Essay Sample on Characteristics of a Professional or Competent Health Worker

Generally, professionalism or competence in an individual includes the acquired knowledge and skills, experience obtained through learning and training, someone's abilities as well as character traits. These are the significant determinants of someone's professionalism or competence in the area of specialization. Overall, health workers obtain their professionalism or expertise from the various professions of the healthcare through the pre-training education services, in-service educational training, as well as the work experience (Townsend, & Bates, 2007). Typically, professionalism or competence in a particular field of study is an essential determinant of abilities as well as the readiness of a health worker to give quality services to the patients.

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However, a health worker may have required knowledge and skills but may decide to use it unlawfully or poorly due to some personal factors affecting individuals such as the abilities, character traits, objectives, and values. Therefore, the following are the significant traits of a health worker making one to be considered as professional or competent in the healthcare profession: Having passion for the healthcare profession (Jones, 2010), practical communication skills, ability to multi-task whenever asked, being physically and psychologically fit as well as active to perform the task given, appropriate decision making and problem-solving skills, and having empathy as well as compassion to comfort their patients when they are disturbed with the situations. Thus, these traits make someone be a professional in the healthcare profession.

As a mental health professional, I had once treated a 27-year-old, mentally challenged patient who had suffered from the Schizoaffective Disorder. Through my experience, I realized that the patient had committed several offenses through assaults to his mother and other members of the public. I realized that he did these offenses due to the effects of his mental health challenges, such as anger, frustrations, and a profound depression effect (Evetts, 2014). Through my professional experience, I helped the mentally challenged patient by creating effective support plans on how he would put through the mental health treatment by being close to him as I tried to administer his health. My experience made me become a close friend to the patient since he became diagnosed with that particular mental illness. Generally, I understood his needs during his stay in the hospital as his healthcare attendant. I also advised him about the effects of the disease he has suffered. Therefore, through my experience, I was able to help an insane patient to return to his healthy life since I was able to understand him and his needs appropriately.

According to me, the health worker worked professionally to offer treatment services to his mentally challenged patient who had insulting people in his community. My passion for the mental health profession made me be committed to assisting others with mental challenges. Additionally, my excellent problem-solving skills in this profession of health enabled me to understand the needs of the patient under my charge, and luckily (Evans, 2011), I was able to treat him properly. Again, my empathy, as well as compassion traits, enabled me as a professional to comfort and helped the mentally challenged patient under my care to come back to his healthy life. These traits helped me to bring a positive impact on the patient's health.

Evans, L. (2011). The 'shape' of teacher professionalism in England: Professional standards, performance management, professional development, and the changes proposed in the 2010 White Paper. British educational research journal, 37(5), 851-870.

Evetts, J. (2014). The concept of professionalism: Professional work, professional practice, and learning. In International handbook of research in vocational and practice-based education (pp. 29-56). Springer, Dordrecht.

Jones, E. (2010). Enhancing professionalism through a professional practice portfolio. Reflective practice, 11(5), 593-605.

Townsend, T., & Bates, R. (2007). Handbook of teacher education: Globalisation, standards, and professionalism in times of change. Springer.