What is meant by the term "Professional"

gwenith, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2003

Having read through the thread on "Spelling - It Matters" I am amazed at how many replies equated good spelling and good grammar with professionalism.

All too often in our field the term "professional" has been used as a synonym for "pseudo intellectual". It has been used to justify restrictive uniform codes, speech patterns and behaviours. In many ways it is probably the most misused term within our "profession". In my mothers day it was used to drive any married nurse from a career in nursing.

I think it is time to re-open the debate. Without becoming heated, without deriding each other or professing to a standard impossible to humanly achieve let us look at the term "professional" and decide what WE would like it to mean.

jemb · Apr 29, 2003

I was actually thinking about this a couple of days ago as I was driving. All the professions that I thought of have one thing in common. ( You can probably think of more commonalities)

What stands out for me is that a profession doesn't get left at the job. ( I am a nurse. I am a nurse 24 hours a day, every day. It is not something that I can take off with my scrubs, and set aside until I go back to work. )

It is not "just a job" that one happens into, and will keep doing until something better comes along.

jemb · Apr 29, 2003

I was actually thinking about this a couple of days ago as I was driving. All the professions that I thought of have one thing in common. ( You can probably think of more commonalities)

What stands out for me is that a profession doesn't get left at the job. ( I am a nurse. I am a nurse 24 hours a day, every day. It is not something that I can take off with my scrubs, and set aside until I go back to work. )

It is not "just a job" that one happens into, and will keep doing until something better comes along.

karbyr · Apr 29, 2003

I think our nursing professionalism comes from our approach. Staying up on latest technologies. Using all the sciences to muster up interventions for whatever the situation, be it explaining a procedure to a client, consoling or reassuring family members, etc. We practice pieces of medicine, psychology, sociology, social work, etc. and we do it at a dead run.......constantly adapting and thinking on our feet. I also believe that professionalism is putting aside our petty grievances with one another,(including original approaches to spelling) and standing together to demand attention to our causes.

karbyr · Apr 29, 2003

I think our nursing professionalism comes from our approach. Staying up on latest technologies. Using all the sciences to muster up interventions for whatever the situation, be it explaining a procedure to a client, consoling or reassuring family members, etc. We practice pieces of medicine, psychology, sociology, social work, etc. and we do it at a dead run.......constantly adapting and thinking on our feet. I also believe that professionalism is putting aside our petty grievances with one another,(including original approaches to spelling) and standing together to demand attention to our causes.

5150dx · Apr 29, 2003

Oooohhh... this one was on my mind just this morning! I am a student in Excelsior's A.D.N. program and have enjoyed supplementing with material from all aspects of nursing. While reading a C.E. offering at nursingworld (ANA's site), I found that they consider Registered Nurses with an Associates Degree to be "Technical Nurses" and consider Baccalaureate Degree nurses to be "Professional". It left me seething. I fully intend to be a "Professional" nurse.

Aaaarrrgghhh

Kristi

5150dx · Apr 29, 2003

Oooohhh... this one was on my mind just this morning! I am a student in Excelsior's A.D.N. program and have enjoyed supplementing with material from all aspects of nursing. While reading a C.E. offering at nursingworld (ANA's site), I found that they consider Registered Nurses with an Associates Degree to be "Technical Nurses" and consider Baccalaureate Degree nurses to be "Professional". It left me seething. I fully intend to be a "Professional" nurse.

Aaaarrrgghhh

Kristi

kitty=^..^=cat · Apr 29, 2003

It isn't just the ANA -- In many business arenas, the term "professional" indicates that an individual has completed at least a 4-year college degree. Anything less than that is considered "para-professional" or "technical".

kitty=^..^=cat · Apr 29, 2003

It isn't just the ANA -- In many business arenas, the term "professional" indicates that an individual has completed at least a 4-year college degree. Anything less than that is considered "para-professional" or "technical".

Gator,SN · Apr 29, 2003

I am finishing up my degree in nursing and this is what I was taught...

Nursing is profession because it requires education and training and specialized skill. It requires the person to be accountable and licensed. It requires automony and being responsible for making decisons and it has its own code of ethics (due in part to being service oriented and dealing with the health and welfare and outcome of individuals.) It is self-governing and organizations (ANA, NLN) attach practice guidelines and disciplinary action (if necessary) to this practice. Nursing has many roles and settings and exists to aid the public on the healthcare continuum. A set of legal principles for nurses exists: statutory, common, civil and criminal laws.

TORTS, negligence, malpractice and liability are all legal aspects of the profession and can cause the nurse to be disciplined or lose her licensure if she is found to practicing in a manner that is less than any other reasonable or prudent nurse.

I believe that a nurse should look clean and presentable and take pride in his/her appearance but how they choose to express this is unique to the individual and should be respected.

I don't care that they can't spell as much as I'd care if they treated me poorly. As far as speech, each person is unique and expresses themselves in a combination of what they know and how comfortable they are with it. It takes all kinds of patients to fill a hospital, so I would say that it takes all kinds of nurses to staff it as well.

Sounds like professionals to me......4 year/2 year--whatever!

Just another jab at nurses as far as I'm concerned!

Gator

Gator,SN · Apr 29, 2003

I am finishing up my degree in nursing and this is what I was taught...

Nursing is profession because it requires education and training and specialized skill. It requires the person to be accountable and licensed. It requires automony and being responsible for making decisons and it has its own code of ethics (due in part to being service oriented and dealing with the health and welfare and outcome of individuals.) It is self-governing and organizations (ANA, NLN) attach practice guidelines and disciplinary action (if necessary) to this practice. Nursing has many roles and settings and exists to aid the public on the healthcare continuum. A set of legal principles for nurses exists: statutory, common, civil and criminal laws.

TORTS, negligence, malpractice and liability are all legal aspects of the profession and can cause the nurse to be disciplined or lose her licensure if she is found to practicing in a manner that is less than any other reasonable or prudent nurse.

I believe that a nurse should look clean and presentable and take pride in his/her appearance but how they choose to express this is unique to the individual and should be respected.

I don't care that they can't spell as much as I'd care if they treated me poorly. As far as speech, each person is unique and expresses themselves in a combination of what they know and how comfortable they are with it. It takes all kinds of patients to fill a hospital, so I would say that it takes all kinds of nurses to staff it as well.

Sounds like professionals to me......4 year/2 year--whatever!

Just another jab at nurses as far as I'm concerned!

Gator