Professionalism in the Workplace To become a skilled practitioner in any field requires certain attributes. Some of these attributes are valued more than others specifically in the nursing profession. Nurses are held to a higher standard in many professional traits for several justifiable reasons including being trusted with the care and comfort of people during a period of greatest need. Professional nurses are held accountable for the care and well-being of all patients. Being knowledgeable in the area in which becomes a specialty and acting in accordance with peers demonstrates prudent nursing practices (Potter, Perry, Stockert, & Hall, 2015). Some of the other traits of professionalism such as punctuality and dependability have greater …show more content…
Altruism is one of the most important traits and epitomizes the pinnacle of the profession. Understanding and committing to serving every patient’s need above one’s own, nurses are prepared to sacrifice their own basic needs of hydrating, nourishing the body, and eliminating waste until all patients are cared for. Furthermore, accountability to patients and their families as well as other medical staff is one of the backbones of nursing and signifies to the community in which they practice that trust is earned and transparency is vital. In my experience, accountability can mean the difference between life and death. If a mistake is made, a nurse must speak up and own it while trying to find the best possible solution. Pride or arrogance can never get in the way of healing patients. Lastly, skillfulness embodies professionalism in the nursing community. To become a skillful practitioner requires years of working and several competency exams including state licensure and certifications. According to Brennan & Monson ( 2014), the previous traits exemplify professionalism and establish trust within the community and overall lead to more patients seeking …show more content…
Empathy is a professional quality that illustrates to the patient that the nurse sees him or her as human, or as a friend or family member (Borgstrom, Cohn, & Barclay, 2010). The difficult part of empathizing is timing. A nurse must first build a competent, caring, and professional relationship with the patient before empathizing with him or her. Nurses are a source of strength and a pillar for that patient. When nurses show empathy, they are letting a patient know that it’s alright to share some of the burdens or express fears. Using this model of feeling and medicine is treating the patient as a whole person. Nurses must look inside themselves to treat the whole patient: mind, body, and soul. In conclusion, professionalism in nursing is multifaceted. Some aspects of professionalism are more important than others in regards to being a better practitioner while others have impacts on the nursing team as a whole. Regardless of the hierarchy of what makes a nurse professional, all nurses must act within their scope of practice. Also, being punctual and knowing personal limits as a skillful practitioner will ensure safety and reduce medical errors. Overall, nurses are renowned for their professionalism and respected and trusted by the
Professionalism in the workplace in many professions can be simplified into general categories such as neat appearance, interaction with clients, punctuality, general subject knowledge, and likability. In nursing, professionalism encompasses a much more broad and inclusive set of criteria than any other profession. Nurses specifically are held to a higher standard in nearly every part of their job. Nurses are not only expected to uphold what it seen as professional in the aforementioned categories, but they are also expected to promote health, wellbeing, and advocate for patients, but also continually provide the highest standard of care, demonstrate exemplary subject and procedural knowledge, and abide by the Code of ethics set forth by the American Nurses Association. This Code of Ethics includes the complex moral and ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, fidelity, honesty, and integrity.
The most prominent resource that emphasizes nursing professionalism is an article from the Kentucky Nurses. The author Teresa Huber thoroughly demonstrates the idea behind nursing professionalism and the importance of being a skilled nurse. The author states that professionalism is “respect for human dignity and to never discriminate against patients” (Huber 2015). Professionalism isn’t purely based on appearance but also on the attitude of the nurse and the amount of respect a nurse shows their patients. It’s important for a nurse to never judge a patient and never make a patient feel like they are in the wrong, doing so demonstrates an inability to care for the patient in a respectful manner. Also demonstrating disrespect to a patient’s wishes and concerns will only worsen the rapport the nurse must make with the patient. The author also expresses that “We are accountable for ourselves” (Huber 2015, p.1) that nurses must take responsibility for their actions and make sure that they are giving the best quality care that they can give. If a nurse doesn’t perform to the best of their capability the nurse is demonstrating a lack of motivation and determination. This article reinforces core beliefs on nursing professionalism because it helps explain that a nurse’s attitude and treatment toward the patient is essential to perform their
But how does one achieve this mindset? Carper (1948) answers this as well; empathy. Nurses use empathy to act not as an audience but as a possible contributor. As said earlier, empathy allows for better perception skills. As a result, with good perception skills comes access to more specific information that forms what Copper (2001) calls ‘particular knowledge’ or subjective knowledge obtained by a nurse about an individual client (p. 6). It is knowledge nurse can have access to if they have enough respect for their
In a highly respected profession such as nursing, professionalism is an important element to staying employed and setting one’s self apart from the rest of the applicants when competing for a potential job. By definition professionalism are the qualities and traits that describe a professional. While knowledge is crucial in any profession, according to an article published by the University of Kansas (2012), “all medical professionals must strive to retain those humanistic qualities integrity, respect, and compassion that constitute the essence of professionalism.” Whether you work in a hospital or administration these three qualities encompass the core of nursing and exemplify what it means to be a professional.
Nursing is a varied career that offers opportunities to many. It offers a range of facilities and options for all. Nursing is an ethical centered profession that requires its members to give of themselves. Each individual must maintain a professional atmosphere while upholding his or her personal integrity. Each nurse brings his or her own unique values and beliefs to their work and care. A strong conviction toward those ideals is essential in the profession. Nurses are faced with differing views, ideas, and expectations every day and must maintain neutrality for the betterment of their patients. They care for those experiencing illness, loss, and health and have to nurture accordingly. Nursing is not about the skill set or knowledge we have but about those we help in the process. Nursing goes beyond a career; it is a
According to the American Medical Association [AMA] Journal of Ethics, empathy is an emotional experience between an observer and a subject in which the observer, who is a physician in this case, based on the visual and auditory cues, identifies and transiently experiences the subject’s emotional state. Empathy can be seen in all forms and comes in myriad of ways too. For instance, a physician might encounter a patient who appears depressed, expresses a feeling of sadness and informs the physician that a close relative of him had recently passed away. This leads the physician to recall subconsciously his emotional state during a similar situation in which he has lost someone who was once close to him. This allows the physician to understand and connect with the patient in a more deeper state.
Many people in our community think being a registered nurse simply means having the degree, working in a hospital and getting paid. Being a registered nurse implies all of these plus many other duties and responsibilities for taking good care of patients and their families as well as a good professional relationship with other health care personnel. In order to assess the professional role of a registered nurse in today’s health care system, one can ask questions from the nurse or the people they work with, or read some professional writings about what they do either our communities and hospitals.
There are several professional values that a nurse must possess altruism, autonomy, human dignity, integrity, and social justices are among these. Altruism is being concerned for the well-being and welfare of others; this includes their patients and colleagues. This is demonstrated daily through understanding cultural differences, considering the perspectives of others and mentoring others
According to the College of Nurse of Ontario (2006), empathy is one of the five key components of the nurse-client relationship and is one of the most powerful tools. You don’t need to know how your patient feels to be empathetic but letting them know that you are trying to understand is a good start. It can be used to describe a variety of experiences and had been defined by emotional researchers “as the ability to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling” (University of California, Berkeley). Having the ability to empathize doesn’t mean you will or that you are willing to help someone in need but it is an important first step towards a compassionate
Clinical interactions between patients and healthcare professionals is one of the most important parts of medical care. Over the years the medical profession has become more patient driven. The clinicians are starting to focus more on the patient’s views on consultation and overall care. Empathy is a necessary part of this clinician-patient interaction. I believe that Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes and imagine life from their perspective. A clinician who is empathetic will be able to better assist the patients that he or she is caring for, because they take time to listen to their patients and use what they learn about the patient to care for them more effectively. Patients can tell whether the healthcare professional is being empathetic and this can also play a large role in the health outcome of patients.
The combination of professionalism and ethics can be equated with an extraordinary nurse because they are core components in the nursing profession and crucial to patient trust, confidence and wellbeing. Having a degree in nursing is not what makes one a professional. Professionalism is
Therefore, I strive every day to be that professional, that health care provider that has a positive and long lasting impact on patient’s health and wellbeing. I always strive to be that professional that my patients and colleagues trust, respect and admire. As a registered nurse, I have accomplished that. I know it because I am asked to precept new nurses and students, because my colleagues come to me frequently to ask me questions when they are in doubt, because when there is a difficult or complicated patient, my supervisor trust me with his care, because at the end of a long busy shift with seven to eight patients under my care, my patients praise me and thank me for the great and unique care I provided them.
To be empathetic means to be understanding, to share, and develop a bond with another person, and as the article states, “empathy is a major component of the relationship between patient and nurse and is an observable and teachable skill that nurses are requested to possess.” Empathy is an ability that can be learned and developed through education and practice. In other words, constant communication between a patient and a nurse will ensure a healthy development of a stable nurse-client relationship. By actively listening and approaching a patient with vehement enthusiasm and optimism, it allows for patients to feel more comfortable with the nurse and develop trust. This will allow the nurse to identify the client’s goals and needs, which will make it easier to diagnose and treat illnesses.
You may not approve of everything patients or families do and may not even like them. You must, however, accept them as fellow struggling human beings. People sense such genuine acceptance and respond accordingly. In general, the public assumes nurses truly care and will accept such efforts. Use of empathy in the assessment of patients
Ethics is defined as moral principles that govern a persons or a group’s behavior, ethical principles apply to both personal and professional relationships (Webster, 2015). The field of nursing is a profession that has been highly regarded and respected in society. Most nurses enter the profession in order to utilize their clinical skills to help others in their time of need. Those in failing health rely on nurses to care for them in their most vulnerable states, and expect a level of compassion and humanity while receiving care. Nurses have an ethical responsibility to their patients, clients, and their community. Compassion, empathy, and integrity are staple characteristics that nurses possess that allow them to successfully perform their