Professionalism at the Workplace

Original Editor - Wanda van Niekerk based on the course by Benita Olivier

Top Contributors - Wanda van Niekerk and Jess Bell  

Introduction

In the dynamic world of rehabilitation and healthcare, professionalism is one of the cornerstones of efficient, compassionate and ethical practice. Professionalism at the workplace is key to building a culture of respect and trust among colleagues and patients. From maintaining confidentiality to showing empathy and integrity in every interaction, rehabilitation professionals are entrusted with the well-being and dignity of people in their care. Adherence to professional standards promotes clinical excellence and improves patient-centred care.

Patient-centred Care and Professionalism

Patient-centred care can be defined according to five dimensions:

1. the biopsychosocial perspective
   • this involves practising holistic care
2. the 'patient as a person' perspective
   • this emphasises the fact that each patient is unique
3. shared power and responsibility perspective
   • here the focus is on shared-decision making and empowering patients to make informed decisions about / take ownership of their health and to improve patient participation in the healthcare plan
4. therapeutic alliance
   • cultivating the true value of the relationship between the patient and the healthcare professional
5. coordinated care
   • patients should "experience continuity in their care"

Patient-centred care involves:

• empathy
• compassion
• respect
• engagement
• relationship
• communication
• shared decision making
• holistic treatment
• individualised care
• cultural competence

Patient-centred care is associated with increased:

• patient satisfaction
• engagement in care
• quality of life

Trust is a major influencer of the patient-healthcare professional relationship. Healthcare professionals build trust by demonstrating clinical expertise and effectiveness. Trust is also built with patients and colleagues through maintaining high standards of professionalism. This is achieved by maintaining high standards of moral responsibility and showing respect, compassion and integrity. In addition, trust can develop when healthcare professionals follow a patient-centred approach, where they aim to understand the patient's uniqueness and their experience of the situation that they are in. Clear and honest communication is necessary to foster trust between a patient and a healthcare professional.

The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists provides a useful guide to meet the standards of professionalism. This can be applied to all healthcare professions. You can read the guidance document here.

Responsibility, Accountability and Professionalism

Responsibility: "Responsibility in healthcare refers to the obligation of healthcare professionals to perform their duties competently and ethically. It encompasses a commitment to providing quality care, upholding ethical standards, and fulfilling the duties associated with one's role in the healthcare system."

Accountability: "Accountability involves being answerable for one's actions, decisions, and performance in healthcare. Healthcare professionals are accountable to their patients, colleagues, regulatory bodies, and the broader community for the quality and safety of care provided."

If you would like, you can have a look at the following codes of conduct, which discuss responsibility and accountability in more depth:

• The American Board for Certification of Orthotics, Prosthetics and Pedorthics: The Code of Professional Responsibility and Rules & Procedures
• The Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Responsibilities; Accountability
• World Physiotherapy: Ethical Principles and the responsibilities of physiotherapists and member organisations policy statement

Responsibility and accountability are important in healthcare as they help ensure:

• patient safety
• ethical practice
• professional integrity
• building trust
• adherence to legal obligations
• continuous professional development

Navigating Ethics in Work and Research

Ethical Considerations in Daily Work

• Patient autonomy and informed consent
• Confidentiality and privacy
• Conflict of interest
• Honesty in interactions

Ethical Leadership

Ethical leadership positively impacts:

• staff satisfaction
• staff retention
• teamwork and collaboration among healthcare professionals
• patient care and patient outcomes
• trust
• honesty
• performance

Key skills for ethical leaders may include:

• effective communication
• conflict resolution
• courage
• ethical analysis and reasoning

Key behaviours of ethical leaders may include:

• role modelling
• advocacy
• ethical reflection
• promoting an ethical culture

If you'd like, you can read more about leadership:

• Leading in rehabilitation - select the leadership approach
• Leading in rehabilitation - implement the leadership approach

Navigating Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical approaches and principles are frameworks used as a reference for decision making. A thoughtful and systematic approach needs to be applied. Healthcare professionals should apply ethical principles, such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice when dealing with complex ethical dilemmas.

If you would like to learn more about this, you can read about the four principles of medical ethics here.

Research Ethics

"Ethics in research refer to the guiding concepts and standards of conduct for researchers." The principles included are:

• respect for study participants
• privacy and confidentiality
• informed consent
• minimising the risk of harm
• transparency regarding research techniques
  • participants are fully aware and informed of the nature and purpose of a study
  • participants are not "coerced into participating"
• cultural sensitivity
• gender sensitivity
• respect and consideration for vulnerable populations

Ethics in research guides researchers to be responsible and accountable, as well as to protect the rights and welfare of research participants.

Universities and research institutions have ethics committees or ethical review boards which oversee the ethical conduct of research. Permission from these committees or review boards is required. This aims to ensure that research studies respect participants' rights and well-being and that informed consent is obtained.

Maintaining data integrity and honesty in research is essential. From the collection and analysis to the reporting of data and findings, transparency is important. Any form of data falsification, fabrication, plagiarism or selective reporting constitutes research misconduct, and has far-reaching consequences. Even if a published paper is retracted due to misconduct, compromised peer review, plagiarism or data falsification, there remains a risk of researchers unknowingly citing it and inadvertently spreading misinformation.

If you are interested in learning more, you can read more about ethical considerations for healthcare-related research here.

Effective Time and Resource Management

Effective time and resource management is vital in the dynamic and fast-paced environment of healthcare. It ensures high-quality patient care, helps to maintain professional efficiency and promotes a positive work culture.

Strategies for effective time management include:

• prioritisation of tasks
• effective delegation
• time blocking and scheduling

You can read more about balancing time and workload here.

If you'd like, you can have a look at the videos in this playlist. These videos provide top tips for productivity and time management: Research Masterminds: Productivity Top Tips.

Strategies for effective resource management include:

• optimising equipment and technology
• collaborative resource planning
• continuous learning and skill development