Objectives

• Defining professionalism.

• Explaining professionalism in nursing.

• Discussing the origins of the nursing profession.

• Identifying the importance of professionalism in nursing.

• List nurses’ roles.

• Comparing profession and occupation.

• Describing attributes of Professionalism.

• Discussing the antecedents of nursing professionalism.

• List the consequences of nursing professionalism.

• Identifying the Challenges of Professionalism.

• Identifying the Barriers to Professionalism in Nursing.

• To describe in-service professionalization.

• Explaining Bureaucratic professionalism.

• Identifying up-hold individual professionalism.

 Outlines

• Introduction

• Defining professionalism

• Professionalism in nursing

• Origins of the nursing profession

• The importance of professionalism in nursing

• Nurse roles

• Difference between profession and occupation

• Attributes of professionalism

• Antecedents of nursing professionalism

• consequences of nursing professionalism

• Challenges of Professionalism.

• Barriers to Professionalism in Nursing

• In-service professionalization

• Bureaucratic professionalism

• How to show nursing professionalism

• Uphold individual professionalism

 Introduction:
Professionalism refers to the set of abilities and values that, in the case of
medicine, characterize the essence of humanism in professional work.
Professionalism, ethics, and bioethics are intently linked. Within the framework
of world bioethics, professionalism provides a complete photo of the medical
occupation and its relationship with the most important global social challenges
in health and education. Professionalism includes reaching high standards,
visibly, and whatever your position or profession.
Some sectors, offices, or roles have specific "rules" of professionalism. These
might also be explicit, such as an agreed gown code or a policy for social media
usage. Other policies and expectations may additionally no longer be written
down. However, they can be just as vital – such as what is viewed as
professional behavior at meetings, or even how people customize their desks. It
pays to be observant and to ask for clarification if necessary. "Fitting in" is a
large part of professionalism, as it is a way to exhibit respect, interest in detail,
and a commitment to upholding agreed practices and values.
However, "being proper to yourself" is simply as important. True professionals
do not follow regulations mindlessly, and they understand when and how to
mission norms. They're also flexible, and they find their approaches to doing
things whilst nonetheless preserving excessive standards.
The foremost reason for professionalism and collaboration is to promote the
affected person’s safety. Health care is delivered with the aid of groups of
professionals who want to talk well, respect the principles of honesty, recognize
others, and have confidentiality and responsibility for their actions. Further, the
working environment in fitness care consists of multiple learners, among them
fellow physicians, residents, and non-physicians, consisting of students and
patients.
 Origins of the Nursing Profession

• During Nursing had become a profession in the middle of the nineteenth

century. Women breastfeeding strangers was frowned upon at the time by
the general population. Nightingale, however, thought that nursing
offered women a unique chance. She firmly felt that people might acquire
independence while using their training and scientific expertise to
enhance patient care.

• At a health center in Turkey in 1854, the British government asked

Nightingale for assistance during the Crimean War. Within weeks after
the arrival of her modest team, the death rate among British soldiers had
dramatically fallen. Nightingale's efforts were enthusiastically embraced
by the public, and this helped convince Westerners of the honor and value
of educated nurses.

•
• Thanks to improvements in medicine and changing patient demands,
nurses can work in a variety of specialized fields. There are several
choices, including dermatology, emergency care, and rehabilitation. A
few of the most sought-after specializations, nevertheless, are included in
advanced practice registered nursing.

• specialized training Registered nurses can work If they possess at least a

master's degree, they may work as registered nurses, clinical nurse
specialists, nurse anesthetists, or nurse midwives. They concentrate on
improving overall well-being, preventing sickness, and treating
conditions that require very basic medical care.

What is nursing?

• Nursing is not just a moral obligation, but also a science and an art. It is a
unique professional opportunity in the healthcare sector that is focused on
offering care to people, cultures, and communities. Any nation's
healthcare system needs nurses to help with its primary objectives of
promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing illnesses, reducing suffering, and
rehabilitating people with disabilities. To offer efficient and effective
healthcare care for the public, the majority of nations have improved the
nursing profession through degree-level education and nursing
specialization in particular disciplines.

• According to the requirements for a profession, nursing meets the

following requirements: a systematic knowledge base that serves as the
foundation for the profession's practice; standardized formal higher
education; a dedication to delivering a service that benefits people and
organizations; preservation of a distinct role that acknowledges
 autonomy, responsibility, and accountability; regulation of practice
responsibility of the profession via standards and a code of etiquette.

• Nurse’s Role

• The duties of nurses include providing patients with a safe and

therapeutic environment, holistic and personalized care, maintaining
accurate and higher records and reports, protecting patient privacy and
legal rights, collaborating with other healthcare professionals, adhering to
ethical and legal guidelines, properly delegating tasks, providing health
education, focusing on evidence-based practice, and contributing.

Defining Professionalism

• A number of characteristics make professionalism; it is not just one of

them. An efficient time manager and punctual employee are traits of a
professional. Workers that are professionals take accountability for their
actions and collaborate well. The bundle includes high expectations for
the job product, honesty, and integrity. Employees that are dressed
professionally provide a tidy and professional appearance. Being
professional also means being able to communicate effectively and
appropriately in the workplace.
• A profession is a field of activity that calls for specialized education or an
internship to acquire advanced expertise and skill in the field. Assisting
people in need is the primary goal of the profession.

• A legislation or professional body regulates the profession. For someone

to be recognized as a professional, they must pursue more education and
complete the course offered by the regulating body. It's common to refer
to a professional as an expert in a particular field. The professional body
creates ethical norms that must be adhered to by professionals to maintain
consistency in their work.

• Members of a profession are said to be professional if they have similar

educational backgrounds and share the same ideals. Professionalism in
nursing is attained by intentional interactions with patients and the
healthcare team, as well as through wholesome work settings where each
employee accepts responsibility for their actions. Professionalism may be
seen as a general concept that encompasses everything from fundamental
decency, education, and appearance to specifics like personal behavior,
work abilities, and job title. The purpose of this publication is to serve as
a teaching tool about the value of professionalism and participation in
nursing as well as a guide for how to put professionalism into practice.

• Nursing practitioners should concentrate on patients as well as the tools

and activities as the field of nursing practice continues to broaden and the
nursing team is pushed to prioritize the mortal of care in the face of
technological and scientific demands. With the provision of safe,
competent, moral, and empathic care for everyone as the ultimate goal,
professionalism should take center stage in nursing.

• Professionalism is simple to recognize regardless of the position or

business. A skilled workers will put in a lot of effort and successfully
 manage their time on the job, including appearing for breaks on time and
leaving them on time. The voice and demeanor of a professional in a
customer service position will be clear and courteous when speaking with
clients and coworkers. A professional employee will cooperate
effectively with coworkers in an office setting and Endeavour to maintain
high quality. The fundamental components of professionalism are always
the same, even if they may appear slightly different in different contexts.
These qualities provide new workers an advantage when they start their
professions.

Professionalism in nursing

• To be a professional nurse, you must give while adhering to the values of

accountability, respect, and integrity, providing patients with the best
possible care. The preservation, development, and optimization of one's
health and talents, the avoidance of disease and damage, the relief of
suffering via the identification and management of human reaction, and
engagement in the care of people, families, organizations, and
populations are all part of what the American Nurses Association defines
as nursing. Fundamentally, Professionalism in nursing is demonstrating a
firm commitment to the field and a will to constantly give patients the
highest standard of care.
•

Differentiated between profession and occupation

• An individual engages in their occupation to support themselves. A

person who wants to make money can ply one's trade, practice, or
occupation. Contrary to popular belief, occupation and profession are not
the same things.

• A career involves education, training, credentials, and skills in a

particular field. It denotes holding a professional license and membership
in a professional organization. A specific code of conduct established by
the relevant authority serves as a guide for people who pursue a career in
providing personalized services. These people are known as
professionals.

• Professionalism may be Individuals who work in a profession and hold

the same values and independently make decisions using evidence and
educational background. Through intentional interactions and conditions
that support professional practice, professionalism within nursing and
 midwifery is realized. Providing consistent, safe, effective, person-
centered results that help patients, as well as associated families and
caregivers, achieve the maximum degree of health and well-being is the
ultimate objective of professionalism in nursing and midwifery.

The purpose of professionalism in nursing

• Results of treatment and services that are consistent

• The highest possible level of health and quality of life is made possible
through effective treatment.

• Nursing environments that promote success

• Those praising positive care and service experiences

• services and treatment that are customized evidenced by increased

involvement in decisions about planned care or services and support for
individual decisions

• Improved resource management

• Better population health outcomes

• valuing the expertise of midwives and nurses as informed by evidence

• The leadership and influence positions in many systems are held by

nurses and midwives.

• collective decision-making and governance.

• expert judgment is accepted as the basis for action in organizational risk

assessment.

• regulations that encourage the use of critical thinking in practice and

decision-making

• Ability to adapt and create new suitable roles.

 • allowing professionals to practice within their area of authority's top
bounds

• Making knowledge available to enable teaching models and practice

acquisition

Attributes of Professionalism

Commitment to Engaged Learning:

• Acknowledges primary responsibility for successful completion of the

degree.

• demonstrates commitment to her/his own professional competence.

• Punctual.

• attends required classes, clinics, or other required events.

• seeks additional knowledge and skills.

• seeks feedback.

• willing to assist other learners.

Compassion:

• Considerate.

• displays empathy.

• listens attentively and responds humanely to the needs of patients.

• treats patients and families with dignity

Respect:

• Respectful of peers, faculty, staff, patients, and families.

• Respects privacy and confidentiality.

Conscientiousness:

• Takes initiative.

• Flexible.

• Delegates effectively.

• Accepts personal responsibility for mistakes.

• Asks for help when needed.

• Maintains accurate information in patient records.

• Discloses medical error when appropriate.

Self-Awareness:

• Fosters continued professional development.

• Demonstrates emotional intelligence.

• Maintains appropriate boundaries with patients and colleagues.

• Avoids inappropriate sharing of health information of others.

• Recognizes position as a role model for others.

Self-Care:

• Maintains personal health and hygiene.

• Seeks advice, counsel, or tutoring when recommended by others.

• Avoids harmful behaviors.

• Avoids inappropriate remarks.

• Adheres to local dress codes

Sense of Duty:

• Completes assigned duties.

 • Sets and achieves realistic goals.

• Follows policies.

• Responds promptly when called.

• Detail-oriented.

• Accepts inconvenience in meeting the needs of patients.

• Volunteers one’s skills and expertise for the welfare of the community.

• Seeks active roles in organizations.

Social Responsibility:

• Demonstrates an unselfish regard for others (altruism).

• Advocates for quality in the care of patients.

• Recognizes and addresses the social

• Determinants of health as applies to patients and communities.

• Advocates for Reducing disparities in health care.

• Understands the threats to medical

• Professionalism posed by conflicts of interest.

Teamwork:

• Works well with others.

• Adheres to policies on the authorship of Documents and inspires trust.

• Respectful of different socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural

traditions.

• Is sensitive to team members’ needs.

• Respects authority.
 • provides honest, respectful feedback.

Trustworthiness:

• Displays honesty and ethical behaviors in all academic pursuits including

study and research.

• Honest in interactions with patients, peers, and the community.

• Does not report private academic information of other students.

Antecedents of Nursing Professionalization

Antecedents of nursing professionalization identified and classified into the

following five groups:

1- Demographic factors:

• Age is one of the effective factors in nursing professionalization

• ethnic differences can have an impact on professional values.

• Gender differences are also other factors known to influence professional
values.

2- Factors related to the experience:

• Length of service
• years of experience
• previous experiences and nursing professional experiences in health care
are directly related to nursing professionalization and professional
attitude.
3- Factors related to education:
• Degree.
• Having specialized certification.
• Educational readiness.
• Training and socialization.
• Length of the course.
4- Factors related to the position:
• Position of nurse practitioners
• Type of organization
• Organizational culture
• The appearance of nurses in the workplace
• Existence of a reward system, the
• Existence of standards of activity
5- Value factors:

• Professional satisfaction

• Organizational commitment

• Motivational factors

• Belonging, knowing, and acknowledging

• Support and guidance, acceptance,

• Responsibility, trust, altruism

• Professional identity

Consequences of Nursing Professionalization

• Enhancement of patient care quality

• Improvement of the outcomes of care

• Satisfaction of staff, customers, clients,

• Enhancement of the professional authority

• the power to make decisions

• Development of training programs to improve educational efficiency

• Reduction of accidents and mistakes and risk management.

• Non-occurrence of burnout.

• Professional development.

• Business retention.

Challenges in nursing professionalism include:

• Membership.

• Communication.

• changes in nursing practice.

• diversity in the population.

• lack of autonomy.
• lack of leadership skills.

• nature of the job: long hours, health care risks. emotional load and
undervalued by society.

• shortage of nurses and limited opportunities

Barriers to Professionalism in Nursing

• variability of educational backgrounds
No other profession allows entry into practice at less than the bachelor’s
level.
• Gender Issues.
A gender balance may never be achieved. The persistent devaluing of
women’s work in our society has created an ongoing struggle for
professions such as nursing and teaching to increase their status, increase
their compensation, and improve their working conditions.
• Historical Influences
1- Aspects that have become liabilities with time include unquestioning
obedience, which runs counter to the professional values of autonomy
and self-determination, and altruism, which prevents nurses from
demanding a fair economic valuation of the work of nursing.
2- Unquestioning obedience to management, physicians, and other
stakeholders in the workplace stifles creative thinking and problem-
solving required for professional practice.
• External Conflicts

nurses must strive for collaboration, not competition, with physicians and
other healthcare providers with whom they work

• Internal Conflicts.
Professional nursing’s power and influence are fragmented by subgroups and
dissension. Tensions among diploma-educated associate degree–educated,
and bachelor’s degree–educated nurses reduce the vitality of the profession.

In-service Professionalisation
• According to studies, acquiring autonomy through affiliation with
professional groups is the key to achieving professional authority.
• nurses should actively promote professional groups.
• If nurses as a group do not develop their social skills, it may affect their
attitudes and how they are seen by others.

Bureaucratic professionalism

• The primary characteristic of bureaucratic professionalism is the conflict

between professional autonomy and authority on the one hand, and the
authority structures and technical job classifications of employing
organizations, which undermine the idea of professional autonomy in
favor of standardization

• Beck and Young identified a distinguishing characteristic that sets the

established professions apart from other occupational groupings as an
internal tension between "autonomy" to determine its own standards and
conditions of practice and "accountability" to the norms set by the
profession for its members.

How to show nursing professionalism

• Providing consistent, safe, effective, person-centered outcomes that help

patients, as well as families and their associated caregivers, achieve
maximum health and well-being is the ultimate goal of nursing and
midwifery professionalism.
• Establishing a clear definition of what professionalism looks like in
action and demonstrating it

• showing respect for diversity by acting and thinking positively

• following a defined professional career structure

• offering assistance to coworkers and pupils

• honoring one's own and other people's achievements

• preparing individuals for senior jobs and providing assistance to those in

senior responsibilities

• exhibiting respect for others

• Giving others thoughtful criticism

• voicing concerns if problems emerge that might jeopardies enjoyment,

quality, and safety

• aiding others in properly voicing their concerns

• A clear referral process that supports professional practice standards must

be defined and understood.

• Safely assign jobs and responsibilities

• locating suitable professional networks for oneself and others

• Collaborating with experts from other fields

• the application of current research to practice

• Evidence-based practice sharing and communication

• taking part in the creation of fresh evidence and utilizing creative

thinking

• encouraging progressive change

• connecting with and receiving assistance from professional organizations
and entities

• Self-development for strategic leadership

• creating strategic leadership in others

• assisting those in leadership roles.

• Nursing practice, methodical problem-solving, and the treatment of

patients' recognized needs are all components of the clinical practice of
nursing. Nursing diagnoses, the creation, and execution of nurse care
plans, as well as the evaluation of patient’s health improvement, are just a
few of the numerous decisions that the nurse must make while planning
patient care. In order to decide what should be done to assist the patient in
meeting their health requirements, the nurse must consider a variety of
facts and values when making each choice.

Conclusion

• Finally, it can be said that the profession of nursing is complicated and

multifaceted. The complementary and antagonistic elements are used to
characterize the effects of nursing professionalization. As a result,
professionalization in nursing is not necessarily linked to success.
Therefore, a greater promotion of the status and the significance and
implementation of this idea in the nursing profession might result from
knowing the professionalization features, antecedents, and effects.
Utilizing evaluation methods to analyse and examine this idea may lead
to more study and an expansion of the body of knowledge in this field.
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