Table of Contents
Introduction
Professionalism is a key skill essential for practice as it ensures professionals are adhering to departmental protocols and guidelines. This fits in with clinical practice as it demonstrates that you can work align with your scope of practice meeting the expectations required. Professionalism is about providing safe and effective services to patients in a caring and compassionate manner. (Dean, E. 2017) .
Its achieved and maintained through learning and development of learning (Glasper, A. 2017) Professionalism is very important to students, patients and practitioners to maintain good relationships within practice. The aim of this essay is to describe and discuss how professionalism is achieved and maintained within practice and the importance of professionalism to patients, students and practitioners.
The Society of radiographers and health care professions council guidelines on professionalism and professional conduct and how they impact on my clinical practice.
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The society of radiographer’s guidelines on professionalism and professional conduct impact on our clinical practice in a positive way. The main impact that it has on our practice includes setting guidelines for radiographers to ensure professionals are given appropriate advice to deal with issues in a professional manner. The 3 key elements from the society of radiographer’s guidelines that I consider to be significant include that you must work within current legal, ethical, professional and governance frameworks pertaining to your occupational role and the sector in which you work (Sor.org, 2019).
Also You must practise collaboratively and communicate effectively with other healthcare staff, putting patients at the centre of your work, and recognising and respecting the contributions of all members of the multidisciplinary team (Sor.org, 2019). Another important guideline is You must develop and maintain your competence to practise through continuing professional development (CPD) (Sor.org, 2019). These guidelines ensure that radiographers understand their duties and to ensure the practice is running safely and effectively and patients are provided with the right care to meet their individual needs.
The health care professions council guidelines on professionalism and professional conduct impact on our clinical practice in a positive way as the main impact that the HCPC guidelines have on our clinical practice is to protect patients by ensuring standards are achieved by the different healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients.
The 3 key elements from the guidelines that I consider to be significant include You must ask for feedback and use it to improve your practice (Hcpc-uk.org, 2019). This to ensure that you develop and learn new skills to improve and provide safe practice. Also You must treat information about service users as confidential (Hcpc-uk.org, 2019). Another key guideline is you must report any concerns about the safety or well-being of service users promptly and appropriately (Hcpc-uk.org, 2019). these guidelines ensure safety of healthcare professionals, patients and the public.
During my time on placement I have encountered numerous examples of good professional practice that ensure practitioners adhere to the guidelines and make the practice run professionally, safely and effectively. The first sign of good professional practice I have encountered is introducing myself to the patient using “hello my name is”.
This is good professional practice as it allows the patients to feel more comfortable and involved in their care and gain the patients trust. Another sign of good professional practice that I have encountered is not allowing patients to see the x-ray at the end of examinations. This is to ensure patients don’t get worried when they see things that they don’t know about on the X-ray and prevent patients from asking questions that cannot be answered by radiographers and allowing radiologists that are qualified to interpret X-rays to GP’s and patients informing them in a professional manner.
Communication between Colleagues, other Healthcare Professionals, Patients and Carers
Effective communication involves good interpersonal skills that includes a two way process of sending and receiving signals effectively it has a huge impact on the patient’s experiences (Webb, L. 2011). Good communication makes the patients feel valued and involved within their care which can have a positive impact on the patient’s experiences. An example of good communication in practice between patients and healthcare professionals is confirming with the patient about what they have come for an X-ray for and where the problems occurs before carrying out the X-ray.
This is to ensure that there is no unnecessary radiation to areas that don’t need radiating and they don’t need to come back for another x-ray. There was a lady that came in for an x-ray of the left knee but on the request it was requested for the right knee. If I hadn’t confirmed with the lady at the start it was the left knee she had problems with we would have X-rayed the wrong which meant she would have had to come back for another X-ray. There would have also been unnecessary radiation to the wrong knee. Informing of the radiographer of this X-ray in a professional manner and ensuring the correct knee was X-rayed shows good professional practice.
Also another example of effective communication between patients during my time on placement is when a patient came in with her child and didn’t feel comfortable with leaving her in the waiting area. I offered to accompany her whilst another radiographer carried out the X-ray. The little girl felt was worried as to why her mum was having an X-ray I reassured the patient and took her mind of this she instantly a lot better. This makes professional practice as the patient avoided getting unnecessary radiation and I ensured the patient felt comfortable and the little girl. From this we can learn that effective communication is vital to ensure patients have a positive experience and to ensure the practice is running professionally and effectively.
Teamwork in the Department and Hospital Radiology Teams and Multidisciplinary Team Working
Teamwork involves working collaboratively with other healthcare professionals this is very important part of practice to ensure patients receive the support and care they require (Hardingham, A., Royal, J. 1994).The key things needed for effective team working include a positive personal attitude. This makes a team as it can impact on your performance allowing you to be more productive and enabling colleagues to adopt the same approach enabling effective team working. It also provides reassurance to patients and reduces the risk of accidents and unintentional incidents.
Good and effective teamwork to ensure patient’s needs are met and care is patient centred. Following departmental protocols and guidelines makes an effective team this is to ensure safety of patients as well as healthcare professionals. Working together and helping each other out makes an effective team as it ensures patients aren’t waiting too long. The positive examples of effective radiology in teamwork include assisting with manual handling and pat sliding of the patient when needed using a 123 signal.
This is to ensure that everyone is pulling and pushing at the same time and also to avoid any accidents and injuries.Also another positive example is healthcare professionals assisting with portable X-ray guiding radiographers where the patient is located and helping move the patient bed to get right angle and position of X-ray tube and positioning patient correctly. Through effective communication and teamwork the X-ray is carried out efficiently and in a timely manner with assistance to ensure there is a diagnostic image to help with patient care and to ensure patient isn’t uncomfortable for too long.
Health and Safety
Health and safety is a key part of practice to protect the wellbeing of healthcare workers and patients (Fisher, M. & Scott, M. 2013). The issues of health and safety in our practice include infection control this is maintained by ensuring staff and students adhere to the use the 5 moments of simple hand washing techniques that are on every sink station. There are also hygiene gel dispensers in all rooms that should be applied before and after each patient.
Also there’s transferring patient from trolley this is maintained by using manual handling and pat sliding the patient across using a 123 signal with at least 3 healthcare professionals. Positive examples of health and safety used in practice involves checking with female patients under the age of 55 undergoing pelvic and abdominal x-rays aren’t pregnant by going through the LMP protocols. This is ensured because under the IRMER regulation LMP should be asked to avoid harm to the foetus. Also another positive example is ensuring porter if needed for ward patients and children/ elderly people are with their relatives at the end of the examination.
Conclusion
Overall professionalism is a very important part of clinical practice in order for the practice to run safely and effectively. Professionalism is achieved by using good and effective methods of teamwork, communication and health and safety discussed in this essay. Professionalism is maintained by continued professional development which ensures practitioners continue to develop knowledge safely and effectively to improve patient experience, services and care.
Professionalism is vital for students, patients and practitioners to ensure guidelines and protocols are adhered to efficiently and to ensure safe practice. Also to ensure the safety of patients and to ensure patients are treated based on their individual needs provided with patient centred care.
