This month we ask “What should our core professional values be?”
Subject Director for Biomedical Science
York St John University
As either a biomedical science practitioner or a member of academic staff delivering biomedical science programmes, I believe that the basis of good core professional values lies in partnership and cooperation.
A quick “Google” of good professional values throws up the expected words and concepts: strong work ethic, dependability and responsibility, positive attitude, adaptability, honesty and integrity, self-motivated. It is striking how these values fit directly with our profession and the standards we set ourselves.
In both pathology laboratories and in academia, we work in diverse roles to deliver work and outcomes to agreed quality standards and timescales. It is embedded in our roles to continuously improve through a commitment to CPD and lifelong learning.
I firmly believe the phrase: “You can’t be, what you can’t see”. We should lead by example to influence others. By working collaboratively and inclusively with a variety of colleagues, we can enhance both our own practice and that of others. Even if we don’t line manage colleagues, we can secure commitment to and involvement with initiatives by using positive influence and encouragement.
In my role, I am passionate about supporting and promoting colleagues across my institution and (inter)nationally. My ultimate aim is to develop students who are enthusiastic, achieving their potential, highly employable and with a passion for what they do.
Advanced Specialist Biomedical Scientist
Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
The word professional has its origins in the Greek word “to profess” or make a declaration, something still done by medical doctors when they take the Hippocratic Oath. Although Institute members do not make a similar declaration upon joining, like all professionals, they are afforded privileges not available to ordinary members of the public.
As such, their behaviour in their working life must be exemplary, which is not always necessarily fully articulated by the profession itself, instead relying on a code of conduct or professional standards. However, professional values are not the same as professional standards, as they say more about the individuals themselves. Key values that must be inherent in Institute members would be the social norms, expected of any individual, such as courtesy, honesty, integrity, probity, transparency and fairness, which help guide their daily professional work. But as professionals, Institute members must also be self aware too, recognising the limits of their capability or responsibility, seeking help when needed and learning from errors, mistakes or incidents.
Equally professionals must engage in life-long learning and development, taking all opportunities to acquire knowledge or skills and putting these into practice in their current or future roles. As a final thought, perhaps the most important professional value is that of leadership. Institute members must recognise that they are leaders in all of their actions and interactions by exhibiting and instilling these professional values in others.
Founder of Harvey's Gang
Volunteer at the Western Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
In my opinion, our fist core value is to be willing to serve – to promote patient wellbeing. We are scientists who should strive to put the patient first, every time. No excuses.
As biomedical scientists we must be driven to help patients by supplying a first-class service, not just diagnostics, not just by treatment and its effectiveness and ongoing monitoring, but through the whole patient journey, for their life.
Our second core value is communication. We must be able to communicate to ensure our patients benefit, with patients all receiving a great service using all modern tools available to us. We must communicate across teams within trusts, across healthcare trusts and across specialisms across the world.
Our third core value is teamwork. We are not robots just to serve at the wish of our trust executives, we are a team, from the top CEO to the bottom and vice versa and across healthcare, from one organisation to many others and back. We all have a valuable and vital part to play in the overall patient journey, trust each other and sign up.
It maybe cliché, but I do belief in TEAM, (Together Everyone Achieves More). Together we do achieve the best for our patients, they trust us. We all have a part to play in ensuring that our services are quality-driven and safe and that the services offered are timely, cost effective and, therefore, sustainable.