s right of privacy, and treating others with respect, regardless of background. According to Yancey (1997) “It is respect for the inherent worth of and uniqueness of individuals and populations in professional practice, human dignity is reflected when the health care professional values and respects all clients and colleagues”.

The Purpose of this essay is to reflect upon an experience which relates to the chosen topic of dignity and respect, this was highlighted in my self-assessment (please see appendix) Acknowledging a persons’ dignity can contribute to their sense of good health, well-being and independence. Dignity is an essential element of high quality care and involves aspects such as respect, privacy, autonomy and self-worth (The Welsh Assembly, 2007)

dignity of the patient are essential components of caring. Caring in nursing is there to meet the

A basic part of modern age humanity is dignity. It is self-imposed pride that is susceptible to damage through the verbal and physical actions of others. Hospital and clinical settings can leave a client’s dignity vulnerable. It is where people, now clients, are weak and in some cases unable to function like they once did. This can wound their dignity, but it is the duty of nurses to preserve it. Through respect, support, and by relieving pain and suffering, nurses work to preserve the dignity of their clients. Likewise, nurses are able to easily damage the dignity and integrity of their clients through inappropriate behaviour, a lack of respect, and being irresponsible while on the job. A passage published by a hearing tribunal from the College

The RCN’s (2008) definition of dignity is seen to be the ‘foundation of excellence in nursing practice’. The definition is concerned with how nurses care about individuals by how they support patient autonomy and choice (Barker 2000).

This essay aims to describe briefly what is meant by patient-centred care. It will also focus and expand on two key aspects of patient dignity - making choices and confidentiality. Patient-centred care (PCC) is an extensively used model in the current healthcare system (Pelzang 2010:12). PCC is interpreted as looking at the whole person and considering their individual values and needs in relation to their healthcare. By implementing a PCC approach it ensures that the person is at the very centre of any plans that are made and has a dynamic role in the decision making process (Pelzang 2010:12).

In chapter 3, Dignity, Vulnerability, and the Personhood of the Patient by Sulmasy, the author presents a brief overview to the concepts of dignity and vulnerability, and at the end ties it together by relating it to how it affects the medical staff who care for patients at their most vulnerable time.

Professionalism in the workplace, is the absolute key to having a successful, and smoothly run business. Professionalism is something that must be maintained by every individual within the work setting, especially in health care, whether it is the janitor, activity director, nursing assistant, doctor, or even the head administrator. Professionalism encompasses many aspects, such as teamwork, attitude, environment, knowledge, morals, and ethics.

Dignity in the Nursing Care and Practice Nursing is a profession that embraces client centred care. According to the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2006), client centred care demands that nurses advocate, empower, and respect the client’s autonomy, voice, self-determination and participation in decision making. It is our responsibility as frontline professionals to promote and raise awareness in the importance of dignity in nursing care and practice (Clark, 2010). It is our duty to protect our patients’ rights to dignity and to encourage health and social conditions that will allow patients to love and die with dignity (Potter, Perry, Stockert & Hall, 2014).

Everywhere you go and in everything you do, professionalism comes in to account in some way or another. Professionalism has been defined as, “a strict adherence to courtesy, honesty and responsibility when dealing with individuals or other companies in the business environment” (Clarke, 2015). When it comes to the career of nursing, professionalism is taken to a whole other level. Not only does professionalism come in to account with your business professionals and peers, but you have patients with whom professionalism is highly practiced as well. Professionalism in nursing means that you are able to handle all the responsibilities given to you in an efficient and proper way. It means that when you are given an order that needs to be carried out by a doctor or a patient who needs your help, you adhere to what is being expected of you in a timely manner. Physicians put trust into nurses in order to carry out orders that are needed to save patients’ lives. If you’re not looked at as professional and responsible, it is going to be very hard to have a successful career. Responsibility is what nursing is all about. Professionalism in nursing means that along with taking on big responsibilities, you have discipline. Discipline in nursing is crucial to being successful. Not only to keep your patients safe, but so that you personally are on the ball and looked at by others as professional, therefore, making you a great nurse. Professionalism means that you have the

Dignity is a core element of nursing care. In nurses' clinical practice, maintaining the dignity of patients is an important issue because a lack of dignity in care can affect the health and recovery of patients. To treat a patient with dignity is to treat them in a way that shows they are valued and important, in a way that is appropriate and respectful to the individual. A patient needs to feel safe and secure in the nurses care and should be made feel comfortable, in control and valued at all times.

The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines professionalism as the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person. Yet the White Paper on Pharmacy Student Professionalism says it is displaying values, beliefs and attitudes that put the needs of another about your personal needs. There is still another definition. The Medical Professionalism Project says professionalism is the basis of medicine's contract with society. It demands placing the interests of patients above those of the physician, setting and maintaining standards of competence and integrity, and providing expert advice to society on matters of health. In my opinion, a person's attitude, values, and behaviors