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Professional Identity and Stewardship – Part II: Leadership Interview

Introduction

This paper addresses the issue of professional identity and stewardship from the perspective fo a medical director who is a leader within the hospital setting. The interview reveals that a leader might have a slightly different idea of leadership as compared to other professionals who are not leaders. The emerging theme throughout the interview is that medical leaders take full responsibility for the performance of their teams including ay mistakes that might occur under their watch (Miskelly & Duncan, 2014). This is what distinguishes medical leaders from other professionals.

1. What is your role as a health care team member?

My role as a health care team member is that of a medical director where I supervise other medical professionals by ensuring that they follow the rules that govern medical practice as well as the ethics instituted by the ethics committee. I also act as a crucial link between the medical professionals and the hospital management board where I represent my department and present a case for my department to the management board during board meetings. I also occasionally see patients depending on the time available within my busy managerial schedule that involves numerous meetings with the professionals in my department and other meetings with the management. I also lead my department in the implementation of new strategies as well as procedures that have been approved by the hospital board.

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

I define professionalism as the adherence to the professional rules and ethical guidelines that govern the delivery of healthcare within each area of practice within the healthcare profession. Professional responsibility influences my work greatly as I am responsible for ensuring that the health care professionals under my supervision abide by all the rules and ethical guidelines that govern their specialty (Kippist & Fitzgerald, 2014). When things go wrong within my department, I am directly held accountable for the mess, as it is my professional responsibility to prevent unprofessional behavior and ensure that health care operations within my department run smoothly. This answer is different from that provided in the peer interview, because as a medical director I take full responsibility for the actions of my team, which is my professional responsibility.
3. Do you consider yourself a steward of health care? Why or Why not?

I consider myself a steward of healthcare as my team follows the standards that I set for them in the practice of health care. If I set a shallow standard of the quality of health care services provided to patients in my department, the rest of the department would follow my example by offering low quality health services, which would not meet the expectations of the patients. I am also a steward of health care as I usually lead my department in the implementation of new policies or strategies as approved by the hospital board. I usually take full responsibility for the effective implementation of such policies and programs and I would be solely responsible for the failure or success of such programs (White, Currie & Lockett, 2014). I am also the person to whom complaints are addressed and I am supposed to implement corrective measures.

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?

It is very important for me that leaders exhibit authenticity and professional advocacy, as they are role models to the teams that they lead. As a leader, it is also important to display power and influence when working with colleagues so that they can respect any decisions you make as a leader of the team. The leader should also be at the forefront of advocating for the adoption for better technology and treatment methods of patients in the departments under their leadership in order to contribute to the delivery of high quality health care in their departments (Kippist & Fitzgerald, 2014). However, it is important to note that not all medical leaders have adopted these diverse leadership roles. As a medical leader, the main evidence of my authenticity is my experience in the delivery of quality healthcare to my patients.