College Connection Winter 2017

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 FEATURED Your Guide to Quality Practice This issue of College Connection explores the College’s latest quality practice initiatives. The College welcomes your feedback on College Connection! 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