Unit-1 Importance of Professionalism in Nursing

Professionalism refers to the conduct, behavior, and attitude expected in a particular profession or workplace setting. It encompasses qualities such as punctuality, reliability, integrity, respectfulness, and adherence to ethical standards. Professionalism also involves effective communication, cooperation, and a commitment to continuous improvement and learning. It's essential for fostering a positive work environment and achieving success in one's career.

1. PROFESSIONALISM PREPARED BY: Mr. Nirmal Vaghela F.Y.M.Sc Nursing, DPCN, Nadiad.

2. OVERVIEW Definition of profession Definition of nursing as a profession Definition of professionalism Characteristics of professionalism Concept of professionalism in nursing Attributes of professionalism Indicators of professionalism in nursing Challenges of professionalism Professional conduct

3. DEFINITION OF PROFESSION Profession is a type of occupation that requires specialized education, training and knowledge in a particular field. Profession typically have a set of ethical and technical standards they are expected to follow and maintain them.

4. DEFINITION OF NURSING AS A PROFESSION According to American Nurse Association (ANA), “Nursing is the protection, promotion and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities and populations.

5. DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONALISM Professionalism is the skill, good judgement and polite behavior that are expected from a person who is trained to do a job well. Professionalism is commonly understood as an individual’s observation to a set of standards, code of conduct or collection of qualities that characterize accepted practice within a particular area of activity.

6. CHARACTERISTICS OF PROFESSIONALISM Knowledge Accountability Respect Ethics Appearance Control of emotions Confidence Honesty Time management Effective communication

7. Knowledge :- Professionalism involves gaining up-to-date knowledge, which is often highly specialized. Its also important to put the knowledge into the action. Accountability :- Professionalism involves accountability of the professionals for their actions all time. It also means being organized and holding on self accountable for the any decision, words and actions. Respect :- Professionalism means being a role model for politeness and good manner to everyone, not just for those who need to impress but respect other people by taking their needs into account and helping to protect their rights.

8. Ethics :- Professionalism involves strict code of ethics. Even if the organization does not have a written code but professionals must display ethical behavior at all times. Appearance :- A professional must be neat in appearance. They should follow the dress code of their organization. There should be appropriateness in appearance such as dressing, personal grooming and body language. Control of emotions :- Professionals should be able to manage their emotions under the pressure . This is also known as “ Emotional Intelligence”. Professionalism means keep the emotions but at the same time it also involves expressing the feelings, in order to have meaningful conversation.

9. Confidence :- P rofessionalism pushes the person to take on new challenges and make the professional confident about he is doing at present and always to do it better and achieve more. Honesty :- H onesty is the best policy and it is one of the most important characteristic in any profession. Honesty plays a important role in both our personal and professional life's. So, always be honest with the work. Time management :- Another important characteristic of the professionalism is that all the professionals should know the importance of time management. also, time plays a significant role. To be a good professional, one should know how to manage the time. It increase the productivity of work as well as helps to maintain good relationship with other team members.

10. Effective Communication :- Effective communication is one of the most important point of the professionalism. Being a professional, should have good communication skills. Professionals must have good reading, writing and speaking skill. Also, listening is important part of communication and being professional, one should not only speak but also listen to others.

11. CONCEPT OF PROFESSIONALISM IN NURSING In nursing, professionalism reflects the act of providing quality patient care while the values of respect, advocacy and responsibility. Professionalism also extends to a nurse’s ability to communicate clearly, self-reflect on behavior's and actions and always working for both professional and personal development. There are 3 types of concepts of professionalism in nursing such as a cognitive, attitudinal and psychomotor.

12. Cognitive :- The cognitive type of professionalism focuses on the ability to continually learn about professional conduct and apply this growing base of knowledge in work settings. Ultimately, nurses who practice this skill should develop the key tools they they need to priority and make decision effectively. Attitudinal :- The attitudinal dimension of nursing professionalism involves the attitudes and ideas that guide nurses as they perform their job duties and advance through their careers. Ideally, the attitudes of nurses should position with practical standards and the broader goals of their organizations.

13. Psychomotor :- The psychomotor aspect of professionalism in nursing promotes the idea that as professionals gain experience and they can do more than build their clinical skills. They can improve their management skills and better understand the problems and commitments involved in the practice of nursing. Nurses may apply these principles of professional to become better leader, guide actions using value judgments and establish self-directed commitments to provide the highest level of patient care.

14. ATTRIBUTES OF PROFESSIONALISM Professionalism encourage the development of many soft skills. Nurses may learn these skills through their life and work experience and develop them over the course of their careers. Common attributes of professionalism are: Conflict resolution :- This involves a professional’s ability to solve a problem. It requires the nurse to consider the needs of everyone involved in the conflict, while communicating possible solutions with respect.

15. Ethical thinking :- This skills able to nurses make value-based judgements that place with professional standards and moral codes, priority the needs of patients and team members ahead of their own. Adaptability :- This demonstrates the capacity to combine new information with education, experience and professional guidelines to re-evaluate a situation and make changes that lead to more effective solutions.

16. Leadership :- Leadership is founded on excellent communication skills, attention to detail, respect and resourcefulness. Professionals commonly build leadership skills as they move on to more senior roles, in which they can guide others to provide higher levels of care. Collaboration :- T his is the key to professionalism. Working with others and being able to communicate and cooperate is crucial to developing an efficient work environment that places patient needs at the forefront.

17. INDICATORS OF PROFESSIONALISM IN NURSING In nursing, professionalism is judges based on personal behavior's, appearance and presentation. There are various indicators of professionalism that include positive attitude, communication and interactions, professional responsibility, teamwork and integrity. Main indicators of professionalism are as follows: Positive attitude :- T he first and most important indicator of professionalism in nursing is a positive attitude. As a nurses are the backbone of health care system, they must work to maintain a positive environment and communication in all areas and at all times.

18. Communication and interactions :- Nurses are the primary point of contact for every patient, who comes to hospital. Therefore, it is paramount that every nurses capable of interacting positively and productively with each patient. They must treat the patients with the almost dignity in every circumstance interactions of the nurses with patients should always convey compassion. The felling's of the clients must be respected, even if the nurses do not agree with their choices. Kindness :- Approaching others with patience and respect for their perspective enables constructive criticism and strong collaboration. Treat others as one’s like to be treated.

19. Professional responsibility :- A key indicator of professionalism in any career is the appropriate handling of responsibility. In health care where people’s well-being and lives are in the hands of health professionals. A nurse has to care for patients, monitor their vital signs using equipment's and handle medications. Nurse must take this very seriously at all times by demonstrating an awareness of the consequences of a mistake and how to prevent them from occurring. Self-discipline :- Professionalism in nursing also involves self-discipline. Nurses are to an extent under the supervision of their seniors, they must be self-motivated by keeping their duties on top. Self-discipline is essential in ensuring high standards of patient care.

20. Readiness to learn :- Another element of professionalism in nursing is the willingness to learn and develop. In any field of health care, education does not end after completing the degree course. Nurses must be interested in actively keeping up-to-date with the latest medical research and nursing best practices. Teamwork :- T eamwork is central to any health care career. It is essential for nurses to maintain collaborative and cooperative relationships with everyone from follow nurses to doctors and consultants. Regardless of the personal feelings toward other team members, they must put patient’s well-being first and work closely and effectively with each team members. This involves effective communication, taking the time to help others.

21. Integrity :- Every nurse must maintain complete integrity throughout her career. Nurses must know when to compromise in conflicts and when to stand up for their beliefs. They must be able to advocate for their patients and consult the appropriate people if they have any concerns within the workplace. However, they must also be self-aware and willing to assess where improvements can be made. Honesty :- Another indicator of professionalism involves honesty. Nurses must be able to honestly explain to patients their diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, no matter how hard it is. Nurses also need to be humble enough to admit if they have made a mistake and put in the necessary steps in the situation.

22. Unbiased approach :- nurses must have a good sense of ethics and be able to treat every patient equally, regardless of their age, race, genders, condition or socio-economic background. Work ethics :- Nurses must follow professional ethics at work place. Working with children, youth and families is one of the most rewarding and at the same time challenging. It requires dedication, commitment, problem-solving skills and a willingness to learn, change and flexible in order to address the multiple and often complex needs of various individuals.

23. CHALLENGES OF PROFESSIONALISM Professionalism in nursing comes with its own set of challenges: Ethical problems :- Nurses may face ethical problems related to patient care, confidentiality and decision-making which can challenge their professionalism. Nurses often encounter challenging situations that require them to make difficult ethical decisions. Balancing the best interests of the patient with professional responsibilities can be a challenge. Especially in cases where personal values or beliefs may conflict.

24. Nurse-Patient boundaries :- Maintaining appropriate boundaries with patients is important in professionalism. Nurses must navigate the delicate balance between providing comprehensive care and ensuring professional distance. It can be challenging to establish boundaries. E specially when patients may develop strong emotional attachments to their caregivers. Communication :- Effective communication with patients, patients family members and other team members is essential. But it can be challenging. Especially in emotionally situations.

25. Cultural adeptness :- Providing culturally sensitive care to diverse patient populations can be difficult, requiring nurses to continually educate themselves. Work-life balance :- Balancing personal and professional life can be tough as nursing often involves irregular hours and demanding schedules. Workforce issues :- Nurses may face challenges related to the work environment, such as staffing, high patient loads and time limitation. These factors can contribute to stress, burden and potentially compromise the professionalism.

26. Patient advocacy :- Advocating for patient’s rights and best interests while navigating complex healthcare systems can be a delicate balance. Legal and regulatory attention :- Nurses must stay up-to-date with ever-changing laws and regulations, which can be a helpful in any challenge. Team dynamics :- Collaborating with interdisciplinary healthcare teams and managing conflicts can be professionally challenging. Balancing personal and professional life :- Professional may struggle to find a healthy work-life balance due to demanding work schedules and high expectations this can lead to stress, burden and minimize relationship outside of work .

27. Technological advancements :- Keeping up with rapidly improve healthcare technologies and electronic health records is important for providing quality care. Emotional flexibility :- Dealing with patient suffering and sometimes painful outcomes requires emotional flexibility to maintain professionalism. Moral distress :- Nurses may experience moral distress when they are unable to act in accordance with their ethical beliefs due to institutional organizational policies. This can create a tension between personal values and professional responsibilities.

28. Dealing with limited resources :- professionals often have to work with limited resources such as time, budget or manpower. Finding creative solutions and maximizing the available resources can be challenging, especially when there are expectations to deliver high-quality outcomes. To address these challenges, nurses can engage in ongoing education and professional development to enhance their knowledge and skills.

29. PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT Following are the professional conduct for nurses in India: Professional responsibility & accountability : Appreciates sense of self worth & care for patients. Maintain standards of personal conducts reflecting credit upon the profession. Carries out responsibilities within the framework of the professional boundaries. She is accountable for maintaining INC standards, own decisions & actions. Practices healthful behavior. She is caring. Responsible for improvement of current practices. She provides adequate information to individuals.

30. 2) Nursing practice : Treats all individuals with human dignity in providing holistic aspects of care. Provides care with set standard of practice. Respects all individuals , promotes healthy practices & discourages harmful practices. Presents realistic pictures truthfully in all situations. Promotes participation of individuals & significant others in the care. Ensures safe practice.

31. 3) Communication & interpersonal relationship : Establishes & maintains effective interpersonal relationship with individual, families & communities. Uphold dignity of team members & maintain interpersonal relationship with them. Appreciate & perform professional role with team members. Cooperates with other health professionals to meet the need of the individuals, families & communities.

32. 4) Valuing human being : Prevent individuals from harmful unethical practices. She must take decision in the interest of the individuals. Encourage & supports individuals in their rights. Respects & supports choices made by individuals.

33. 5) Management : Ensures appropriate allocation & utilization of available resources. Participation & supervision & education of the students. Communicate effectively following appropriate channels of communication. Participation in performance appraisal. Participation in evaluation of nursing services. Work with individuals to identify their needs.

34. 6) Professional advancement : Ensures the protection of human rights. Contributes to the development of nursing practice. Participates in determining & implementing quality care. Takes responsibility for updating own knowledge &skills. Conducting & participating in research.