Professionalism in the Workplace

1. Professionalism in the Workplace Denise Thornby RN, MS

2. Is it the role or the behavior?

3. 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.

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

5. Professionalism • Describes a certain type of behavior in the workplace • Based on our values and understanding of our professional roles • Evidenced in our behavior

6. 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

7. Professionalism is in the eye of the beholder…

9. Unprofessional!

10. Professional is judged through: • Our Image • Our Communication • Our Competence • Our Demeanor

11. From the Patient’s Perspective • Trustworthy • Competent • Empathetic • Respectful • Caring

12. Our relationships with patients: • Therapeutic context • Safety, trust and ethical behavior are foundational • Relationship has boundaries • Vulnerability of patients and the imbalance of power

13. Respectful of their: • Needs • Beliefs • Concerns • Values

14. Crossing Professional Boundaries • Non-therapeutic relationships • Inappropriate communication • Inappropriate self-disclosure • Exploitation – money, gifts • Breaches of confidentiality

15. From the Co-Workers Perspective • Trustworthy • Competent • Supportive • Respectful • Accountable

16. Professional Team

17. Expectations of Professional Team Members • Functional Trust • Mutual Respect • Open Communication

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

22. Where Do I Start?

23. Qualities and Characteristics of a Professional

24. Professionals are: • Competent • Trustworthy • Respectful • Act with Integrity • Considerate • Empathetic

25. Professionals are: • Courteous • Dependable • Cooperative • Committed

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