HLT 307V Grand Canyon Week 1 DQ 2

The following is an excerpt from the textbook reading Professionalism in Health Care:

“If you want to be viewed as a health care professional, you need to be aware of what’s going on in your industry… you need to be keep up with current trends and issues and consider how they might affect your job, your patients, your personal health, and your career.” (Makely, et. al, p. 5)

Give three reasons why it is important for health care professionals to be knowledgeable about what is happening in the health care industry. Provide at least two examples from your readings of ways to keep up with current trends and issues.

 

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Professionalism in Health Care

Introduction

Being professional is about treating people with respect and dignity, even when you don’t feel like it. It’s about doing the right thing for your patients and remembering that they are not just patients. You should always be on time for work or appointments, whether you’re running late or have been told to come in early by a supervisor or manager. And if someone asks for help with their insurance coverage, don’t judge them based on appearance or lifestyle choices (unless those choices are harming others).

The Patient-Physician relationship is a privilege.

It is a privilege to be able to help people. Many people in the health care field work hard and make sacrifices so that they can help others. It is also an honor to have your patients trust you, which they do when they see that you are knowledgeable about their condition and have the experience necessary to treat it properly. To have patients trust your abilities as a physician, please take time out of your busy schedule to review these basic guidelines:

• Always ask permission before touching someone even if it seems like something minor such as checking their pulse or taking their temperature at no cost! You must always respect other people’s boundaries!

• If someone asks what medications they should take while visiting with me then I will not give advice without first discussing it with them first because this could potentially cause harm if misused incorrectly (and sometimes even accidentally).

Think before you speak.

Think before you speak.

It’s easy to be tempted to say something that would be considered inappropriate or unprofessional by many people, but it can have a lasting impact on your patients. Before speaking, consider the following:

• You are a role model for your patients and should treat them in the way you want them to see themselves or other people treated.

• This means taking the time to think about what words might be used when explaining procedures or treatments with them; if something seems wrong, don’t say it!

Always act in the best interest of your patients.

As a health care professional, you should always strive to do what is best for your patient. If there is any doubt about whether or not an action would be harmful to your patient or their family or community, then it is generally best not to take that action.

When providing care for patients and families, always focus on what will make them feel better and more comfortable. Do not sacrifice quality of life just because it may cost money in the short run (which may include lost wages).

When you make a mistake, acknowledge it and apologize for it.

When you make a mistake, acknowledge it and apologize for it.

The most important thing you can do when you screw up is to own up to your mistakes. Don’t make excuses or blame everyone else—be the adult in this situation, even if the patient is an adult as well (or worse). Do not engage in denial: “It’s not my fault,” or “She did this on purpose.” Don’t get defensive; don’t blame others for what went wrong with your care plan or procedure, even if they are responsible in some way—it’s okay to admit that there was an error made during treatment or surgery! You must take full responsibility for any errors made during medical procedures and treatments so that other staff members know that mistakes will be avoided in the future by doing things differently next time around.

Always maintain patient confidentiality.

Patient confidentiality is a legal requirement, and it’s important to keep patient information private. The law protects patients from being forced to disclose information that they may have received through their medical care. However, there are some exceptions to this rule:

• If you’re a police officer or other public official who needs to obtain evidence from a patient in order for an investigation or prosecution to proceed, then you can break confidentiality.

• If there’s an emergency situation where keeping the patient’s identity secret could save his/her life (for example, if someone with Ebola goes into isolation), then you can break confidentiality temporarily until such time as he/she has been treated successfully by medical professionals and released from isolation into less intensive care settings; however this does not apply if there is no threat of harm coming from breaking confidentiality.*

Be on time for work and appointments. If you can’t help being late, be sure to apologize as soon as you arrive!

Being late for work and appointments is disrespectful to your patients. They should not be waiting around for you, so be sure to apologize as soon as you arrive. If it’s unavoidable that you will be late, call ahead and let them know what time you’ll arrive. If there are no other options, try calling at least a half-hour before the appointment time in case they need to reschedule due to delayed transportation or traffic problems on their part!

Use appropriate language (don’t swear or use slang).

• Don’t swear or use slang.

• Don’t use inappropriate language.

• Don’t use inappropriate hand gestures, body language and facial expressions.

• Avoid eye contact that could be considered aggressive or intimidating (e.g., looking over someone’s shoulder).

Be honest with your patients about everything from diagnoses to insurance coverage.

Being honest with your patients about everything from diagnoses to insurance coverage is essential in maintaining a positive relationship. If you’re not sure how to answer a question, admit it and find out from someone who might know the answer. If there’s no one around, ask questions yourself until you get some information that makes sense and isn’t too far off base from reality.

You should also be honest about when things are not going well for you as an employee or practitioner and let the patient know that they can always reach out if they have any concerns or questions.

Don’t judge someone based on appearance or lifestyle choices (unless those choices are harming others).

• Don’t judge someone based on appearance or lifestyle choices (unless those choices are harming others).

• Be careful not to stereotype people in your profession. For example, if you’re a doctor and your patient is overweight, don’t assume that this implies poor health habits; instead, look for other signs like high cholesterol and high blood pressure as well as any other symptoms that may indicate underlying problems with diet and exercise.

• Remember that you are a professional—not just anyone’s friend! When interacting with patients or clients who have special needs such as disabilities or mental illness (or even just being different), remember that it’s important not only how they look but also how they act towards other people and how they treat themselves while being treated by the healthcare system itself…

Being professional means treating people like people and remembering that they are not just patients

Being professional means treating people like people, not just patients. It’s okay to make mistakes. You will make them, and they’ll happen again. But you can’t let that stop you from doing your job well or caring about the people in your care and treatment team.

It’s also important to remember that we all make mistakes—it’s part of life! So when something goes wrong during an appointment (or when working with a patient), don’t judge them based on appearance or lifestyle choices alone; instead, try to understand why they feel they need medical attention in the first place.

Conclusion

We hope that this brief summary of professional behavior has been helpful to you and your patients. We know that being professional can take practice, but it’s important to remember that your actions will reflect on both you and your field of medicine. If there is anything we have left out or forgotten, please feel free to reach out.