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DEFN;

Professionalism;

-The practicing of an activity, by professional rather than an amateur.

-It involves being reliable, setting your own high standards, and showing that you care about every aspect of your job.

-It's about being industrious and organized, and holding yourself accountable for your thoughts, words and actions.

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General Characteristics of Professionalism

Appearance

A professional is neat in appearance. Be sure to meet or even exceed the requirements of your company's dress code.

Demeanor

Your demeanor should reflect confidence but not cockiness. Be polite and well-spoken whether you're interacting with clients, superiors or co-workers. Just because you are the expert in a field, does not earn you the right to treat your clients like ignorant idiots.

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Reliability

As a professional, you will be counted on to find a way to get the job done. Responding to people promptly and following through on promises in a timely manner is also important, as this demonstrates reliability.

Competence

Professionals strive to become experts in their field, which sets them apart from the rest of the pack. This can mean continuing your education by taking courses, attending seminars and attaining any related professional designations.

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Ethics

Professionals such as doctors and nurses must adhere to a strict code of ethics. You should display ethical behavior at all times.

Maintaining Your Poise

A professional must maintain his poise even when facing a difficult situation. When you are challenged or questioned you need to be able to state your case in a calm and structured manner and keep it factual, clean and to the point. This is where people with a high Emotional Intelligence (EQ) gain the most respect. There is nothing like losing your cool or airing personal emotional baggage in a tense situation to destroy your integrity, credibility and reputation.

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Phone Etiquette

Your phone etiquette is also an important component of professional behavior. This means identifying yourself by your full name, company and title when you place a call. Be sure not to dominate the conversation and listen intently to the other party.

Written Correspondence

During written or email correspondence, keep your letters brief and to the point. Your tone should be polite and formal." Remember that your written correspondence is a paper trail and record of your interractions with your clients, so take care of what you say and how you say it. Use your spell checker! And remember email etiquette 101 - never, ever write in capital letters in an email, no matter how frustrated you are.

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Organizational Skills

A professional can quickly and easily find what is needed. Your work area should be neat and organized.

Accountability

Professionals are accountable for their actions at all times. If you make a mistake, own up to it and try to fix it if possible. Don't try to place the blame on a colleague. If your company made the mistake, take responsibility and work to resolve the issue. Sometimes a compromise is necessary, you take it on the chin, learn from it and move on.

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PROFESSIONALISM IN PERIOPERATIVE PRACTICE

“Professionalism at a high-level is about owning our practice as a nurse. We have a license to practice, and we need to think about what that license really represents.”

“It’s not just knowing how to prep the patient, it’s also understanding all that encompasses your perioperative nursing role, such as how to collaborate with colleagues while understanding the scope of your practice and what to delegate” AORN Vice President of Nursing Renae Battié.

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High-level Elements of Perioperative Nursing Professionalism ��

1. ACCOUNTABILITY

Accountability to your role also means “actively participating in your professional association that advocates for protecting your hard-earned professional license.

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2. CIVILITY

Professional nurses demonstrate civil behavior and call out uncivil behavior to protect their professional environment in order to practice at the higher level a nursing license involves.

This action to protect professional civility must include the ability to:

recognize incivility,
be responsible for personal actions, and
speak up to get support in addressing uncivil behavior

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3. ETHICS

Practicing ethically is foundational to supporting a professional, healthy work environment.

Because ethics spans everything from advocacy and social justice for the patient, to self-care and reporting unsafe practices, perioperative nurses are encouraged to revisit the many aspects of ethics that exemplify professional nursing care.

Communication breakdown in the perioperative setting is a factor in events that adversely affect patients. Creating an environment that welcomes and expects collegial collaboration is the responsibility of every nurse, including leaders.

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4. PRACTICE KNOWLEDGE

Professional nurses need to engage in ongoing professional development throughout their careers with ongoing learning activities as part of their commitment to their license to practice.

Keeping up with practice knowledge includes being familiar with the latest evidence-based practices, as well as advancing practice through certification.

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HOW TO DEMONSTRATE PROFESSIONALISM IN PERIOPERATIVE PRACTICE

Put patients first

-It’s important not only to uphold patients’ rights—but also to care about how patients feel.

-Treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion, and listen to their particular concerns and preferences.

-Act in the best interests of your patients at all times, and be prepared to serve as an advocate for them when their health needs diverge from their family’s expectations.

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Communicate effectively

Perioperative Nursing professionals should communicate clearly and effectively at all times. When speaking with patients and their caregivers, use terms they can easily understand.

Be willing to take reasonable steps to meet an individual’s language and communication needs (e.g., bring in a translator).

Communicating effectively also means keeping clear and accurate patient records and practicing good interprofessional teamwork and handoff skills.

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Collaborate with and mentor others

-Working as a nurse means acting as part of a team, so it’s important to have a collaborative attitude and value the contributions of others.

-Be open to receiving advice and constructive criticism,

feel comfortable offering your colleagues both praise and constructive feedback on their work.

-Share knowledge and insights with your peers to create a more educated and effective team.

-Offer to mentor a colleague or student, this deepens the bonds within a team and serves as a professional growth experience for all.

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Maintain a positive attitude

-Patients look to us not only for excellent care, but also for emotional support.

-We all make mistakes and face many challenges which help us learn and grow.

-But don’t get weighed down by negative self-talk, as this can take a toll on your mental health and your ability to best help patients.

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Uphold the standard of care

-We must always deliver evidence-based care by keeping your knowledge and skills up to date. We can help prevent medical errors by tapping into a wide knowledge base and making sure that any care you deliver or advice you offer is informed by research.

-We can also expand your understanding of your specialty area by joining a nursing association or investing in advanced education.

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