Professionalism in Healthcare
The underlying assumption that necessitates professionalism in healthcare is the understanding that practicing medicine is a moral endeavour, requiring a rigorous application of behavioural and ethical standards in combination with scientific training and the ability to care for humans in distress with compassion and empathy.
All definitions of Professionalism include 3 elements:
- has mastered a body of knowledge and skills, and this knowledge and training is to be used in the service of others,
- the expectation that healthcare professionalism will uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional behaviour in all their actions and activities,
- the practice of medicine involves a contract of trust between patient and healthcare provider – a social (moral) contract termed a fiduciary relationship. This contract with society allows us to regulate ourselves, both personally and professionally.
One of our central tasks at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine is to instill and evaluate the values of professionalism in our learners and to facilitate the development of their professional identity in preparing them for their future role as healthcare providers caring for people who are ill.
The Core Values of Professionalism include:
- Honesty and Integrity
- Altruism
- Respect
- Responsibility and Accountability
- Compassion and Empathy
- Dedication and Self-improvement
In parallel, we the teaching faculty are given the responsibility for ascertaining that our learners have the knowledge and skills to embark on the next stage of their preparation to become healthcare providers.