What Makes a Health Professional - Essay Example

Apart from having requisite skills, a health professional should also possess the quality of creating a healthy atmosphere for the patient, as it can aid in the therapeutic process. However, this interaction should be within the domain of the professional relationship. Participating in Goodness - Healthcare professionals promote goodness and the professional closeness between the patient and the practitioner proves to be useful for the treatment. Integrity in Words and Conduct – Integrity means the connection between what a person says and does.

The healthcare professional must bring about consistency between their commitment and actions. This will inculcate in the patient a feeling of trust. Each and every member of the team must perform with the same level of integrity. Individualizing your approach- The professional should first understand the approach and then act according to the situation. Instead of being a slave to the clock, he should be flexible enough to treat the patient according to the situation. The practitioner should resist adopting a shortcut and if it is really needed, then a thorough explanation should be given to the patient.

Also, waiting for patients should be treated appropriately so that they don’t lose confidence. Little things mean a lot – A practitioner’s individualized attention to a patient even on small issues can build a strong professional bond. These may include making a patient comfortable hygienically (providing with a tissue or a glass of water when in need), remembering the patient’s interests (movies, matches, etc.), or expanding the patient’s awareness (making a patient feel close to home ). Responding to gifts- Patients and their respective family members often offer gifts to healthcare professionals.

This creates a dilemma for these professionals, whether to accept them or not. Before deciding doctors should consider the monetary value, the patient’s intention, and the nature of professional closeness. they should also keep in mind that the gift should not create any sort of hindrance in the therapeutic process. Gifts presented with a genuine feeling of gratitude must be accepted. Gifts that are offensive must be politely refused. But, since the refusal can appeal very insulting to the patient, it's mandatory for the doctor to first analyze the professional and ethical boundaries and then respond.

Mistakes and Making an Apology - Mistakes by health professionals may happen in areas like- behavior, medication, course of treatment, finance, etc. It is the moral duty of the practitioner to disclose to the patient any kind of mistake committed by him. The doctor should apologize, brief the patient about the mistake and assure him that he will try his best to overcome the effects and shall adopt all possible means to make sure it is not repeated. Apology and assurance from the practitioner not only help to restore the patient’s lost confidence but also maintains the integrity of the doctor as a human.

Intimacy considered- the level of professional closeness can be divided into 5- (5) Cliche Conversation - polite and impersonal. (4)Reporting Facts - general subjects are discussed and no revelations of any personal information. (3) Personal Idea and Judgment - information about each other but no deep involvement. 2) Feelings and Emotions - feelings of trust and understanding like friends. 1) Peak Communication - deep involvement, honesty, and profound trust and understanding. The level of conversation should begin from levels 5, 4, and 3 to understand the patient’s condition and may then reach level 2 as it can aid the therapeutic process.

Level 1 however, is beyond the domain of professional closeness.