A complementary approach to promoting professionalism: identifying, measuring, and addressing unprofessional behaviors.

Full Abstract

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine (VUSM) employs several strategies for teaching professionalism. This article, however, reviews VUSM's alternative, complementary approach:
identifying, measuring, and addressing unprofessional behaviors. The key to this alternative approach is a supportive infrastructure that includes VUSM leadership's commitment to addressing unprofessional/disruptive behaviors, a model to guide intervention, supportive institutional policies, surveillance tools for capturing patients' and staff members' allegations, review processes, multilevel training, and resources for addressing disruptive behavior.Our model for addressing disruptive behavior focuses on four graduated interventions:
informal conversations for single incidents, nonpunitive "awareness" interventions when data reveal patterns, leader-developed action plans if patterns persist, and imposition of disciplinary processes if the plans fail. Every physician needs skills for conducting informal interventions with peers; therefore, these are taught throughout VUSM's curriculum. Physician leaders receive skills training for conducting higher-level interventions. No single strategy fits every situation, so we teach a balance beam approach to understanding and weighing the pros and cons of alternative intervention-related communications. Understanding common excuses, rationalizations, denials, and barriers to change prepares physicians to appropriately, consistently, and professionally address the real issues. Failing to address unprofessional behavior simply promotes more of it. Besides being the right thing to do, addressing unprofessional behavior can yield improved staff satisfaction and retention, enhanced reputation, professionals who model the curriculum as taught, improved patient safety and risk-management experience, and better, more productive work environments.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Hickson, Gerald B (GB); Pichert, James W (JW); Webb, Lynn E (LE); Gabbe, Steven G (SG);

Affiliation: Department of Medical Education and Administration, Center for Patient and Professional Advocacy, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232, USA. gerald.hickson@vanderbilt.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (Acad Med), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Nov; vol 82 (issue 11) : pp 1040-8

Dates: Created 2007/10/31; Completed 2007/12/12;

PMID: 17971689, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Curriculum
Education, Medical, Graduate - methods
Humans
Internship and Residency
Leadership
Patient Advocacy - education

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

See 100+ related articles.