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25 INNOVATION ABSTRACTS x2::\"

J EN C { J
wu CAN Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development
a With support from the W/. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation

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THE PROFESSIONAL: A DEFINITION

Health care is an area in a constant state of flux. And one of the primary reasons for this state is the
astronomical advances in technology over the past two and one-half decades. Many of these advances have left
us “holding the bag,” if you will, as they have provided us with not only moral, ethical, legal and religious
dilemmas—dilemmas for which there are few answers . . . but deeper and more complex questions.

As a respiratory care practitioner for over a decade and now a health technologies educator, my concerns
regarding these moral and ethical dilemmas have expanded to include: What is the health technologies
professional, and how does this individual fit into the health care milieu? As these questions about the
“professional” assumed greater and greater importance to me personally and in my classroom preparations, |
decided upon what I believed to be a valuable teaching and learning experience: I would ask my students to
help me formulate a definition of the term.

The students in my class were involved in an extremely intensive, high-technology program requiring
stamina, dedication, and a commitment to excellence; they were in an open-forum classroom setting that most of
them had never before encountered; and I was embarking on a mission in assisting them toward a basic
understanding of what may seem to be the intangible. The open-forum facilitated team effort in problem
resolution and provided some freedom of verbal expression. Both the team effort and freedom of expression
facilitated the thought process. When the time seemed appropriate, we embarked on our mission. Following a
brief discussion of the “perceived” professional, each of the students was asked to define the term.

I share these key points gleaned from this experience; the freshness with which these first-quarter students
joined their minds and hearts to address not only the definition but where the professional fits into the schema
of health care is too exciting to keep to myself. They said that the professional is

-- an individual who, because of an interest in caring for others, has accomplished specialized
training/education and has thus developed a high level of expertise.

-- an individual who demonstrates adaptability, integrity, and the ability to apply knowledge previously
learned and is further interested in continuing the learning process.

-- an individual who demonstrates courage in the most difficult of situations.

-- an individual who is expeditious and efficient in carrying out his/her responsibilities.

-- an individual who demonstrates an adherence to established ethical standards.

-- an individual who demonstrates an extremely high level of compassion with patients, peers, and superiors.

-- an individual who is adept in communication at all levels, regardless of the situation.

My students had indeed defined an intangible. And this definition is applicable to any and all individuals who
endeavor to develop themselves. During the next class meeting, I shared my feelings and the pride that I felt with
them. I call it DiPietro’s Law I: .

Any monkey can wear a white coat, but that monkey becomes a professional when there is a
fundamental understanding of what that white coat holds and how it is used to offer assistance
to those who are less fortunate.

As I walked out of class, I realized that my students had become my teachers. And I further realized that
they had taken those first difficult steps toward that intangible that they had so vividly defined . . . the
professional.

Joseph S$. DiPietro
Respiratory Care Program

   

 

For further information, contact the author at Southwest Virginia Commu ollege, Richlands, VA 24641.

 

AC} Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712