A Comparison of Rank Ordered Professional Attributes by Clinical Supervisors and Allied Health Students

Abstract

The concept of professionalism in the field of allied health has been defined to delineate professional behaviors and values. The term "professional attributes" describes a set of behaviors believed to encompass professionalism. Clinical performance instruments attempt to evaluate professional behavior of allied health students. However, deficiencies in professionalism are difficult to identify and quantify making the problem troublesome to address. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in perceptions between clinical supervisors and allied health students as they relate to the rank order of importance of “professional attributes” required for effective clinical practice. The results of a “professional attributes” survey administered to clinical supervisors and allied health students were analyzed using a Mann-Whitney 2-tailed test. Identified differences could serve as a basis for objective instruction on professionalism in the classroom.