Professionalism in the Medical Field Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Professionalism in the Medical Field - Essay Example Medicine is a critical and very important profession as it deals with the lives of people. One mistake and it could end up in the loss of a precious life. Apart from that patient compliance is also very important. People concerned with the medical field must be appropriately dressed and must project a professional image so that the patient is confident that he/she is in capable hands. Some general elements of dress codes include dressing in neat, clean, crisp and pressed suits. Suits should be appropriately fitted and shouldn't be too short (in case of females wearing skirts). Casual wear such as denim/jeans, shorts, cutoffs, caprice etc and not permitted. The dress should not be exposing such as having plunging necklines, backless, strapless, spaghetti straps, sheer etc. Jewelry should be avoided or should be minimal and not too large or heavy. Underwear should not be visible. Full length or knee length stockings or socks must be worn. Shoes should be of appropriate size, fitting, c lean and in good repair. Casual wear such as flip flops, bedroom wear is unacceptable. Carrying a cellular phone for the sake of having personal calls is prohibited. Chewing gum is front of patients is not allowed. Nails should be trimmed and short for hygiene purposes. No artificial nail extensions are allowed. Nail polish if worn should not be chipped. Body odor or very strong perfume is unfavorable. All personal is expected to maintain good body hygiene. Scrubs, uniforms or lab coats should be worn wherever required. Hats or caps are not acceptable unless for religious reasons. (UCSF, 2002) Ethics, as in the case of all professions, maintains a high stand point in medical healthcare as well. Perhaps the most important aspect is that of patient privacy. Patient approval before releasing the medical records is essential by law. However in some cases the rule might be relaxed for providing healthcare services. (Ducca, 2008) Interaction with the patient and other colleagues plus a person's behavior are and integral part of maintaining a professional atmosphere. Due to the critical and demanding nature of the medical profession, it is essential for the individual to have appropriate time management as well as multi tasking skills. He/she must show discretion with sensitive content, maintain a team environment and comply with laws, rules and regulations. The attitude must be friendly and interest conflict must be handled carefully or completely eliminated if possible. A professional must be aware and accept full responsibility for his/her actions. They should also keep in mind that they are accountable for every action and should be reliable, available, handle problems until resolved and finish what they have started. (Toms, 2008) It is imperative to have the appropriate body language while interacting with others. When communicating the use of your body is as important as the right use of words. Example while delivering good news to the patient, if the doctor is stiff and unsmiling the patient might get aggravated and think the doctor is lying while good news delivered with a smile and relaxed body is the appropriate way. Similarly while interacting