Professionalism in the Workplace

Denise Thornby RN, MS

Is it the role or the behavior?

Professions

• have a body of knowledge, scope of practice, agreed upon values, oath or code and accountability to our society for their profession and their professional behavior.

• Social Workers• Lawyers• Physicians• Nurses• Teachers• Lawyers• Flight Attendants…..

Professionalism

• Describes a certain type of behavior in the workplace

• Based on our values and understanding of our professional roles

• Evidenced in our behavior

How professionalism is judged

• Against a set of expectations or standards

• From our own personal values set and understanding of what “professionalism” means

• May be situational in nature• Strongly influenced by culture

Professionalism is in the eye

of the beholder…

Unprofessional!

Professional is judged through:

• Our Image• Our Communication• Our Competence• Our Demeanor

From the Patient’s Perspective

• Trustworthy• Competent• Empathetic• Respectful• Caring

Our relationships with patients:

• Therapeutic context• Safety, trust and ethical behavior

are foundational• Relationship has boundaries• Vulnerability of patients and the

imbalance of power

Respectful of their:

• Needs• Beliefs• Concerns • Values

Crossing Professional Boundaries

• Non-therapeutic relationships• Inappropriate communication• Inappropriate self-disclosure• Exploitation – money, gifts• Breaches of confidentiality

From the Co-Workers Perspective

• Trustworthy• Competent• Supportive• Respectful• Accountable

Professional Team

Expectations of Professional Team Members

• Functional Trust• Mutual Respect• Open Communication

Functional Trust• All people have an equal

need for respect• Respect is the basic

foundation of all healthy personal relationships

• Each team member is equally important

• Each team member’s work is equally important

Mutual respect• All people have an equal

need for respect• Respect is the basic

foundation of all healthy personal relationships

• Each team member is equally important

• Each team member’s work is equally important

Open Communication• Team members talk to

each other about issues directly

• All team members avoid the 3 B’s

• Supportive feedback is given generously

• Corrective feedback is helpful, tactful and constructive

Where Do I Start?

Qualities and Characteristics of a Professional

• Competent• Trustworthy• Respectful• Act with Integrity• Considerate• Empathetic

Professionals are:

• Courteous• Dependable• Cooperative• Committed

Professionals are:

Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.

Og Mandino