PROFESSIONALISM - WHY IT MATTERS
We have all witnessed it. We may have even
been on the receiving end of it. It may have
been a member of the veterinary profession,
or a member of another profession. It may
have been a professor in a veterinary college
or a mentor in practice. Its impacts can be
much larger than at first glance and the
persistence of it can create an organizational
culture.
If you read the above paragraph, you will see
that it may be speaking about professionalism
or lack of professionalism, it just depends
on the lens you are using when you read it.
Why is that important? Because perception
is everything when it comes to behaviour,
especially behaviour of a professional who is
held to a higher standard.
Ask anyone to describe when they have
witnessed unprofessional behaviour. You
might hear words like yelling, profanity,
bullying, abusive, harassment, throwing
objects, and so on. Often unprofessional
behaviour is unmistakable, clearly
inappropriate and very damaging.
However, some people may describe
more subtle examples of behaviours that
Dr. Michael Kaufmann, MD, in his series
on the Five Fundamentals of Civility for
Physicians, refers to as “lacking in civility”.
These examples of behaviour may include
descriptions such as rude, disrespectful,
offensive, dismissive, and shaming. Often the
professional displaying these behaviours is
unaware of the impact of their behaviours
on those around them. It creates a work
environment that is psychologically unsafe,
and co-workers often fear reprisal if they offer
feedback. So, the vicious cycle continues, with
little hope that the behaviour will change.
Incivility and unprofessional behaviour are
not without consequences, some of them
severe. Workplaces become toxic, there is a
revolving door of employees, and the negative
workplace culture seeps into patient care and
client experiences. It can negatively affect
patient outcomes and can result in client
complaints.
Winter 2017
Vol. 33 No. 4
ISSN 0821-6320
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This issue of College Connection explores
the College’s latest quality practice initiatives.
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If nothing is done and the behaviours are
pervasive in a profession, it can erode
public trust and divide the profession. The
Ontario medical profession is an example of
unprofessional behaviour gone viral. In recent
news media, the behaviour of several Ontario
physicians has been in the spotlight related
to social media posts that contained offensive
language towards another physician. Three
physicians are facing discipline hearings at
the College of Physicians and Surgeons of
Ontario. It is an extreme example of the type
of unprofessional behaviour that can result
in negative consequences, not just for the
individual professional, but for the profession
as a whole.
continued on next page...
CONTENTS
Opioid Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Executive Committee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Learning in Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New Learning Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Meet a Peer Advisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Practice Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Instilling public confidence in veterinary regulation.
www.cvo.org