Becoming a Professional & Cultural Humility
BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL & CULTURAL HUMILITY
Learning Outcomes
Define what it means to be a ‘professional’.
Explain key competencies for becoming a professional.
Describe positionality and professional identity formation.
Explore ways to engage in reflective practice.
Explore cultural competence and cultural humility.
Defining a 'Professional'
General Perception of Professionals
Common attributes associated with 'professionals':
Well-educated
Well-trained
Well-spoken
Well-dressed
Well-groomed
Well-behaved
Honesty, competence, reliability, trustworthiness, ethical standards.
Exhibit due diligence, perseverance, and a willingness to listen and learn.
Expectations of Professionals
Professionals face higher behavioral expectations compared to the general public, especially in fields such as:
Medicine
Nursing
Dietetics
Teaching
Law
Engineering
Problems and Power of Professionalism
Examples of Bias in Professionalism
Students with accents viewed as challenging.
Religious jewelry and beards perceived as unprofessional.
Black students using informal language with Black patients critiqued for rapport-building.
Comments on Black women's body sizes impacting their professionalism.
Queer medical students told their painted nails were unprofessional.
Personality mismatches resulting in perceived unprofessionalism.
Reference: Maristany et al., Academic Medicine, 98(11S), S32-S41, November 2023.
Professionalism: Lack of Universal Definition
There is no universal definition that can be applied globally to professionalism.
Cultural context heavily influences definitions; for instance:
Some cultures view pausing healthcare for Friday prayers as professional while others may see it as unprofessional.
A move away from Western, white, heterosexual male-centric definitions is necessary toward inclusivity in representation.
Reference: Goddard and Brockbank, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14862
Who is a Professional?
A professional is a member of a profession governed by a code of ethics, emphasizing:
Commitment to competence, integrity, morality, altruism (selfless concern for others), and promotion of the public good.
Safeguarding vulnerabilities through confidentiality, while noting instances where disclosure is necessary to protect society (e.g., reporting infectious diseases).
References: Australian Council of Professions, 2003; Beaton, 2010.
Key Competencies for Becoming a Professional
Overview of Helping Professions
Human Ecology and Dietetics are categorized as ‘helping professions’. Other similar professions include:
Teaching
Nursing
Community health work
Mental health counseling
Family therapy
Rehabilitation counseling
Special education teaching
Social work
Effective Helping Definitions
'Helping' could include:
Teaching
Advising
Treating
Counseling
Advocating
Key competencies combine hard skills (knowledge and skills) and soft skills (values, behaviors, attitudes).
Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education & Practice
For further insight, refer to the Integrated Competencies for Dietetic Education and Practice document.
Available at: https://www.dietitians.ca/Documents/PDEP%20Historic%20Documents/Integrated-Competencies-For-Dietetic-Education-And-Practice-(ICDEP)V-3-August-4,-2020-with-CDIPRC-contact-info.pdf
Specific Key Competencies (ICDEP)
Food and nutrition expertise (hard skills): Foundational knowledge from undergraduate degree.
Professionalism & ethics (soft skills).
Communication & collaboration (soft skills).
Management & leadership (soft skills).
Nutrition Care, Food Provision & Population Health Promotion: On-the-job training for skill development.
Skills for Professionals
Content-Related Skills
Subject matter expertise, notably in dietetics.
General Professional Skills
Essential skills include:
Communication
Teamwork
Leadership
Public speaking
Problem-solving
Organization/time management
Emotional intelligence
Flexibility
Attitudes of Effective Helpers
Defining Attitude
A belief structure encompassing:
Individual attitudes and beliefs about oneself and life,
Continuous evolution through experiences.
Characteristics of Effective Helpers
A good philosophy reflects:
Positive attitudes toward others and their worth.
Belief in human change and adaptation.
Ethical standards aligned with professional integrity.
Improving Professional Skills
Strategies to enhance professional skills include:
Openness to feedback
Learning from peers
Attending workshops and training
Proactively addressing workplace problems
Inquisitiveness and relationship-building
Behaviors Constituting Non-Competence in Dietetics
Examples include:
Failing to recognize or learn from errors.
Avoiding decision-making.
Inability to collaborate.
Resistance to seeking help.
Demonstrating ineffective communication.
Practicing unethically.
Rejecting constructive criticism.
Lack of knowledge or skills with no pursuit for improvement.
Understanding Values
Definition of Values
Ideals or significant standards held personally or collectively.
Individual expressions of commitment can include:
Principles like courage, integrity, etc.
Material possessions.
Success metrics.
Types of Values
Spiritual Values: Must consider moral implications and ethics such as honesty and cultural acceptance.
Cultural Values: Encompasses social norms critical for societal survival, defining acceptable vs. unacceptable behaviors.
Professional Values: Dietitians of Canada Example (2012)
Competence: Maintaining current, evidence-based knowledge.
Responsibility: Acting in the best interests of clients and colleagues.
Respect: Valuing the dignity of all individuals.
Engagement: Active participation in the profession.
Note: All principles maintain equal priority.
Values Structure Formation
Value systems originate from:
Childhood environments
Daily living experiences
The Importance of Values
Values direct life choices and enhance self-understanding.
Understanding values aids in:
Standing for principles
Promoting consistency in choices
Reaching goals
Life management
Positive and Negative Values in Healthcare
Positive aspects relate to:
Collaboration
Compassion
Competence
Negative aspects may relate to:
Secrecy
Poor standards
Values and Decision-Making in Healthcare
Decision-making combines values with empirical evidence.
Awareness of personal values is crucial for effective health care.
Code of Ethics
Changes in the Code for Dietitians:
Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDI-B): Highlights need for inclusive & equitable interactions.
Ethics, Technology, and AI: New guidelines for technology usage and ethical practices in the digital age.
Public Trust and Advertising Practices: Focus on maintaining public trust through ethical conduct with commercial entities.
Professional Identity Formation
Defining Identity
Identity comprises personal traits and group social identities that influence worldview and social interactions.
Self-Reflective Exercises
Exercises encourage reflecting on personal and social identities, their impacts, and areas of comfort regarding disclosure.
Exploring Positionality
Positionality considers the intersection of social identities and their influence on worldview and experiences.
Contextual Positionality Statements
Statements should reflect personal identities and experiences influencing approaches in various settings.
Social Positioning and Power
Social identities determine social standing and access to privileges or disadvantages in societal contexts.
Understanding Power
Power relates to access to resources, education, and connections; individuals possessing dominant identities face fewer barriers.
Recognizing Privilege & Oppression
Privilege refers to unearned advantages, while oppression denotes systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups.
Reflective Practice
Benefits of Reflective Practice
Enhances professional knowledge and fosters self-awareness.
Necessary for authentic leadership.
Key Stages in Reflective Practice
Awareness: Recognizing the discomfort through feelings or thoughts.
Analysis: Constructively analyzing situations and personal feelings.
New Perspectives: Developing a fresh viewpoint on situations.
Developing Self-Awareness Strategies
Methods may include meditation, peer feedback, journal keeping, and personality assessments.
STARR Method of Reflection
Applied during interviews, it involves:
Situation/Task
Actions taken
Results of those actions
Reflection on the experience.
Importance of Self-Awareness in Evaluation
Critical questions around one's values, strengths, humour, adaptability, and accountability should be consistently asked.
Team Dynamics and Professionalism
Effective collaboration is essential in varied settings such as clinical teams and community settings.
Cultural Competence & Cultural Humility
What is Culture?
Illustrated through the iceberg analogy revealing visible (part of the tip) and hidden (majority submerged) cultural influences.
Characteristics of Culture
Culture is learned, trained, automatic, dynamic, shared, symbolic, and integrated.
Cultural Impact on Nutrition and Dietetics
Diverse factors in food choices reflect cultural influences. Dietitians must respect clients' cultural food perceptions.
Attitudes towards Clients
Each client interaction requires a unique, client-centered approach, considering diverse factors such as personal space and biases.
Biases in Professionals
Types of Bias
Explicit Biases: Conscious attitudes or beliefs.
Implicit Biases: Unconscious associations influencing thoughts and actions.
Manifestation of Bias
Bias can shape experiences in various sectors like healthcare, education, and law, often reinforcing inequalities.
Recognizing Implicit Association
Encouraged to take an Implicit Association Test (IAT) for self-awareness.
Cultural Competence vs Humility
Competence trainings focus on knowledge gain but risk creating stereotypes; humility emphasizes lifelong learning and balanced patient-provider relationships.
Caution against Cultural Competence
The belief in achieving competence across cultures is misleading; cultural humility is advocated instead.
Summary of Learning Outcomes
Defined what it means to be a ‘professional’.
Explained key competencies for becoming a professional.
Described positionality and professional identity formation.
Explored ways to enagage in reflective practice.
Examined cultural competence and cultural humility.