Scott Batten

CP 1102
Monday, November 23rd, 2015.
Professionalism and Ethics: Concept of professional identity, terminology, professional privilege
The concept of professionalism and ethics are greatly debated among professions on a
continuous basis. These two subjects get talked about a lot because they are so important in all
professions. Without having a combination of these concepts one will not be a successful chiropractor.
When speaking about these concepts one first must develop their own professional identity.
Professional identity can be defined as one's professional self-concept based on attributes, beliefs,
values, motives, and experiences1. A professional identity is the way other individual's look at you in a
professional setting. One of the most important things in developing your own professional identity is
being an expert in your particular field1. In chiropractic, patients come to you expecting expert
knowledge and diagnostic skills. By being an expert you can provide your patients with these
attributes and give them the best care you possibly can. Another important aspect of professional
identity is creating an image of yourself that the general public will respect and look up too1. As a
chiropractor, individual's expect a level of professionalism and respect1. Patients want this given back
to them and a feeling of confidence in their chiropractor. In order to do this, you again must be an
expert in your field. In order to get one's professional identity recognized one must be able to advertise
and network1. This is the part of being a professional that is hard for some people. Marketing yourself
can be a difficult task, but this again applies to your professional identity. You must market yourself as
being an expert and a image of what people want. As one can see a professional identity applies key
concepts that all interact with each other. Without a professional identity one will not be successful.
Along with being a professional one must take on added responsibility and pressure that others
may not. Professional privilege can have many definitions depending on what context you are talking
in. In legal terms professional privilege protects all communication between a legal advisor and his/her
clients. As in law, chiropractors have an obligation to their patients to keep all things discussed during
an appointment confidential2. This allows for a certain comfort between patient and doctor, creating a
strong relationship2. Professional privilege can also be taken in the literal context meaning that being a
professional can have it's privileges. Some of these privileges may include owning your own practice,
having a patient base, or being a role model in your community. Professional privilege leads to an
added amount of pressure on yourself and you must hold yourself in the highest regards. Being a
professional allows you certain privileges that others may not have, and having these privileges means
be responsible by not taking advantage of them.
Being a professional leads to dealing with the public in a professional way that most people
never get the experience in doing. The general pubic is where your patient base will come from and in
order to be successful one needs the public's trust. Public trust can be defined as trust created for the
promotion of public welfare and not for the benefit of one or more individuals1. Again being a
professional comes with added responsibility, such as maintaining a professional image, being friendly,
and caring for the community. Public trust plays a key role in being a successful chiropractor. A
chiropractor needs the public to trust them in order to grow a patient base. Being a professional
chiropractor leads to a certain amount of trust from the general public. The public trusts professionals
to do what is right and give them the best quality of care there can be1. The public trusts that their
chiropractor has their best interests in mind and will do whatever is necessary1. Chiropractors need
public trust to grow their business and create a good word of mouth. Without public trust no

professional will be able to last in their particular field.

Professionalism and ethics are two terms that are often linked together and debated among
individuals. Firstly, professionalism can be defined as the competence or skill expected of a
professional1. Professionalism is a very important aspect of being a professional. It is how one acts in
a professional setting and the knowledge they have on a particular subject1. Patients want a standard of
professionalism when they set an appointment at a chiropractors office. Secondly, ethics can be
defined as a moral philosophy, the branch that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending
concepts of right and wrong1. Ethics are another important aspect of being a professional. Ethics refer
to rules provided from an external source1. Ethics come from such things as codes of conduct or rules
in a workplace1. A chiropractor must have strong ethics in order to be successful. The difference
between professionalism and ethics is that professionalism is how you act and ethics is what you say1.
Professionalism is how you act in a professional setting such as treating patients with respect and
caring for them. Ethics is how you act in certain situations where your judgement is tested. Although
these differ in this way, a professional needs these to be the best chiropractor they can be.
Morals and ethics are another set of terms that are often linked together. As we know from
above, ethics is a type of moral philosophy that one uses when faced with tough decisions1. Morals can
be defined as a person's standards of behaviour or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for
them to do3. Morals are based on an individual's own principles regarding right or wrong3. They are
often learned from lessons and adapted from these situations3. The difference between morals and
ethics can be greatly debated as they are fairly similar in definition. One can say that the difference
between ethics and morals is where they come from3. Ethics come from sets of external sources while
morals are determined inside an individual3. It can also be said that a person that follows strict ethics
may have no morals at all or a person will not break an ethical code because their morals will not let
them3. As one can see these two terms often go hand in hand and are very important in being a
professional.
Being a professional in any setting is not an easy situation to be in, but comes with privileges
and experiences that others may not have. Professional's are continuously put in situations that
challenge them and test their knowledge. Being a professional means being an expert in a field where
other people will ask you questions about. One must put in a lot of work and time to be a professional,
but in the end it will all pay off.

References
1. Haldeman S. Principles and Practice of Chiropractic. 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill
Medical Publishing Division; 2005.
2. Francis M. Professional Privilege [Internet]. England: Law and Society; October 2013[ Cited
November 23 2015]. Available from http://www.lawsociety.org.uk/supportservices/advice/practice-notes/aml/legal-professional-privilege/.
3. Baier K. Definition of Morality. 3rd Edition. California: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy;
2011.