Your Point of Views [Help please...]

Goldenhare · Apr 24, 2006

These are hard questions as they are subjective:

When I was in university the first time 20 years ago, we had an ethics class that discussed the definition of a professional. It was

1) A job could turn into a career. In other words, a job could offer advancement in the form of continuing education and opportunities for learning that would continue in theory, forever.

2) A member of a profession would have to pass a certifying test created and administered by others of the profession in order to be admitted into that profession.

3) Passing such a test would require education at the university level. Someone with a high school diploma only could not be considered a professional no matter what their job/career was. Tradespeople were not generally considered professionals no matter how good they were at their job or how long they had worked at it.

4) Professionals have their own organizations marking themselves as "professionals". For example, AMA for physicians, societies for engineers, accountants, etc. These organizations published their own journals as well.

HOWEVER!

I have noticed this changing over the years. So personally, as a nurse, a person who works on keeping up in new developments in their field, networks with others in the same field of work, and tries to advance in their choice of career is a professional as opposed to someone who just shows up and gets through the day.

Characteristics of a professional, in addition to above qualities that I believe in are integrity, honesty, self responsibility, good conduct and role modelling.

I'm 44. It probably shows!

Amethyst_Eyes · May 9, 2006

thank you! ^^ it's been a while.

Goldenhare · May 10, 2006

I hope I was helpful. Is this what your teacher was looking for?? Just curious.