Professional Identity and Stewardship - Part I: Peer Interview

Answer

Professional Identity and Stewardship - Part I: Peer Interview

Introduction

The healthcare profession is composed of different professionals who play different roles in the treatment of patients as well as the general care provided to patients. This paper covers an interview with a physiotherapy professional including the work she does and her views on leadership within healthcare. The paper seeks to determine the important role played by leaders in a healthcare team, especially related to how their juniors view the impact of the leadership provided by their leaders (Crigger & Godfrey, 2014).
1. What is your role as a health care team member?

The interviewee answered this question by stating that she works as a physiotherapist within a collaborative health care team. Her role involves dealing with patients who are suffering from broken bones, fractures as well as muscle spasms related to injuries to the body’s bone structures. She stated that most of her cases are referred to her by general practitioners who asses the patients case and conclude that she or he needs physiotherapy in order to cure their ailments. Most of the cases she handles are problems that related to the central nervous system and are directly related to the spinal cord although there are cases that relate to other parts of the body such as the arms and legs.

2. How do you define professionalism and how does professional responsibility influence your work?

Professionalism is the act and process of performing one’s professional role in adherence to the rules and procedures that govern each particular healthcare specialty. Professionalism also involves adhering to the professional code of conduct that governs each particular healthcare practices and interacting with other professionals in manner that displays etiquette and respect for other members of a healthcare team. Professional responsibility greatly influences my work as I have to treat my patients in accordance with the rules and regulations that cover the practice of physiotherapy as stipulated by the hospital board and the physiotherapy oversight organization (Moss, Gibson & Dollarhide, 2014). The hospital board and the ethics committee are responsible for ensuring that my practice meets all the standards set by the hospital and my professional organization.

3. Do you consider leaders in your organization stewards of health care? Why or Why not?

I consider leaders within my organizations as stewards of health care as they are responsible for setting a good example for the rest of the health care professionals to follow within their respective areas of oversight. This is because the leader of the physiotherapy department is usually at the forefront of implementing emerging practices within our field as well as in upholding the ethics that govern our practice. He is usually the first one to introduce new methods of treatment as well as suggesting areas for further research to determine whether emerging methods can be applied within our hospital setting (Hood, Cant, Leech, Baulch & Gilbee, 2014). He has initiated numerous initiatives that have transformed the practice of physiotherapy within the hospital and as such is a true leader in every right.

4. Is it important to you that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity as well as power and influence when working with colleagues? Why or why not?

Yes. It is extremely important that leaders exercise professional advocacy and authenticity in addition to power and influence when working with their colleagues given that others will always look up to leaders to provide direction and guidance in uncertain circumstances. When physicians and other specialists encounter difficult situations that they are unable to resolve or treat, they will usually turn to their leaders for guidance and direction on the best course of action or treatment. Leaders must demonstrate authenticity as this is the key trait that will make their followers to trust their leaders’ direction and advice on difficult issues. In order to demonstrate authenticity, the leaders must be highly experienced in their areas of specialty in order to gain the respect and trust of their peers and their subordinates (Crigger & Godfrey, 2014). Their wide experience should also be the source of their power and influence when working with their colleagues.