Professional Issues Impacting Healthcare Workforce in Australia

This report delves into the professional issues plaguing the healthcare sector, particularly in Australia, with a focus on workforce shortages and their multifaceted causes and consequences. The introduction establishes the importance of professionalism in healthcare, highlighting the need for skilled and knowledgeable practitioners to address complex problems effectively. The main body of the report explores the concept of professional practice, specifically in the context of healthcare, and identifies workforce shortages as a primary concern. The report examines the impact of a lack of education, inadequate training programs, and the overburdening of existing staff due to shortages. It discusses the importance of clinical audits in maintaining and improving the quality of care, and how their absence contributes to the problem. The report analyzes various factors contributing to the workforce shortage, including lack of career guidance, workplace biases, and insufficient governmental support. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for institutions and governments to invest in training and development to attract and retain healthcare professionals, thereby addressing the workforce shortage and improving the quality of healthcare services. The report also stresses the role of clinical audits in improving the quality of healthcare and the potential for healthcare institutions to better assess the need for staff.

Professional issues

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFRENCES.................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Professionalism refer to the commitment to enhance the skill and apply the knowledge to
address the certain problem significantly. As there may be different types of problems which act
as a barriers to conduct perfect work. So professionalism basically require to abide by the ethical
standard willingly with the motive to function effectively (Abdelgany, 2017). Thus, the purpose
of education training and development session is to provide specialised knowledge and enhance
the capability so that the workforce can enhance the quality of their work to carry out their task
effectively as well as efficiently. For the better understanding of report professional issue that
arises in the Health and Management field has been considered. The concern is workforce
shortage that leads to several hindrances such as lack of education, clinical practices as well as
professionalism that affect the functioning of whole sector. This report cover following topics
like professional issue along with their critical evaluation by various authors. Furthermore, the
policies made by local authority to address the issue are covered in this report.
MAIN BODY
Professional practice means use of knowledge of one in particular profession. It may be
in different field such as biomedicine, construction, manufacturing industry etc. It refers
professional responsibility that is the way how an individual behave in the workplace. In relation
with the healthcare practices Australia is facing the professionalism issue due to workforce
shortage in Health care industry as few graduates educated in STEM disciplines and outdated
reputation of workplace (Akin, 2016). Along with that lack of adequate training programme and
over burden of healthcare staff due to workforce shortage act as a professional issue.
Issues related with workforce shortage within health care are defined below:
It is prominent for the health care industry to hire educated and experienced workforce
that helps to understand the instruction of practitioners or patients as well as consult their
problem effectively. As educated workforce help to understand patient's problems and develop
interest among people for the purpose of obtaining services. There is need to follow the
instruction of practitioners and give proper guidance to patients.

According to (Kingma, 2018), lack of healthcare education or health illiteracy does not
led the healthcare staff to make effectively decision. This has even widen the gap between the
medical issues that patients are facing and cure of these diseases as the healthcare practitioners
doesn't get adequate learning about their profession and practices due to not proper availability of
educating sources and material. As a result of which healthcare practitioners are very less in
comparison with the patients such shortage of staff has directly lead to major problem like
increase in number of illness and death. Along with that the professors available in medical
colleges are providing education to the students on behalf of their education background and not
all of them are having practical knowledge or clinical experience. This is the major reason
behind inadequate staff at clinics as people with lack of knowledge in medical field won't be able
to start their career within clinics and hospital which in turn widen the gap and results into
shortage of workforce.
According to (Jacobs, 2018), it has been analysed that health and care industry was facing
professional practices such as lack of quality education that leads to shortage of workforce due to
which patients are not getting proper treatment. But this is not the main reason behind shortage
of workforce within healthcare industry. Despite of this there are several other reasons that are
present in health care industry which results into shortage of workforce. Among them lack of
career guidance is that main factor as new practitioners as well as freshers in this industry are not
getting adequate training for their career growth. As a result of which freshers are moving
overseas for getting more career growth instead of starting their career within Australia. Despite
of this another major reason behind lack of employees availability within healthcare centres are
biasses that staff faces within their workplace in term of their work, growth and many other
practices which results into quick turnover and because of which healthcare centres won't able to
maintain a balance between the need of health related services and its availability.
Despite of all this another major issues which leads to shortage of workforce within the
health care institutes are lack of governmental assistance toward the health care industry. As in
order to get a better health care base or practices it is crucial that regular government must
promote regular development of nurses, doctors and other health care professional by integrity
their knowledge with other health care expertise belong to different place. This support in
enhancing the level of knowledge and also help in promoting the health care practices by

keeping people motivated toward their work as regular career enhancement encourage people to
stay over a place for practising their learning and enhancing it.
Thus, on the basis of critical analysis by various authors it has been analysed that
although the health care industry faces the critical situation where the existing staff at-times
faces difficulty and are overburdened with work. So such issue of workforce shortage that has
caused easy hiring and created lack of education need to be stopped. As until unless the
practitioner does not gain adequate experience they cannot effectively handle their staff and treat
them successfully. On contrary, the institutional centres as well as government must focuses
toward raking measure to train the medical staff and nurture their talent. This has even
encouraged the people or local residence of Australia to establish their career in medical field or
research. Such investment leads to the advancement of country where most of the medical
researchers perform effective work in various fields like in NGO, public services as well as
government. Hence, research institution of the medical field offers the wide range of career
options that not only control the workforce shortage but also enhance the skill and knowledge of
the service giver by displaying them broad prospective to work.
Lack of Clinical audit
Clinical Audit is a measure that is explicitly used to enhance the quality cycle and
improve the standard for clinical care. The main purpose is to improve the quality of devices that
patients get and bring the systematic action to set the healthcare criteria effectively and receive
the best possible outcome. This is basically a process which needs to be adopted by all
organizations for the purpose of improving health care services (Professional issues. 2018). In
this process, audit is necessary which has to be done by a affiliated authority of heath industry on
the basis on health services. Clinical audit is a quality improvement tool which aims to educate
clinical practice that is use not only improve the quality of clinical services but also to provide
high standard of services with the help of workforce. This clinical audit helps to increase the
trust among people as this hospital is providing good services that they obtain services happily.
Therefore, hospital industry should focus on their clinical services getting clinical audit .
According to (Kurmis, R. and et. al., 2015), the quality of care which is offered to the
patient is critically important to carry out day to day clinical practices. In order to do so different
tools and technique are used that include healthcare planning policy, routine clinical practice as
well as clinical audit. Thus, the audit consist of the standard which is set for the medical field to

improve the heal care quality and reduces the chances of disease like chronic rental disease,
anaemia, hypertension and so on. Thus, lack of clinical audit can be the prime factor behind the
workforce shortage as it reduces the chances of effective practices used to conduct effectively
functioning. This is so because when there is lack of clinic audit with in the health care
institutions then it become difficult for determining the several issues that an health care institute
is facing in term of performing operations. In addition to this it also support in determining the
factors or resources that are not adequate or required more to be arranged in order to perform
health care practices in effective manner. Hence this inadequate management of resources nad
other requirement affect the practices of health care practices and also creates difficulties for the
practitioners to perform their operations in effective manner. This leads to shortage of workforce
as when people don't get appropriate resources or direction to perform work then they won't be
able to perform well and gain career enhancement as a result of which they started determining
the alternatives of working to for getting more development opportunity and as a result of which
there will be more employee turnover.
Despite of this, regular performance of clinical audit also support a hospital or other
health care institutions to identify the quality of services and standard to which it is required to
improve so that appropriate resources can be arrange to perform work accordingly. But due to
lack of clinic audit it become difficult for an institution to predict or determine the future demand
in term of personnel and as a result of which when health care related need arises then it become
difficult for arranging appropriate heath care provider. Hence, this is the main issue which
creates shortage within the workforce required for health care service provider. This is because
clinical audit help in improving and updating the health care practices which help in attracting
more and more practitioner to get involve in their career and knowledge enhancement.
According to (Johnston, Smith and Roydhouse, 2012), the clinical audit acts as a crucial
educational tool that leads to professionalism. As there are different professional such as nurses
or the doctor that need to maintain separate audit within healthcare organisation. This is the
quality assurance tool which support in improving the performance and practices of staff
working within health industry, but this is not a prime reason behind shortage of workforce. It is
so because the role of clinical audit is to undergo with the improvement in quality on the regular
basis that has lead to progress and cure the diseases effectively. Hence, it is a part of clinical
governance which assist the healthcare service providers to perform their operations in effective

manner and provide best services to patient for dealing with their issue. Therefore clinic audit
only present information regarding the quality of product, resource or service that a particular
clinic provide and not focuses over determining the potential requirement of personnel that a
particular clinic have for dealing with a situation. Hence the main reason behind workforce
shortage is lack of maintenance and employees requirement evaluation as a result of which
management won't be able to recruit or retain heath care staffs adequately. As result of which not
proper recruitment stay their and hence the shortage in term of high skilled health care
practitioner get increased.
As per critical evaluation it has been identified that lack of clinical audit is also lead to
the workforce shortage as in most of the cases various practitioner or the nurses show less
interest maintain medical record keeping. Because of this not proper evaluation of health
practitioner requirement can be determined which results into shortage of workforce. In addition
to this, This is the quality assurance tool that need to be prepared sincerely but most of the
personnel consider it is secondary doctor to whom they do not pay much attention because of
which they lack to maintain the quality standard. Deficiency of clinical practices and
maintenance of data can even impede the performance of staff as they do not learn about the new
reform and innovation done within medical research which surely widen the gap between actual
and standard performance. Thus, in short run lack of audit leads to the issue of poor maintenance
or no knowledge regarding the innovation but it long run it definitely leads to workforce shortage
concern.
Lack of Professionalism
This is another concerns which are associated with professional practises or issues that is
professionalism. It is related with unethical code of conduct performed by the doctor or nurses
that impact the whole healthcare services. Some times behaviour of doctors and nurses shows as
negatively or rudely towards patients that create a problems for them as it portrait negative image
and creates dissonance. Thus, the patient seek for the other alternatives which decreases the
percentage of workforce.
As per the opinion of (Nassif, 2016), Fair work helped to resolve professionalism issue
such as practitioners and nurses behave positively and listens problems that create relationship
among them and provide best treatment. In context to data privacy, recommended approach to
manage the privacy is cohesive data strategy and service strategy that helps in tracking as well as

auditing towards guaranteed compliance. But the major issue found within the health industry is
that there are certain practices which increase the unprofessional activities within the sector. This
in turn sometimes create more complication within the operations as well as further practices
performed by the professional which bring a big downturn to their career. As a result of which
people mainly move toward another profession which is safe and secure as well as provide more
growth opportunity to them so that they become able to create a better life. This in turn leads to
shortage of employees within health industry as people think it riskier to build future in this
industry. Apart from this another major issue that creates lack of professionalism and results into
shortage of staff within health industry is inadequate implication of standards by the lower tier of
this industry. As a result of which operations performed by health care practitioner are mainly
performed without considering the standards which may have negative consequences in term of
ceasing their licence of practising. This fear mainly reducing the interest of people toward
pursuing their education or career start up within healthcare or medical sector which is the main
cause behind shortage of health care staff as not adequate number of people are entering into this
field.
According to the (Dowd, 2019), professionalism is the core element of healthcare sector
which one need to opt by each individual and perform it accordingly as it is the responsibility of
the medical staff to perform their work with adequate standards. Hence it can be said that there
are number of standards are which are being formulated by several association related with the
healthcare practices along with categorise in different operations that are performed within
each healthcare institutions. This involves categories in term of staff management, availability of
resources, kind of instruments to be used, frequency of each instrument or technology use in
term of usage, educational guidance etc. Hence it can be said that lack of professionalism is not
the major issue behind the shortage of workforce and neither it affect the motivational practices
of people which restrict them to adopt a profession related with health industry. Despite of this,
there are some another reason which is creative the health industry seems unattractive to people
and divert their interest in another direction in term of developing career.
Based on the opinion of different authors it has been critically analyses that health care is
the most essential sector of the country to whom constant attention need to be give by the local
authority. Along with that precautions need to taken to inculcate the habit of professionalism
where staff inculcate effective trait (Workforce related issue. 2019). From the evaluation of both

the point of view it has been determined that lack of professionalism is also consider as one of
the reason which is creating shortage in workforce as there is not proper adherence of these
standards at ground level. As a result of which growth of professionals doesn't get rises which in
turn diverting the interest of people within different sector for developing a better and successful
career. Hence proper implication of these standards will support in reducing the concern of
workforce shortage and help different patient by reaching out the solution desirably.
How to resolve ethical issues
By using standard of ethical professional practice, member can encounter unethical
behaviour. To remove the unethical issues industry should take some actions that are:
Privacy act 1988: The act was governed by Australian government and it regulates
handling personal information of any individual. This act helps to solve the professionalism
issue such as doctors keep confidential information about patient and their disease as they want
that helps to maintain trust among practitioners and patients (Babushko, 2016). Principles of the
act are applied to private sector organisations, Australian territory agencies and small businesses
that mainly performs activities to cater health care services and resolve the workforce shortage.
The act mainly deals with privacy. The act involves collecting, using, recording as well as
disclosing information. It is mandatory for healthcare sectors to follow the legislation as to
protect the confidential data of patients from getting disclose. By following this act industries
can keep information confidential of each workers who are working within organization. It helps
to increase the confidence of employees and give them motivation which helps to increase the
productivity of organizations. Moreover, by keeping information privacy there is no chances of
arising any conflicts between employees.
Fair work Act, 2009: This act is important for resolve the clinical auditing as
professional issues in which health and care industry get auditing of their services which are
provides by them. The legislation sets out responsibilities together with rights of distinct
workforce at organisation. It also helps in creating compliances along with enforcement regimes
at healthcare units. The reason behind governing the act was to deliver balanced framework
together with promoting prosperity at workplaces. Healthcare centres are facing problem of
workforce shortages and burden on such workforce (Berger and et. al., 2019). By applying such
legislations, the workforce are familiar with their rights and duties as well as perform operations
accordingly that reduces some burden on available employees. The application of the shows

favourable results as employees are retained with providing limited work according to their
capabilities and specialisation in health care sector. It helps in providing flexible working
arrangements, minimum entitlements, fairness at work as well as preventing discrimination
among workforce. Along with that application of such legislation help to overcome the various
issue like lack of adequate educational, clinical audit as well as professionalism to reduce the
workforce shortage.
CONCLUSION
Professional issue refers problems which are facing by industries at the time of working.
As they are not working any any properly due to which patients are facing lack of quality in their
treatment, lack of educated staff and proper auditing of their services. Shortage of workers means
lack of workers due to which industry is not working properly. Here are various concerns which
are associated with professional practices such professionalism, lack of proper training and
guidance due to this practitioners are not providing good health services. To solve such issues
some strategies and act are followed by health and care industry that helped to solve problems
and maintain relationship among them. Data privacy act helped to keep information confidential
of patients and fair work helped to solve the issue of professionalism.

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