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PubMed1996

A longitudinal study of veterinary students and recent graduates. 2. Views of the veterinary profession.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the development of attitudes and opinions relating to the veterinary profession. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. POPULATION: Students, 154 in all, who began studying veterinary science at The University of Queensland in 1985 and 1986. PROCEDURE: Questionnaires were completed in the first and fifth year of the course and in the second year after graduation. The data were analysed using the SAS System for Windows. RESULTS: Few changes in opinion over time were found on the role of the profession, or on the status and prestige of veterinarians. Changes did occur in views on the characteristics of a successful veterinarian, with increases in the perceived importance of interpersonal skills, and of the capacity to work hard, and decreases in the perceived importance of honesty and integrity, dedication and the prevention of cruelty. Attitudes hardened over time in relation to costs of treatment, non-payment of fees and availability out of hours. Individuals changed their opinion on whether to counsel or report an incompetent colleague, but the changes in one direction were approximately equal to those in the opposite direction. CONCLUSIONS: The attitudes and opinions of veterinary graduates result from experiences before and during their veterinary course. In general the perceived importance of interpersonal skills increases during the course, and the level of altruism decreases.

Animal Welfare↗
PubMed2002

Longitudinal study of veterinarians from entry to the veterinary course to 10 years after graduation: attitudes to work, career and profession.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the attitudes of veterinarians to their work, career and profession during the 10 years after graduation. DESIGN: Longitudinal study of students who started their course at The University of Queensland in 1985 and 1986, and who completed questionnaires in their first and fifth year as students, and after one, five and 10 years as veterinarians. METHODS: Data from 129 (96%) questionnaires completed after 10 years as a veterinarian were coded numerically then analysed, together with data from previous questionnaires, with SAS System 7 for Windows 95. RESULTS: After 10 years, almost all respondents were either very glad they had done the veterinary course (57%) or generally glad, though with some misgivings (37%). Despite this, only 55% would definitely become a veterinarian if they 'had to do it over again'. The responses for about one-third were different from those given five years earlier. The views of many were related to the level of support and encouragement received in their first job after graduation. There were 42% who were working less than half-time as veterinarians, and their main reasons were, in order, raising children, long hours of work, attitudes of bosses and clients, and poor pay. A majority was concerned about the ethics and competence of some colleagues, and almost all believed that consideration of costs must influence the type of treatment animals receive. CONCLUSIONS: Most veterinarians were glad to have done the veterinary course, but for about one-quarter their career had not lived up to expectations and almost half would not do it again in another incarnation. Stress, hours of work, difficulties in balancing personal life with career and low income were important concerns for many. Low income may contribute to the low number of males entering the veterinary profession.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

History of federal legislation in health professions educational assistance in dental public health, 1956-97.

Health professions education assistance in dental public health has been congressionally authorized in one form or another during the last four decades. The US Department of Health and Human Services (and its predecessor, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare) has been a focal point for managing these federal programs. This report tracks the history of relevant national legislation, beginning in the 1950s with the Health Amendment Acts of 1956 and continuing most recently with the Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992. The number of dental public health professionals trained and available to provide expertise and leadership to improve community oral health status has been tied to the presence and intensity of federal programming in this area.

Education, Dental, Graduate↗
PubMed2003

Professionalization, gender and female-dominated professions: dental hygiene in Ontario.

This paper explores the influence of gender and feminism on the professional projects of female-dominated professions, through a case study of dental hygiene in Ontario. Full professional status has eluded many female-dominated professions, including dental hygiene. Historically, dental hygiene was defined as work for women, to be performed strictly under the control of male dentists. In recent years, dental hygiene has pursued a professional project and struggled for greater independence from dentistry. Ideas about gender and, particularly, feminism have been central to their professional project.

Canada↗
PubMed1994

The profession of medicine.

It seems timely to define the purpose of medicine and examine the concept of a profession. This paper does so in the wider context of health, values in society, and the need to involve patients and the public as a whole. The author looks closely at what doctors do and concludes that making the diagnosis is a key element. The consultation is the building block for resource allocation. In addition to the diagnosis it sets out the prognosis and possible treatment and emphasises the importance of communicating these to the patient. Looking at the kind of doctor we need raises such issues as ethical standards, continuing professional development, team working, clinical standards, quality, outcomes, and research and development. Throughout, the role of education is seen as crucial. Leadership and vision are required by senior members of the profession if the opportunities presented are to be developed further.

Education, Medical↗
PubMed1985

Professions as the conscience of society.

Ethics is no less of a science than any other. It has its roots in conflicts of interest between human beings, and in their conflicting urges to behave either selfishly or altruistically. Resolving such conflicts leads to the specification of rules of conduct, often expressed in terms of rights and duties. In the special case of professional ethics, the paramount rule of conduct is altruism in the service of a 'noble' cause, and this distinguishes true professions from other trades or occupations. If professional ethics come into conflict with national laws, the professional today can test the legitimacy of such laws by reference to internationally agreed legal standards in the field of human rights, and so help to perform the role of 'professions as the conscience of society'.

Codes of Ethics↗
PubMed2002

Supererogation and the profession of medicine.

In the light of increasing public mistrust, there is an urgent need to clarify the moral status of the medical profession and of the relationship of the clinician to his/her patients. In addressing this question, I first establish the coherence, within moral philosophy generally, of the concept of supererogation (the doing of more than one's duty). I adopt the notion of an act of "unqualified" supererogation as one that is non-derivatively good, praiseworthy, and freely undertaken for others' benefit at the risk of some cost to the agent. I then argue that committing oneself to the profession of clinical medicine is an act of this kind. This is the case, not because the aim of medicine is to help patients, but because of the open ended commitment of time and the vulnerability to the consequences of failure that the clinician must accept.

Altruism↗
PubMed2002

Reactions from the medical and nursing professions to Nightingale's "reform(s)" of nurse training in the late 19th century.

In 1860, the Nightingale School of Nursing opened at St Thomas's Hospital, London. Florence Nightingale's overriding raison d'etre in the setting up of this foundation was a replacement of the old fashioned nurse (caricatured by Mrs Gamp-an "ignorant and immoral drunkard") by the highly trained, and eminently respectable "lady-nurse". While this change met with a great deal of approval from the lay public and the majority of the nursing profession, a minority of the latter together with the bulk of medical practitioners (including several leading physicians and surgeons of the day) wholeheartedly opposed this revolutionary move. It was felt, by them, that the medical profession was in danger of losing control over nursing with the resultant sacrifice of satisfactory patient care. Today, both medical student and nurse training is moving noticeably away from the bedside, an orientation which has added such an important dimension to British medical/nurse training over so many generations. Is this 19th century experience yet another example of history repeating itself in the medical sphere?

Education, Nursing↗
PubMed2002

Pushing the profession: how the news media turned patient safety into a priority.

The problem of patient safety has been repeatedly identified in the medical literature since the mid 1950s, but regular revelations about patient deaths and injuries resulting from treatment have had almost no effect on the actual practice of medicine. Only very recently has the medical profession made a systematic effort to reduce or eliminate the many preventable deaths and injuries that occur in hospitals each year. This review traces the diffusion of innovation in medical error reduction to the public shaming of the profession that occurred as a result of stories that appeared in the news media. The focus is on the USA, but news stories about patient safety are sparking a similar process throughout the western world.

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMed1997

Exposure to mercury vapor and impact on health in the dental profession in Sweden.

Possible adverse effects of mercury exposure in dentistry have been discussed in several studies. The objective of the present study was to carry out detailed measurements of mercury exposure in the dental profession in Sweden, and to search for adverse health effects from such exposure. We examined 22 dentists and 22 dental nurses, working in teams, at six Swedish dental clinics. Measurements of air mercury, performed with personal, active air samplers, showed a median air Hg of 1.8 micrograms/m3 for the dentists, and 2.1 micrograms/m3 for the dental nurses. Spot measurements with a direct reading instrument displayed temporarily elevated air Hg, especially during the preparation and application of amalgam. The average concentration of mercury in whole blood (B-Hg) was 18 nmol/L, in plasma (P-Hg) 5.1 nmol/L, and in urine (U-Hg) 3.0 nmol/mmol creatinine. Possible effects on the central nervous system (CNS) were registered with three questionnaires: Q16, Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI), and the Profile of Mood Scales (POMS). In the Q16, the number of symptoms was statistically significantly higher in the dentistry group compared with an age- and gender-matched control group (n = 44). The urinary excretion of albumin and urinary activity of the tubular enzyme N-acetyl-beta-glucose-aminidase (NAG) did not differ between the two groups. The results confirm that exposure to mercury in the dental profession in Sweden is low. The air Hg levels were mainly influenced by the method of amalgam preparation and inserting, and by the method of air evacuation during drilling and polishing.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

The structure of competence in health professions.

The past decade has seen widespread research on systematic evaluation of the competence of health professionals. Such activity usually has been carried out in accordance with the prevailing psychological paradigms, in which competence is represented as a trait, or as an intrapsychic factor. However, even when competence has been delimited as problem-solving, the research generally identified a strong situational influence on performance. In this article are assembled a set of diverse but complementary arguments for dispensing with the conventional representations of professional competence. In their place is proposed a relational model in which competence in health professions is seen as the aggregated adaptations of practitioners to the set of special social circumstances that obtain within the situational boundaries of their profession. It is argued that a thorough understanding of the content of professional situations is a necessary prerequisite for successful evaluation of professional competence, since competent behavior is lodged in a network of probabilistic relationships with the surroundings. Also discussed are selected procedural implications of this new model for the conduct of investigations of professional situations.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗
PubMed1981

Research approaches in health professions education: problems and prospects.

Research in health professions education has been dominated by a research paradigm emphasizing controlled experimentation. Widespread criticism has been voiced by leaders in the research community concerning the adequacy of the paradigm to deal with complex human behavior occurring in complex social environments. This article is concerned with exploring the implications of controlled studies for health professions education and proposing an alternative research strategy.

Health Occupations↗
PubMed1994

Validation of professional licensure examinations. Professions theory, test design, and construct validity.

Although the unitary view of test validity has gained support recently, it has real limitations where professional licensing examinations are concerned. A strategy for validation of professional licensure tests requires modifying conventional approaches in three ways. First, a theory of professions must be incorporated into the test development process so as to acknowledge the social character of professions. Second, the importance of test design in the validation of licensing tests should be enhanced. Third, the concept of construct validation must be expanded to accommodate the special features of content that inhere to professional licensure testing. Methods for accomplishing these three things are described and the implications of these and other views discussed.

Cognition↗
PubMed1993

The research challenge for the Professions Allied to Medicine.

The transfer of health care schools into Higher Education, coupled with the universal development of degree programmes has resulted in the need to develop research strategies for the Professions Allied to Medicine (PAMs). While considerable reliance has to be placed on the University sector to lead and encourage research activity, it is essential to recognise the need to maintain and develop links with clinical colleagues and to promote the growth of interdisciplinary research. A variety of areas which could allow early fruition of collaborative work between the professions are proposed.

Allied Health Occupations↗
PubMed2005

Undergraduate nursing students' compatibility with the nursing profession.

BACKGROUND: The high rate of attrition among nursing students has caused some nursing leaders to think about the necessity of considering students' personality during the process of admission into nursing schools. Due to the lack of studies on Iranian nursing students' personality traits, this study was designed to assess freshmen nursing students' personality characteristics and their compatibility with the demands of the nursing profession. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted at Tehran and kashan medical universities and one of the branches of Azad University. Convenience sampling was used and 52 freshmen nursing students were assessed using Holland's Vocational Interests Inventory. RESULTS: From the total participants 63.5% were females and 36.5% were males. Based on the Holland's Vocational Interests Inventory 44% did not have appropriate personality characteristics for the nursing profession. 77% of the nursing students participating in the study reported that they lacked information about nursing. CONCLUSION: It seems that personality tests can help to select the best students for nursing schools from those who show good academic capabilities. This would decrease the rate of attrition and could improve the quality of care.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Development of abbreviated measures to assess patient trust in a physician, a health insurer, and the medical profession.

BACKGROUND: Despite the recent proliferation in research on patient trust, it is seldom a primary outcome, and is often a peripheral area of interest. The length of our original scales to measure trust may limit their use because of the practical needs to minimize both respondent burden and research cost. The objective of this study was to develop three abbreviated scales to measure trust in: (1) a physician, (2) a health insurer, and (3) the medical profession. METHODS: Data from two samples were used. The first was a telephone survey of English-speaking adults in the United States (N = 1117) and the second was a telephone survey of English-speaking adults residing in North Carolina who were members of a health maintenance organization (N = 1024). Data were analyzed to examine data completeness, scaling assumptions, internal consistency properties, and factor structure. RESULTS: Abbreviated measures (5-items) were developed for each of the three scales. Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 for trust in a physician (test-retest reliability = 0.71), 0.84 for trust in a health insurer (test-retest reliability = 0.73), and 0.77 for trust in the medical profession. CONCLUSION: Assessment of data completeness, scale score dispersion characteristics, reliability and validity test results all provide evidence for the soundness of the abbreviated 5-item scales.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

The future of the dental profession: a personal perspective.

Future needs and demands for oral healthcare will, it is suggested, largely determine the forum, function and size of the dental profession. With the coming of age of the dental team and the development of an ever-increasing range of new therapies, materials, procedures and devices, new organizational systems will be needed to support education and training and subsequent lifelong learning. It is concluded that it is time for the dental team and its regulation to move on. Subject to the profession embracing the future, the years ahead promise to bring many new, exciting opportunities and challenges.

Dental Staff↗
PubMed2002

100% access, zero health disparities, and GIS: an improved methodology for designating health professions shortage areas.

The (Health Professions Shortage Areas) HPSA designation process was developed as a mechanism to identify primary care shortage areas eligible for participation in specific federally funded programs including a 10% Medicare supplement, the National Health Service Corps, and health professions training programs. The purpose of this paper was to explore the utility of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology as an improved methodology for obtaining HPSA designation status for geographic areas. Results showed that GIS identified 24 Medical Services Study Areas (rational planning areas) in Los Angeles County that met the minimum 3500:1 population-to-primary-care physician ratio for geographic area HPSA designation compared to only three that currently are identified. Authors concluded that restructuring of the state/county responsibilities for HPSA designation is long overdue and that use of GIS as a required methodology would help ensure that all areas in any state that meet the intent of federal legislation are included.

Geographic Information Systems↗