Chapter 11: Professionalism

A young woman is at a table reading a book with more books piled around her
Studying To Become A Health Professional / Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels License

Overview

Jamie is a nursing student at a local community college. Jamie has worked as a barista while going to school, so they know something about customer service. In the nursing program, professionalism is discussed often, and is an expectation of students. Jamie is wondering, what does professionalism mean? What does a professional person do or say? What behaviors should a person who wants to be seen as a professional not engage in?

There are many components of professionalism, which this chapter will explore.

Objectives

Upon completion of this chapter, the learner will be able to:

  • Define professionalism in the context of healthcare careers
  • Explain elements of professionalism in relationships with other team members
  • Identify professional etiquette or behavioral guidelines
  • Recognize the values and ethical principles that drive professionalism
  • Describe what professional development entails

Key Terms

  • Professionalism
  • Service-oriented approach
  • Policies
  • Dress code
  • Etiquette
  • Professional development
  • Professional association

Attributions

  1. Chapter opening image: image released under the Pexels License

License

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Introduction to Healthcare Professions Copyright © by SBCTC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.