The Role of a Healthcare Professional

This assignment delves into the multifaceted roles and responsibilities of a healthcare professional. It emphasizes the importance of professionalism, both formal and informal interactions, and adherence to ethical codes. The document stresses the need for inclusivity, motivation, and support for team members while avoiding discrimination. It highlights key principles of effective teamwork, safety culture, and personal development within a healthcare setting.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Table of Contents
Task 1.....................................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Comparison of the personal values and principles with support principles for working in the
workplace..........................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Assessing ways in which personal culture and experience influence role in supporting clients
and colleagues at workplace.............................................................................................................2
1.3 Discussion on new developments and changes to personal values impacting on the work........3
Task 2.....................................................................................................................................................4
2.1 Assessing current skill ability and learning style by using one or more assessment tool(s).........4
2.2 Producing holistic development plan with short, medium and long-term goals.........................5
2.3 Monitoring the progress against plan according to the requirements of a care practitioner......7
2.4 Evaluation of effectiveness of development plan as a health and social care practitioner..........7
Task 3.....................................................................................................................................................7
3.1 Explanation of nature of different professional relationship in context of workplace.................7
3.2 Evaluation of personal effectiveness in promoting and supporting individual rights in
workplace..........................................................................................................................................8
3.3 Discussion of ways in resolving issues encountered in professional relationship........................9
Task 4.....................................................................................................................................................9
4.1 Evaluation of effectiveness of personal contribution while working with others........................9
4.2 Ways in which limits of work role effects on working with others............................................10
4.3 Analysis of role in minimising barriers to effective teamwork...................................................10
4.4 Ways for improving personal contribution for collective effectiveness of the team.................11
References...........................................................................................................................................12
1 | P a g e

Task 1
1.1 Comparison of the personal values and principles with support
principles for working in the workplace
In case of health and social care sector, the personal principles and morale, culture etc. matter
the most in supporting the lives of the individuals who need healthcare support. From my
recent experience, I have understood that it is a sector where continuous attention and
dedication is required in spite of a stressful environment but it is very important to stay
ethical and strong in the workplace. I have understood that even a small mistake can cause
serious harm or ruin the life of any individual. The personal values of the employees working
in this sector are not the same and they belong from different cultural background, they have
different beliefs and practices. Similarly, it is also the fact that the patients or the healthcare
users that I have to treat will not belong from the same cultural or religious background and
will have different preferences. As per the support principles, it is always said that all the
healthcare users must get equal treatment and attention irrespective of their religion, or
culture. According to my personal values, the support principles are totally correct and I must
never discriminate any patients based on their personal background. People tend to lose their
personal values and principles because of their excessive greed for earning money which is
absolutely contradictory from that of the principles of support. At the time of entering into
this sector, I took an oath where it was mentioned that the patients are the first and the most
important responsibility. A doctor or a nurse can even have to neglect or forget their family
life for the purpose of serving the society. According to the support principles, it is also
necessary to respect the dignity of each and every individual associated in equal terms
without considering their caste, creed or religion (Mitchell et al, 2012). From these personal
value developments, I never discriminate any of the patients and try to serve them equally
irrespective of their background.
1.2 Assessing ways in which personal culture and experience influence role
in supporting clients and colleagues at workplace
It is a well-known fact that development of an individual always starts at home. Thus, the
personal cultural background along with the experience of life is known to be very important
in shaping the behaviour of individuals in the workplace and supporting the clients or
colleagues. From my point of v0iew, it is always the fact that the behaviour of an individual
in the workplace is just the reflection of what he or she had been taught or experienced in the
2 | P a g e

past life. The way of upbringing of an individual helps in developing his attitude towards life
and also towards others like the clients or colleagues in the health care sector. I have seen that
if the healthcare professional is very affectionate or caring and responsible towards the
patients, then it is definite that he or she had been brought up in a good and healthy family
environment (Vogus et al, 2010). Thus the most important factor that influences the culture is
the family background and the nature of the parents from whom our first learning about life
starts to develop. On the other hand, the personal beliefs and ethnicity also plays an important
role as they are a vital part of the culture. I must believe that all the patients or the colleagues
in my sector are equal and I should treat them in equal eyes without anyone being prioritized
or discriminated depending on their cultural background or ethnicity. The basic aim of the
health and social care sector should be serving the people wholeheartedly and the purpose
should never be to earn money. The ways in which a healthcare professional determines the
purpose of their work thus totally depend from which cultural or personal background they
belong. The educational background also plays an important role which should always teach
to treat all the colleagues or patients with equal respect irrespective of their monetary power
or status. Moreover, the lifetime events that I have faced in the past also have influenced in
shaping of the behaviour in the workplace towards supporting my patients and the colleagues
in the health care sector. I have learnt that it is important to respect the confidentiality of the
patient and protect them to the best of my ability from possible harms or abuses.
1.3 Discussion on new developments and changes to personal values
impacting on the work
I have developed a clear concept that the personal principles, morale and background play an
important role in determining the attitude of healthcare professional in the workplace. Thus,
in order to serve the patients with utmost care, it is important to develop new values with time
and change the existing values if they are contradictory to that of the support principles
(Hopkinson, 2014). According to me, training and development programmes for the new
employees can help a lot in bringing about a positive change towards the patient with respect
to personal values and principles since I have developed new and positive attitudes with the
help of the training programmes from the health and social care sector. From the training
workshop, I have learned to treat all the patients equally and respectfully and consider their
wellbeing to be the first priority and I have also learnt that the patients should be treated in an
ethical manner. This can definitely have a positive impact on the work since it will help in
improving the quality of service provided to the patients, and will also help in improving the
3 | P a g e

reputation of the health care organization. I should always work considering the healthcare
policies and rules and the new developments must be based on the setting up of healthcare
goals and prioritization of work. For instance, development of new policies like punishment
for the purpose of discrimination can bring about positive development in the sector.
I have seen that often there exists a tension between the own personal values and beliefs and
the support principles but it is very important to overcome this tension by developing and
changing the personal attitude towards an ethical and good practice so that the patients can be
served properly. Moreover, I have faced problems when my personal values are different than
that of one of my colleagues. But we both worked towards it and succeeded in respecting
each other’s values and changing our attitudes towards a positive one for the betterment of
the society. Avoiding stereotype attitude can definitely bring about a good working
environment.
Task 2
2.1 Assessing current skill ability and learning style by using one or more
assessment tool(s)
Being a care practitioner in the healthcare sector, it is important to assess my current skills,
abilities and style of learning which can be done by my personal SWOT analysis where my
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and risks will be analysed so that I can make plans
accordingly for improvement. As per the planning cycle, I must plan about my professional
development plan, check it, implement it and finally review about the success of the plan thus
formulated (Moon, 2013).
Strengths Weaknesses
Proper experience and knowledge in
the healthcare field.
Teamwork skills and ability to
achieve team goals.
Strong personal morale and ethics.
Lacking of the attributes of a leader.
Lack of proper interpersonal skills.
Opportunities Threats
Own career growth since the health
care sector is ever expanding and
demanded.
If a small mistake is performed by
me, then the life of a patient can be in
danger.
4 | P a g e

Serving myself for the people for
their help and support.
Difficult to get adapted to the
changing policies and rules of the
government for this sector.
Thus from the SWOT, it can be well assessed that I need to improve my interpersonal skills
and develop necessary leadership skills. From the experience of training program where I
have learnt a lot and also from past learning experiences, and also from the self-assessment
questionnaire, I have assessed that I prefer activist learning style since it helps in learning
while performing the works and I can learn from my senior following this learning style
while working.
2.2 Producing holistic development plan with short, medium and long-term
goals
The professional development is of utmost help for developing the abilities and skills that are
necessary for my personal development and improvement within a stipulated period of time
which can effectively help me in performing the role of care practitioner.
Sl.
N
o
Short term
goals
Current
proficiency
Target
proficiency
Developme
nt
opportuniti
es
Criteria
for judging
success
Time
scale
1 To get more
opportunities
for learning.
I am working
and learning
as a care
practitioner
in a
healthcare
organization.
I must get
opportunities for
learning and
work in a more
reputed
organization.
I can get the
opportunity
of
participating
in seminars
and
meetings
and learn
more.
The success
can be
judged if I
can get
proper
knowledge
and
learning in
my field.
6
month
s
2 To improve
communicati
on skills
I am weak in
communicati
ng with
In healthcare
sector, I must
communicate
By
participating
in seminars
The success
of this skill
can be
5
month
5 | P a g e

people
currently.
properly with
people so that
there are no
chances of
miscommunicati
on.
and working
with patients
I can
develop this
skill.
judged if I
can
communica
te properly
with
patients and
colleagues.
s
Sl. No Long term
goals
Current
proficiency
Target
proficiency
Development
opportunitie
s
Criteria
for judging
success
Time
scale
1 To gain
proper
leadership
skills
I am weak
in
leadership
skills
currently.
I must
develop
good
leadership
skills so
that I can
inspire
people for
better
work.
I must work
under my
seniors so that
I can learn
leadership
skills from
them.
If I am able
to motivate
a huge team
and help
they
achieve the
targets then
I can
develop this
skill.
2 years
2 To be able to
manage team
effectively
I do not
have proper
team
management
skills for
which I
cannot
accomplish
team goals.
I must be
able to
properly
manage
teams
because
team work
is
necessary
in this
sector.
If I can get
the chance of
managing a
huge team in
a health care
project then I
can develop
this skill.
If I am able
to manage a
full team
and
successfully
achieve its
goal.
3 years
6 | P a g e

2.3 Monitoring the progress against plan according to the requirements of a
care practitioner
For the purpose of monitoring and evaluating about my personal and professional progress as
a care practitioner it is important to achiever my personal goals (Council, 2010). As per the
performance appraisal system, my own performance can be reviewed based on the objectives
that are set to be achieved in a particular period of time. In order to fulfil my requirement as a
care practitioner, training sessions are also very helpful where practical or on the job training
has specially helped me a lot in progressing. The progress that I have made is reviewed by the
senior care professional and then he makes necessary changes or comments based on my
progress. For instance, if as a care practitioner I have weak communication skills, the senior
will modify my development plan to attend more sessions or seminars for improved
communication based on which I can analyse my individual role each week of development
and thus determine my progress.
2.4 Evaluation of effectiveness of development plan as a health and social
care practitioner
The personal development plan has been proved to be very effective for me as a health care
practitioner. Based on the development plan, I can evaluate my effectiveness by taking
suggestions from my colleagues, staffs, seniors or patients. They can help in giving feedback
about whether I should modify the development plan or keep the same. After the
implementation of the plan, different measures like appraisals can be used for measuring the
performance outcome. The development plan should be such that it is according to the goals
of the organization (Eisele et al, 2013). I must follow the development plan properly and take
necessary actions so that I can develop myself as per the planned goals. I am sure that the
development plan will be very effective being a care practitioner and it is evident that the
professional development and improvement as a matter of this fact will definitely be reflected
in my performance for the organisation.
Task 3
3.1 Explanation of nature of different professional relationship in context of
workplace
In the health and social care sector, there are a number of professional relationships like the
relationship between doctor and the patients, relationship between different doctors, senior or
experienced members, social and care workers, clerks, sweepers etc. All of the collaborative
7 | P a g e

working and participation from them is necessary in order to make the sector effective in its
services. It is very important that there should be a healthy and positive relationship between
each and every member of this health and social care sector so that the communication and
the sharing of necessary information can be very good. From the contributions and support of
each and every member of the organization, it can effectively carry out all the activities
smoothly without any possible barriers and quick solution to problems if there are any
(Hepworth et al, 2016). All the members should know about the organizational goals of
satisfying the care users and perform their best in their own part so that altogether it can be a
success. For instance, the doctors belong from different areas of specialisation like dentists,
general practitioners, cardiac specialist etc. and according to me all of them should respect
each other’s work without any feeling of being competitive. I have experienced that doctors
cannot execute their work properly without the support of nurses and so both need to respect
each other’s work and perform their own responsibilities towards the patient which should be
the first priority. Moreover, in order to keep the hospital environment clean, the support staffs
also play a vital role which is very important for a healthy environment and thus as a
healthcare professional I should respect them equally. The patient’s confidentiality, trust etc.
all must be properly protected and their care should be the first goal. Above all, the
professional codes of conduct like advocacy, support, trust and empowerment all must be
equally considered in case of all the professional relationship in the workplace.
3.2 Evaluation of personal effectiveness in promoting and supporting
individual rights in workplace
Personal effectiveness is regarded to be an important factor towards the achievement of a
particular objective by using own capabilities and talents. My contribution of the efforts and
skills along with the working environment helps in determining the effectiveness of the
organization. Personal effectiveness is very much important for the purpose of promoting and
supporting the rights of every individuals working in the health and social care sector. With a
lot of confidence in own self and also in the other professionals of this sector, my personal
effectiveness has helped me in successfully fulfilling the demands of the care users. It is
equally also very important to get respect in the workplace because as per my views getting
proper respect acts as a motivational factor which helps in inspiring me to work better and
improve every day. The individuals in this sector be it the patient, the staffs or the clerks,
should be respected and I always try to protect their individual rights so that there are no
chances of inferiority feeling. It is the right of an individual to be treated equally by everyone
8 | P a g e

irrespective of ethnicity, race, gender, age or religion and so I try to treat everyone equally
which definitely helps in increasing my personal effectiveness. With this motivating factor
like respect, according to me, one can execute his or her work with personal effectiveness to
their maximum. There should not be any discrimination among employees or patients or
other staffs and then only everyone can perform effectively and efficiently and thus achieve
the respective work goals (Parmelli et al, 2011). The health conditions of not only the patients
but the staffs are also needed to be taken care of with a provision of proper working condition
so that they can be able to get proper support for performing effectively in the healthcare
sector.
3.3 Discussion of ways in resolving issues encountered in professional
relationship
Health and social care sector needs the support of a huge number of staffs for the proper
execution of activities and it is evident that there will be higher chances of conflict or issues
with more number of staffs working (Huston, 2013). I have experienced that if the individual
roles or goals are not clear then the chances of conflict increases. The certain ways that can
help in avoiding the different issues encountered in case of professional relationship are:
Proper training: In the training, the duties of the individual employees should be
clearly mentioned so that there are no chances of future issues between them.
Communication channel: Issues mainly occur due to improper or inadequate
communication. As per my views, doctors or nurses should properly communicate
and thus there would not be any communication gaps.
Mediator: I have experienced that in case of serious issues, the third party or the
mediator or disciplinary committee plays an important role in solving the issue by
providing an unbiased solution to the problem.
Task 4
4.1 Evaluation of effectiveness of personal contribution while working with
others
Even when I worked in teams, I realised that contribution from each of the team member is
very much important for the effective team performance. With proper contribution from each
of the team member, it is likely that the whole performance of the team can be enhanced and
the team productivity can be increased. With respect to own contribution, the personal value
and experience play an important role since it helps in determining the personal attitude of
9 | P a g e

the healthcare professional. Possessing of proper and own skills and talents for executing the
particular work and proper understanding of the work is very necessary from the own point of
view. In the health care sector, the proper understanding of the knowledge for treating the
patient is very necessary as a healthcare professional (West, 2012). For the effectiveness of
own contribution, I have learnt that proper communication between the team members and
proper flow of information is of utmost importance for delivering quality service to the
patients. As a part of the team, I have to perform my duties and execute the assigned work as
per my own responsibility whenever needed. The personal contribution has to be made as per
Gibbs reflection model where the problem first needs to be described, then individual feelings
about the problem should be evaluated and analysed, and from the conclusion drawn proper
action plan should be developed and thus effectiveness of personal contribution can be
reflected.
4.2 Ways in which limits of work role effects on working with others
The limits of work role depend on the accessibility of the respective healthcare professionals.
Specific roles can be played or executed by specific professional (Rich et al, 2010). For
instance, all the personal and confidential data of the hospital can only be accessed by the
Chief Medical Officer and no one else has the right to access them. If for example, a case of
emergency of a patient arises in the hospital in which for quick treatment I need the
information. But I do not have the right to access it and if the Chief Medical Officer is also
not present on that day, then calling him to the hospital will be time taking and the patient
may face serious problems from this. Thus, from this the job roles are in this way limited
which can have serious impact on the work. The work role limits also increase each other
dependency since individual and specific roles are performed specific individuals who know
the best execution of work.
4.3 Analysis of role in minimising barriers to effective teamwork
There are certain barriers that I have experienced while working in this sector that hampers
the effective teamwork like the communication problem, difference in professional codes,
separate priorities, experience, expectations or accountability. The communication barrier can
be minimised by improving the communication channel where upward, downward and
horizontal communication channels should be there. Moreover, knowing about the personal
details of the team members can help in identifying the strength as well as individual
weaknesses and learn to adjust for increased productivity (Belbin, 2012). We should respect
each other’s priorities or experience and work towards a common goal by learning to adjust
10 | P a g e

with others considering the professional standards. Training programs or outings can be
arranged where team members can be able to know about each other and thus all these can
minimise the barriers and bring about effective teamwork.
4.4 Ways for improving personal contribution for collective effectiveness of
the team
In order to improve personal contribution for collective team effectiveness, I have learnt that
the satisfaction of needs of the healthcare service users is necessary and we should perform
individually to the best of our ability so that the team performance can be improved. In order
to improve my own contribution in my team I should always support my team members
whenever they need it and all the team activities should be performed well which are aligned
to the fulfilment of the organizational objectives. Within the different structure and system of
the organization, I must play formal as well as informal roles based on the situation. For
instance, I can have an informal conversation with my team mates but I must talk in a formal
way with the team leader. I should never encourage any sort of discrimination and motivate
and support each team members.
11 | P a g e

References
Hopkinson, C., 2014. Personal and professional development. Becoming a Nurse: A Textbook
for Professional Practice, p.383.
Stenfors-Hayes, T., Kalén, S., Hult, H., Dahlgren, L.O., Hindbeck, H. and Ponzer, S., 2010.
Being a mentor for undergraduate medical students enhances personal and professional
development. Medical teacher, 32(2), pp.148-153.
Mitchell, P., Wynia, M., Golden, R., McNellis, B., Okun, S., Webb, C.E., Rohrbach, V. and
Von Kohorn, I., 2012. Core principles & values of effective team-based health
care. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine.
Vogus, T.J., Sutcliffe, K.M. and Weick, K.E., 2010. Doing no harm: enabling, enacting, and
elaborating a culture of safety in health care. The Academy of Management
Perspectives, 24(4), pp.60-77.
Moon, J.A., 2013. Reflection in learning and professional development: Theory and practice.
Routledge.
Council, G.S.C., 2010. Code of practice. General Osteopathic Council,[Online]. Available
at: http://www. osteopathy. org. uk/uploads/code_of_practice. pdf. Accessed, 7.
Eisele, L., Grohnert, T., Beausaert, S. and Segers, M., 2013. Employee motivation for
personal development plan effectiveness. European Journal of Training and
Development, 37(6), pp.527-543.
Hepworth, D.H., Rooney, R.H., Rooney, G.D. and Strom-Gottfried, K., 2016. Empowerment
Series: Direct Social Work Practice: Theory and Skills. Nelson Education.
Parmelli, E., Flodgren, G., Beyer, F., Baillie, N., Schaafsma, M.E. and Eccles, M.P., 2011.
The effectiveness of strategies to change organisational culture to improve healthcare
performance: a systematic review. Implementation Science, 6(1), p.33.
12 | P a g e

Huston, C.J., 2013. Professional issues in nursing: Challenges and opportunities. Lippincott
Williams & Wilkins.
Belbin, R.M., 2012. Team roles at work. Routledge.
Rich, B.L., Lepine, J.A. and Crawford, E.R., 2010. Job engagement: Antecedents and effects
on job performance. Academy of management journal, 53(3), pp.617-635.
West, M.A., 2012. Effective teamwork: Practical lessons from organizational research. John
Wiley & Sons.
13 | P a g e