Introduction
Professional conduct or acting like a professional is a discussion that is gaining more importance today as ethical behaviour and integrity gain more prominence in the professional world. For employees to be viewed as professionals, they have to conduct themselves and their work in a manner that displays an understanding of ethical rules and guidelines that govern the actions of a professional. These rules and guidelines are what is referred to as professional codes of conduct.
Acting like a professional is important for employees in the various professions around the world as it adds credibility and importance to the work the employee is performing. Apart from credibility, professionalism enables an individual to build up their reputation as well as the reputation of the profession so long as they follow the professional codes of conduct. The purpose of this article will be to look at the importance of acting like a professional to the employee/professional, to the business or company and to the society as a whole. The professional area that will be focused on will be the health care industry.
What it means to act professionally
Gildenhuys (2004) deals with the aspect of acting professionally by defining the meaning of a professional and professionalism. He defines a professional to be a person who practices a vocation or calling that is mostly related to a scientific field or an advanced learning field of work. A professional is also a person who has a relationship with a profession by demonstrating the skills and knowledge of the particular professional field and also practicing the ethical standards outlined by the governing body of the profession. Gildenhuys (2004) defines professionalism as the qualities that make up a profession. These qualities include integrity, competency, capability and proper ethical conduct (Gildenhuys 2004)
. Professionals are viewed to be people who are regulated by the mandatory training they undergo to perform their work. Professionalism is the character and standards that professionals are supposed to display while performing their duties. Professionalism is related to the concept of a professional as it displays the outcome of the demands of a professional job.
While people can be associated with various professional disciplines, they cannot be referred to as professionals if they do not display the high standards of conduct that come with that particular profession. The demonstration of professional knowledge, experience and capabilities in one’s professional field is termed to be an exhibition of professionalism. Professionalism can also be the display of adherence to work standards which every professional is expected to follow. Every professional field has its own rules and standards that govern the performance of work (Medical Products, 2009).
Purpose and Importance of Professional Conduct in the Workplace
The purpose of the general code of professional conduct is to ensure that the standards for professional conduct and work performance are adhered to and followed during the course of carrying out the professional work. The code of conduct is meant to inform professionals about the standards of professional conduct that are required from them as they practice their professions. The purpose of the code of conduct is to inform the public and employers of the standards of professional conduct that they should expect from a professional worker (Brooker 2007).
The purpose of the code of conduct is to provide guidelines on the expectations of professional conduct which require that professionals should be ethical in their behaviour towards the public, employers and other professionals and also have integrity while performing their duties. Professionals should also maintain high work performance standards in their duties in line with the rules that govern how they perform their work. This will ensure that their professional reputations as well as the reputations of the general professions they are in are maintained (Barker, 2007).
The importance of professionalism in the workplace is seen to be a demonstration of value and command which shows the premium of the profession in the job market. Professionalism is seen to be important to an organization as professionals are seen to be the positive drivers of result delivery. Professional attitudes in a work setting are able to steer positive growth within the organization which will in turn lead to organizational success and improved performance. The presence of professionals in the workplace has an impact on the organizational work culture as the professionals are focused on achieving positive results for the company (Hutagalung, 2009).
Professionalism is also important when it comes to improving the productivity of organizational workers. Professionals are seen to improve the productivity of a company because of their work ethic and the work standards that they are meant to adhere to. Their focus on work ensures that tasks are performed within the set timeline and the work is performed in an efficient way. Such work ethics ensures that the productivity of the organization is improved among the professional employees. Apart from productivity, professionalism is also important in increasing the quality of work performed by not only the professionals in the organization, but all the workers.
Professionalism in quality is important because professionals know how to perform their work while at the same time delivering quality results. They provide unmatched quality in their work because of the extensive and advanced training they have received to perform their work at the highest possible standards. Professionals are also known to be dedicated to performing their work as their codes of conduct stipulate that they should perform their jobs to create the high levels of output. Quality in job performance is therefore seen to be a criterion that governs the professionalism of a professional employee in the workplace (Hutagalung, 2009).
The importance of professional conduct in the work place is that a professional environment acts as a catalyst that will be used to attract and retain employees in an organization. Professionalism in the workplace creates an environment that will allow the company’s employees to grow and have some form of career progression in their line of work. This comes about from the competitiveness in the workplace as well as the job market that requires employees to continually improve their work qualifications to be able to progress in their careers. Professionals enhance the competitive nature of organizations and they also create a balance in terms of which workers get to advance in their jobs within the organization (Hutagalung, 2009).
Professionals have a lot of experience which makes it difficult for an organization to make them indispensable. The kind of advanced training they receive ensures that the skills and knowledge they possess continue to become relevant while they carry out their duties. It is important for companies to acquire professionals from different fields such as law professionals, engineers, and education professionals and use their experience, skills, knowledge and capabilities to advance the operations of the organization. The importance of professionals in the work place should not be undermined by companies as professionals ensure that there is growth.
General Requirements of a Professional
For a person to be termed as professional, they have to comply with certain professional requirements. Professionalism requires a person to possess some specific knowledge and skills that have been developed for a particular occupational field. These skills and knowledge are acquired by conducting extensive research and having practical experience in the particular professional field. Another requirement for a professional is to have advanced education and training on the specific occupational job. The advanced education is a prerequisite for a professional to gain employment in the particular job field they have been trained for (Gildenhuys, 2004).
Another requirement for professionals is that they should observe the ethical codes of conduct that their conduct when they perform their professional duties and when they interact with members of the public and the society. They are also required to observe high levels of competency and integrity when they perform their duties. They should not be seen to engage in activities that will comprise their integrity and the moral compass of their professions (Inui, 2007). Professionals are also required to display a sound and acceptable image to their employers and the people they interact with while they perform their professional duties. This is meant ensure that the reputation of their professions is not damaged but kept intact. Professional institutions should support the activities of professionals to ensure that there is development in the professional area (Gildenhuys, 2004).
Professionalism in the Health Care Industry
The issue of professional conduct in the health care industry around the world has arisen because of the proposed health care reforms to medical delivery systems in certain countries around the world. Blumenthal (2010) in his analysis of the vital role that professionalism plays in the health care industry with particular focus on health care reforms notes that the implementation of these reforms will not succeed if the professionalism of health care providers is not improved. Blumenthal notes that the society believes that health care providers rely on their advanced knowledge and skills to treat their patients. Professionalism in the health care industry is therefore seen to be an antidote that prevents failures and problems in the medical industry (Blumenthal, 2010).
The codes of conduct that govern health care providers such as nurses and doctors require that these professionals should protect and support the health care needs of their patients and clients as well as the wider society. The professional codes of conduct that govern health care providers also require them to perform their duties in a way that will justify the trust and confidence the general public has placed on them to perform their duties with the highest level of professional standards. Nurses, doctors, and physicians are required to be accountable for their actions when they deal with patients and they also have a duty of care to these patients which requires them to provide the safest and most reliable treatment (Brooker, 2007).
The personal commitment by health care providers is usually placed on having expert knowledge and proficient skills in their professions. This arises because of the ever changing medical profession that sees new innovations coming up everyday. Medical practitioners are therefore required to make a commitment towards improving the level of their competencies by constantly updating their skills and knowledge. The practitioners are also meant to have a commitment to their patients by keeping their health status and records confidential. This enables them to form appropriate relationships with their patients (Brennan, 2002).
Many doctors view professionalism as the autonomy granted to them to perform their duties without any interference from other quarters such as the medical governing authority. Autonomy is not however a fundamental right for any health care provider but it is a legal and moral privilege granted to these professionals by the wider community. This means that the health care specialists have to earn this privilege by observing the codes of conduct set out for them by the relevant authorities (Blumenthal, 2010).
Such conduct will entail observing altruism which requires medical professionals to resolve conflicts that might arise as they perform their duties. Altruism requires the medical professionals to put the interests of their patients before their own personal interests. They are also expected to show a commitment to self improvement by mastering any new information or techniques that are related to the medical profession. The professionals are also required to practice peer review which means their work places them in a position to supervise the work of their colleagues to prevent cases of poor professionalism when offering services to customers (Blumenthal, 2010).
Conclusion
Professionalism in the health care industry is seen to be a catalyst for change. Medicine changes and grows as a society also undergoes changes and growth. Peer review, self improvement and altruism ensure that the medical field continues to evolve so that advances and research in this professional area can be incorporated into the field. Professionalism in the medical industry also ensures that the reputation and integrity of medical practitioners and the medical profession is held intact.
References
Barker, N. (2007). Professionalism in Medicine: A student perspective. Web.
Blumenthal, D. (2010). The vital role of professionalism in health care reform. Web.
Brennan, T. (2002). Medical professionalism in the new millennium: a physician charter. Annals of Internal Medicine, Vol.136, No.3, pp. 6-243.
Brooker, C. (Ed) (2007). Churchill Livingstone’s dictionary of nursing. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.
Gildenhuys, J.S.H. (2004). Ethics and professionalism: the battle against public corruption. Victoria, Stellenbosch: Sun Press.
Hutagalung, M. (2009). Importance of professionalism in the workplace. Web.
Inui, T. (2007). Viewpoint: educating for professionalism in medicine. Web.
Medical Products (2009). The meaning of professionalism. Web.