Professionalism in the
Workplace
Is it the role or the behavior?
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.
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Social Workers
Lawyers
Physicians
Nurses
Teachers
Lawyers
Flight Attendants…..
Professionalism
• Describes a certain type of behavior
in the workplace
• Based on our values and
understanding of our professional
roles
• Evidenced in our behavior
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
Professionalism
is in the eye of
the beholder…
Unprofessional!
Professional is judged through:
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Our Image
Our Communication
Our Competence
Our Demeanor
From the Patient’s Perspective
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Trustworthy
Competent
Empathetic
Respectful
Caring
Our relationships with patients:
• Therapeutic context
• Safety, trust and ethical behavior are
foundational
• Relationship has boundaries
• Vulnerability of patients and the
imbalance of power
Respectful of their:
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Needs
Beliefs
Concerns
Values
Crossing Professional Boundaries
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Non-therapeutic relationships
Inappropriate communication
Inappropriate self-disclosure
Exploitation – money, gifts
Breaches of confidentiality
From the Co-Workers Perspective
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Trustworthy
Competent
Supportive
Respectful
Accountable
Professional Team
Expectations of Professional Team
Members
• Functional Trust
• Mutual Respect
• Open Communication
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
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
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
Where
Do I
Start?
Qualities and Characteristics
of a Professional
Professionals are:
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Competent
Trustworthy
Respectful
Act with Integrity
Considerate
Empathetic
Professionals are:
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Courteous
Dependable
Cooperative
Committed
Always do your best. What you plant
now, you will harvest later.
Og Mandino