Competency-based professionalism in anesthesiology: Continuing Professional Development

Abstract

Purpose Fulfilling the current societal expectations for professionalism in medicine requires a clear understanding of the specific skills, attitudes, and behaviours expected of practitioners. This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module discusses professionalism as it relates to the practice of anesthesiology. Principal findings While many of the attributes of the professional are generic, performance expectations must be interpreted in a specialty-specific context. Anesthesiologists face challenges to their professionalism in the timeconstrained, highly technical and stressful operating room environment. Ongoing shifts in the models of health care delivery require the adaptation of anesthesiology practice to meet changing demands. Consequently, anesthesiologists' practice environment has extended into preoperative assessment units, acute pain services, and perioperative medicine. Application of principles of biomedical ethics, understanding of medico-legal and regulatory aspects of practice, and attention to personal health and career sustainability are intrinsic aspects of professional practice. More recently, focus on adverse event management and continuous quality improvement has created the need for specific skill sets, which must be included in training and continuing professional development programs. The medical education literature suggests teaching and evaluation methods suited to the development of competence in all aspects of professionalism. Finally, professionalism requires the availability of remediation programs for learners and practitioners in difficulty. Conclusion The attitudes, skills, and behaviours that define professionalism in anesthesiology must be taught and evaluated to establish a basic level of competence by the completion of specialty training. Throughout their careers, anesthesiologists must continue their professional development to meet current and future societal expectations and shifting norms of health care delivery.

Formation of medical student professional identity: categorizing lapses of professionalism, and the learning environment

“…The Faculty is working with affiliated institutions to align policies and procedures to deal with lapses of professionalism by students, teaching faculty, residents, nurses and allied health professionals, as well as non-clinical staff, and to address egregious or repeat offenders. Measures are also being taken to teach, evaluate and remediate the professionalism of residents (e.g., [39]). At the present time much of the emphasis of the professionalism movement is on student behavior [19,40,41].…”

Fitness for purpose in anaesthesiology: a review

“…In determining what constitutes a good anaesthesiologist, the opinions of anaesthesiologists themselves are invaluable. Components such as excellence [37][38][39][40][41] and professionalism [42][43][44][45] have been explored; however, there remains a paucity of available literature on what anaesthesiologists believe a good or holistic practitioner should look like. Anaesthesiologists believe that their technical prowess alone is not sufficient and their NTS are important and need to be assessed 46 in order to prevent adverse outcomes.…”

Professionalism in anaesthesiology practice: ethical reflection on the nature of professionalism in anaesthesiology

“…These include adherence to the core principles of biomedical ethics, the medicolegal and regulatory facets of practice, maintenance of personal health and career sustainability, management of adverse events, quality improvement and remedial programmes as required. 2 Freeman and Berger discuss four basic components of professionalism: ethics (honesty, integrity, highest possible moral standards); accountability (primacy of patient interests); humanism (appropriate doctor-patient relation); and mental and physical physician well-being. 3 Ellison contends that 'competence, confidence, compassion and integrity' are four key ingredients of professionalism, and captures the moral nature of professionalism in the following citation:…”