My Professional Identity

Professionalism is extremely important in any career. I’d like to use any skills I possess to provide patients with the best experience achievable, and be the best technologist I can be. I will always hold myself accountable for my actions and knowledge, which is why I have continued to educate myself post graduate. I pride myself on being a reliable employee who will continue to help develop the department based on patient needs and technology advances.

Completing a social media audit has proven that I do have a professional outlook in this area. None of my personal social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook) are public, and my professional social media platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn) have nothing on them that I feel ashamed of. Another side of this – the patient centered side – means that as a professional I should share items involved with my profession to help patients understand what my role is, what they should expect when coming for a CT scan, etc.

“As patients continue to turn to online resources for health care information to guide their care decisions, it is becoming increasingly important for radiologists to engage with patients online via social media platforms” (Hawkins, Delao, & Hung, 2016).

This is also true for all other healthcare professionals – we have the knowledge and resources to help patients make educated decisions. Professional ethical standards in any healthcare profession are extremely important. In no way can any social media post be linked to any patients or coworkers. This is a firm belief of mine that I will never compromise. I do believe everyone is entitled to their opinions on broad topics - but this should never involve personal stories being shared.

The College of Medical Radiation Technologists in Ontario (CMRTO) has set standards of practice that I must follow. In order to practice in Canada, I had to pass a registration exam with the Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists (CAMRT). I must be registered with the CMRTO yearly to continue to practice. I must carry professional liability insurance which I obtain through my employee union (Ontario Public Service Employee Union - OPSEU). Along with the standards of practice set out by CMRTO, I also must understand and follow multiple Acts set out by the government of Ontario. As a professional I am obligated to speak up about certain things but this is not in a public capacity. I am required to report anyone in my profession who is not following our standard of ethics through the CMRTO. This could also be true for anything that happens within my healthcare organization - I would report any unethical behaviour to the correct supervisor (or my own).

It is important for all medical radiation technologists to have great communication skills. All interdisciplinary communication must be fluid and meaningful as it involves patient care, as patient centered care is the pinnacle of healthcare now. As Bergeson and Dean (2006) discussed, “providing care centered on patients' needs and expectations is a key attribute of quality care” and in turn, professionalism of the health care provider. Communication is key for all radiology-based patient care – but also through the healthcare system.

Donnelly and Strife (2006) also discussed this, stating: “effective health care delivery systems rely heavily on high degrees of skill in professionalism and communication. These skills are essential to all of the missions of a successful radiology department.”

As a professional in this field, I would like my professional identity to show that I have incredible communication skills to provide excellent patient care.

As a diagnostic imaging professional, I am a small but important part in the healthcare industry. In a hospital setting we see patients from all areas – including outpatients. This means that we frequently communicate with all nursing staff, physicians, speech-language pathologists, surgeons, laboratory staff, etc. We also need to ensure we have a safe and clean space, meaning that we communicate with housekeeping, portering, and maintenance as required. It is important for patients, families and staff that effective communication is always occurring.

“Quality, safe patient care requires high functioning interdisciplinary teams.” (Engum & Jeffries, 2012).

These communication abilities also become important to advocate for the patient when necessary.

Overall, I would like to see my professional identity show a confident, communication driven, patient centered, knowledgeable professional. I feel I am well on the way to this identity, and can only grow from here.

References

Bergeson, S. C., & Dean, J. D. (2006). A Systems Approach to Patient-Centered Care. Jama,296(23), 2848. doi:10.1001/jama.296.23.2848

Canadian Association of Medical Radiation Technologists. (2019). Retrieved May 10, 2019, from https://www.camrt.ca/

College of Medical Radiation Technologists of Ontario. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2019, from http://www.cmrto.org/

Donnelly, L. F., & Strife, J. L. (2006). Establishing a Program to Promote Professionalism and Effective Communication in Radiology. Radiology,238(3), 773-779. doi:10.1148/radiol.2383041849

Engum, S. A., & Jeffries, P. R. (2012). Interdisciplinary collisions: Bringing healthcare professionals together. Collegian,19(3), 145-151. doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2012.05.005

Hawkins, C. M., Delao, A. J., & Hung, C. (2016). Social Media and the Patient Experience. Journal of the American College of Radiology,13(12), 1615-1621. doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2016.09.006