Introduction
Healthcare professionals play a vital role in delivering safe, ethical, and patient-centred care. To perform this role effectively, professionals must demonstrate strong values, accountability, communication, teamwork, and a commitment to continuous professional development. This assignment explores the key characteristics of healthcare professionals, distinguishes between effective and ineffective skills, evaluates personal practice, and applies principles of risk management, problem-solving, reflection, and SMART goal setting to support professional growth.
Q. 1. Characteristics for healthcare professional
Professional values, behaviors and accountability
The role of healthcare professional requires professional values regarding practicing in ethical, transparent, dignified and respected manner. Being in a role of healthcare professional, it is important for professional to behave in honest and transparent way without doing any kind of discrimination concern with age, sex, gender or colour. In addition, the professional should behave and treat its patient with respect and dignity by efficiently acknowledge their problems or keeping their sensitive or personal information confidential (Koskinen et al, 2022). It is crucial that professional should respect the views of the patient by providing them autonomy at the time of treatment. Also, accountability is an important feature of professional as they are liable for their action and decisions.
Patient-Centered Care
One of significant characteristics of healthcare professional is providing patient-centered care. In context to this, the professional consider the needs and preference of the patient before providing them with the treatment. Further the professional share with all information regarding health condition and treatment option to the patient and families to support them in taking best decision as well as providing patient-centered care. Referring to this, practitioner use effective communication to furnish emotional support to the patient and family while ensuring physical comfort via better health services.
Concept of professionalism
Professionalism defines as a way of conducting oneself with integrity, responsibility, accountability and excellence. It involves different values and behaviours. In regards to professionalism within healthcare, it is important for the professional to conduct their services in effective, justifiable and according to the needs of the patients. Moreover, professionalism includes giving focus on improving professional skills, knowledge and ability to furnish high-quality care to the patients (Cao et al, 2023). In addition, to maintain the professionalism, healthcare professional should cater their services in ethical manner by adhering the principles of autonomy, justice, non-maleficence and beneficence.
Q.2 Distinguish between effective and ineffective skill
|
Skill |
Effective Skill |
Ineffective Skill |
Relates to transactional model of communication |
|
Communication |
The skill is effective when it clearly, concisely convey the message to the receiver and includes feature of active listening and feedback (Hofmeister, 2024) |
It means lack of proper convey of message due to unclearness, lack of active listening and feedback step |
In context of transactional model, effective communication is two-way process including active listening, real-time response and collaboration. However, ineffective communication disrupts the communication process. |
|
Teamwork |
Effective teamwork skill includes better collaboration, mutual understanding and accountability for action. |
It means lack of collaboration and understating |
The transactional model of teamwork emphasize on better interaction and mutual understanding result in teamwork. The lack of collaboration impact it leads to chaos and non-attainment of goal. |
Q.3 Self-evaluation of communication and teamwork skill
|
Skill |
Strengths |
Weakness |
How to improve Weakness |
|
Verbal communication |
One of my strength is communicating my ideas, thoughts in confident and easily understandable manner. I am good in communicate with others in clear and concise manner as I have good knowledge of different languages, make easier for me to communicate with others. |
My weak point in regards to verbal communication includes that sometimes I speak quickly which make difficult for others to understand. Also, I usually use technical jargon that makes my communication ineffective (Round and Isherwood, 2021). The non-use of appropriate words at right time make difficulty for me to communicate with different kinds of individual. |
To enhance my weakness, I focus on practice speaking in appropriate speed. Moreover, I strive to using words to communicate message according to the understanding of receiver. |
|
Non-verbal communication |
My non-verbal communication is quite effective. During communicate the message I focus on maintain eye contact as well as using appropriate gesture to provide required understanding of my point to the receiver. |
One of my weakness concerning with non-verbal communication is facing difficulty in understand the non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language. It makes onerous for me to understand message or information accurately. |
It can be improve by learning about the different body language and facial expressions. It can be enhance by practicing based on real-situations. |
|
Team-working |
My strengths regarding team-working skills are collaborative nature, holding accountability for my actions, giving fair chance to each team-members to share their ideas and opinion (Musick et al, 2021). Moreover, my strength considering the skill includes active listening, setting of goals, positive mindset and so more. |
One of my weakness related to team-working skill is often I find onerous with delegating task to others as to secure others from workload, I take responsibility of doing too much work on myself. It is my weakness because it physically and mentally exhausted me and also restrain me to grow others. |
I can enhance the weakness by emphasize on delegating task effectively according to their skills. In addition, I trust my team to assign them with important task. |
Thus, via the self-evaluation, I identified that my verbal, non-verbal communication skill and team-working skills are effective but there is some space for development which can be attain by taking corrective action in appropriate time-frame.
Q.4 Principle of risk-management and problem-solving
Risk management: It refers to an procedure of recognizing, evaluating and controlling risk. Following are the principle of risk-management:
- Identifying risk: It refers to an action of recognizing the treat that impact the company.
- Risk analysis: It refers to principle of collecting data to evaluate the level of risk (Pascarella et al, 2021).
- Risk control: It is an opportunity of applying solutions to prevent the risk.
Problem-solving: It is a procedure of solving problem via implementing different solution. The principle includes:
- Recognition of problem: The first principle is recognition of problem to address it in significant manner.
- Evaluation: It includes understanding the root cause associated with the problem.
- Generation of solution: Based on root cause, the principle consist developing solution to solve problem.
- Implementation and assessment: It includes implementing the solution and evaluating the effectiveness of it.
Nosocomial infection is a hospital-acquired infection. It develop while working in a healthcare facility or after a surgical procedure, it can be mild or life threatening.
The problem of Nosocomial infection can be solve and prevent by the adherence principle of problem-solving. The healthcare authority first identifies the occurrence of infection and evaluates the root cause of infection that can be poor hygiene practice. Than focus given on implement solution such as enhancing hygiene protocols, proper sanitation, effective use of personal protective equipments, ignorance of unnecessary use of indwelling devices, result in prevention of the infection effectively.
In addition, to manage the associated risk, principle of risk-management implements:
In context to this, risk of nosocomial infection on patient safety recognizes and likely impacts will evaluate like health complication, life threats etc. The associated risk can be managed by maintaining safe and healthier environment.
Q.5 Evaluation of personal and professional practice skill
|
Particulars |
What |
So What |
Now What |
|
how a duty of care contributes to safe practice |
It is a skill of providing care to patient while following standard of care (Murray et al, 2021). Currently, while providing care to patient I focus on considering their choices while providing treatment. |
The skill is important to furnish care to patient while keeping them safe. In the role of healthcare assistant, the duty of care is an standard practice, crucial for adherence while providing care. |
The skill can be enhance by holding accountability for the quality of care. It can be improve by following the concern standards. |
|
Significance of equality and inclusion |
Equality means treating everyone equally while embracing individual`s differences. However, inclusion means the right to be included, valued and respected. My equality and inclusion skill are ineffective as I often judge individual. |
The Skill plays an significant role within the healthcare sector as each and every person has a right to equally access the care services regardless of age, gender, income etc & valued and respected. Within healthcare assistant role, the skill is important to provide care services to patient without any discrimination. |
To improve the skill, I will attend training session of equality and inclusion. I emphasis on considering this skill while treating the patient. |
|
Significance of communication and team-working skills |
Communication is skill of conveying information to others while team-working skill is an ability of work together. My communication skill is good but sometimes I struggle to understand non-verbal cues and inability to convey my ideas to other due to my habit of fast speak. Also, identified my inability to delegate work which make my team-working skill quite ineffective. It leads to negatively impact the level of productivity and performance of each member of team. |
Communication skill is important to build a rapport with patient and communicate the information to the superior, co-workers and patient (Mobolade and Akinade, 2021). Teamwork is essential to make working smooth, manage workload and enhance patient outcome. In healthcare assistant role, communication and teamwork crucial for communicate with patient, their families and superior while team-working is effective for professional development. |
Communication skill enhance by reading books, attaining online classes while team-working improve by observing superiors. |
Q. 6 Personal & professional development needs
Continuous Development plan allows individual to develop professional skill and aids in become competent in their respective field. Referring to the above personal and professional skill, the three CPD needs are as under:
Inclusion and equality skill: The weakness of judging people is not effective while working in healthcare profession. Therefore, it is important to develop the skill in rapid and timely manner. Within the role of healthcare professional, developing this skill is quite important as it is required for deliver the services in ethically and professionally appropriate manner. Development of this skill allows in decline the biasness while performing the role, result in better and healthier patient outcome and better relation with co-workers and so more.
Communication Skill: One of the CPD need is communication. It is an important and required skill for the healthcare profession, without it individual is ineffective to deliver services in effective manner. The skill is significant for ensuring communication of ideas and instruction with clarity, building relationship as well as for maintaining better team-work.
Teamwork Skill: The inability to delegate work makes the skill a CPD need. It is crucial to develop teamwork skill to manage the workload, better patient outcome and improve productivity and performance level of own and team.
Q.7 SMART targets
Target 1: Inclusion and Equity skill
S: Enhancement of skill of inclusion and equality
M: Self-assessment
A: Attain via listening and reflection on practice
R: Enhance my professionalism
T: 4 months
Target 2: Communication
S: Enhancing my skill of understand non-verbal cues and speak with ease.
M: measure via self-evaluation
A: Through taking online classes or observing other and practicing
R: Enhance my verbal and non-verbal ability
T: 6 months
Target 3: teamwork
S: Improving ability to delegate work
M: Measure via taking feedback from others
A: Attaining session to practice delegation of work
R: will enhance ability of team-working
T: 8 Months
Q.8 Reflect on responses
Referring to the Gibbs reflective model, I identifies that I have several strengths for working in a healthcare professional role such as duty of care ability, problem-solving, communication, risk-management (Gibbs Reflective cycle, 2025). However, I recognize that there are some areas of improvement including proficient team-working, communication and ability of inclusion and equality. In context of this, an action plan will use that includes different step to improve skill for future development. It is as under:
|
Area of Development |
Way to address |
Measure for success |
Further development needs |
|
Communication |
Attain workshops or online classes to learn verbal and non-verbal communication, Reading books Active listening others and practicing (Rogers and Farson, 2021) Learn understanding body languages and facial expressions Focus on using appropriate words |
Self-evaluation is best tool for measure. Enhancement leads to make my work more effective. |
To develop more, emphasize on taking training courses |
|
Team-working |
Prior establishment of team goals, Focus on open communication Watching online tutorial to learn teamwork and practice it accordingly (Ellis, 2021) |
Taking feedback from others, effective delegation of work means attainment o goal. |
Ask for feedback from team-members and reflect on it accordingly |
|
Equality and inclusion |
Observing others Adherence code of conduct Value and respect all |
Feedback from others |
Attaining training session for further development. |
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References
Books and Journals
Cao, H., Song, Y., Wu, Y., Du, Y., He, X., Chen, Y., Wang, Q. and Yang, H., 2023. What is nursing professionalism? A concept analysis. BMC nursing, 22(1), p.34.
Ellis, P., 2021. Leadership, management and team working in nursing.
Hofmeister, M., 2024. Effective Communication. Clinical Laboratory Management, pp.123-134.
Koskinen, C., Kaldestad, K., Rossavik, B.D., Ree Jensen, A. and Bjerga, G., 2022. Multi-professional ethical competence in healthcare–an ethical practice model. Nursing ethics, 29(4), pp.1003-1013.
Mobolade, G.O. and Akinade, M.E., 2021. Team building and teamwork in organizations: Implications to managers and employees in work places. International Journal of Management, Social Sciences, Peace and Conflict Studies, 11(4), p.1.
Murray, E.J., Mason, M., Sparke, V. and Zimmerman, P.A.P., 2021. Factors influencing health care workers’ willingness to respond to duty during infectious disease outbreaks and bioterrorist events: an integrative review. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine, 36(3), pp.321-337.
Musick, G., Zhang, R., McNeese, N.J., Freeman, G. and Hridi, A.P., 2021. Leveling up teamwork in esports: Understanding team cognition in a dynamic virtual environment. Proceedings of the ACM on human-computer interaction, 5(CSCW1), pp.1-30.
Pascarella, G., Rossi, M., Montella, E., Capasso, A., De Feo, G., Botti, G., Nardone, A., Montuori, P., Triassi, M., D’Auria, S. and Morabito, A., 2021. Risk analysis in healthcare organizations: Methodological framework and critical variables. Risk management and healthcare policy, pp.2897-2911.
Rogers, C.R. and Farson, R.E., 2021. Active listening (p. 84). Mockingbird Press.
Round, M. and Isherwood, P., 2021. Speech intelligibility in respiratory protective equipment-Implications for verbal communication in critical care. Trends in Anaesthesia and Critical Care, 36, pp.23-29.
Online
Gibbs Reflective cycle. 2025. Online. Available through: < https://www.structural-learning.com/post/gibbs-reflective-cycle>
