What Is Professionalism?

Professionalism can be defined as the qualities that characterize a professional person. During Valerie’s presentation on professionalism, she listed a few things on what makes a professional such as honesty, respect, and accountability. All of these qualities are shown by the healthcare professional I am shadowing. I have been shadowing for the past few months at the University Orthopaedic Center with a certified athletic trainer. He works with various individuals which include a physician, residents, technicians, front desk, and more. At this particular clinic, he serves as a physician extender to improve productivity and efficiency. Professionalism is definitely needed in the workforce. During my shadowing I noticed how he keeps confidentiality of the patient’s protected health information by closing doors when seeing the patient, only talking to individuals about the patient who are involved in the treatment, and keeping patient documents stored and filed. He was professional all the time with the patients, by looking at them, using a polite voice, and using appropriate body language toward the patient. Having communication skills and compassion is important for being professional. He was professional all the time with the patients and with the medical team. It is important for everyone to be professional because it helps improve the

If I were a patient I would like to be treated in a professional manner, because I make my judgements on how they interact with me, then I decide if I should go back to be treated there or not. According to the article on professionalism “Patient Perceptions of Professionalism: Implications for Residency Education”, patients prefer professionalism components such as communication skills and compassion, than social behaviors like appearance (Wiggins, Coker, and Hicks). This article made me realize that this is true for