Professionalism in Healthcare has been and continues to be practiced in all of our BSHS locations: The aim of our “Professionalism in Healthcare strategy” is to increase awareness of its importance, and its intimate links to patient safety. Professionalism in Healthcare has been identified nationally and internationally for many years as an important component of practice for healthcare professionals.

 

Overview

The BSHS has demonstrated a strong commitment to professionalism in healthcare at an organisational level with the recent appointment of a Professor of Medical Professionalism jointly with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). Professionalism in Healthcare is synergistic with the mission, vision and values of the BSHS including respect, justice, integrity, stewardship, innovation, compassion and quality.

Multiple definitions of Professionalism in Healthcare exist: it has been described as “how we justify the trust of our patients, colleagues and community to do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons and in a timely manner”

The Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) has highlighted that professionalism involves “forming values, attitudes and behaviours which foster professional relationships, promote public trust and enhance patient safety”. It explains that as Healthcare Professionals we should be committed to “compassion, communication, self-care, cultural sensitivity, altruism,’ advocacy, ethical practice, evidence based practice, team work, integrity, honesty and reflective practice”. A patient centred service and aiming for excellence is central to professionalism, to care delivered at the BSHS and an integral part of our 2020 plan.

Figure 1: Commitments central to professionalism in healthcare

Professor Michael Brennan, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Medical School and Consultant Endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA

This professionalism extends to all staff and is part of every person’s responsibility. Key staff groups include doctors, nurses and health care professionals: these will form part of our initial plan.

Our programme has been developed with patient centred care and professionalism at its heart: Advanced Medicine, Exceptional Care. Our recent patient and staff surveys are testament to this.

 

 

How can we improve?

Professionalism can be improved by developing a stronger culture of professionalism in our healthcare system because culture drives safe care delivery. Culture is about behaviours.

SYSTEMS + BEHAVIOURS = OUTCOMES 

What are the key features of Professionalism in Healthcare?

Pillars of professionalism in healthcare include:

• Good communication
• Patient safety
• Risk management
• Quality improvement and assurance
• Patient centred care and engagement 
• Training
• Clinical practice
• Clinical working environment
• Education: undergraduate, post graduate and continuous professional development
• Clinician  wellbeing (including doctor, nurse and health care professionals)
• Research

 

Professionalism in Healthcare is embedded in our 2020 Plan, of which multiple initiatives are underway and others are due to commence. Key elements of our 2020 plan rooted in professionalism include our patient survey, staff survey, Joint Commission International accreditation, the leadership programme for BSHS staff run by RCSI and our quality improvement projects involving multiple-disciplines. It is a key part of our Quality and Safety Strategy.

The 2020 Plan Strategic goals have Professionalism in Healthcare at their core including:

• Goal 1 - enhanced quality and exceptional care;
• Goal 4 - to be a healthcare provider and employer of choice;
• Goal 5 - more investment, innovation and research;
• Goal 6 - building stronger relationships and partnerships.

 

Professionalism in Healthcare and the values of the BSHS are synergistic.
 

What are the benefits?

Investment in Professionalism in Healthcare at both an organisational and individual level leads to benefits for the patient, staff and healthcare enterprise. These include:

• Improved patient safety
• Increased quality of care
• Better patient experience
• Enhanced staff moral
• Increased recruitment and retention of staff
• Stronger communication
• Greater reputation for the healthcare system 
• Reduction in clinical patient safety incidents
• Decrease in indemnity costs 
• Lower risk of clinical claims

How to build an improved culture?

The culture of Professionalism in Healthcare can be improved through the triad of education, leadership and accountability. A culture and awareness of Professionalism in Healthcare can be increased through the combination of the following:

• A communication process : written information on Professionalism in Healthcare and site visits to BSHS  locations 
• Visit a centre of excellence internationally and meet with experts on professionalism
• Develop and deliver a Professionalism in Healthcare initiative incorporating an interactive
  Education Seminar on Professionalism in Healthcare for the BSHS staff from multiple disciplines 
• Develop and deliver with external faculty a training course on professionalism and communication to inter-professional BSHS staff at RCSI. This will  involve the use of simulation and will have a train the trainer component
• Review clinical claims against the BSHS with a view to identifying lessons learned and provision of risk management recommendations to staff at all levels

This will be implemented through collaboration with all key groups across all sites and have a bottom up and top down approach.

 

 

Professor Denis W. Harkin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Denis W. Harkin, MB MD FRCS FEBVS

Professor and Chair of Medical Professionalism, RCSI

 

Professor Denis W. Harkin

Professor Denis Harkin, was appointed Chair of Medical Professionalism at the RCSI in November 2020. Professor Harkin joins RCSI from the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, where he was Clinical Lead for Vascular Surgery and Assistant Medical Director.

 

Graduating from Queen’s University Belfast, gaining Fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh (FRCSEd) and Ireland (FRCSI), and placing first in European Board Exams he was awarded RCSI Travelling Fellow to train at the Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, and Stanford Medical Centre. His Doctoral research, funded by The Wellcome Trust, established the seminal link between ischaemia-reperfusion, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and remote organ injury. As Senior Lecturer in Surgery and Consultant Vascular Surgeon at Queen’s University Belfast and Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast, he has developed an international reputation in research and practice in vascular trauma and complex endovascular aneurysm care. A founding member of the Specialty Advisory Committee for Vascular Surgery, and elected Council of the Vascular Society, he has contributed in UK and Ireland to Curriculum, Training Programmes and Workforce Planning. He is an Examiner for Intercollegiate FRCS Vascular and European Board of Vascular Surgery. He was appointed Assistant Medical Director at Belfast HSC Trust, in 2015.

 

Professor Harkin’s work will focus on medical professionalism and personal and professional identity formation. Our vision is to advance medical professionalism, to benefit our patients, in research, education and clinical practice.