Unprofessional behaviour can have a significant impact on the delivery of healthcare, and its outcomes, as well as being upsetting and disruptive for those who have to work with the individual or manage their performance.

To help consolidate your learning from this module and to apply it to your practice, consider the following exercise.

At your next team meeting, discuss the concept of professionalism. Encourage your team to think about the meaning of the words “professional” and “patient centred”.

Questions to ask the pharmacy team

Ask people to think of words, phrases, situations or scenarios where they have seen others or they themselves have acted or behaved in a professional or patient-centred manner. Capture these on a flip chart or ask people to write down words and phrases on sticky notes.

What are the key characteristics and behaviours that demonstrate professionalism? Consider, as a team, how together you can be more patient centred or more professional. What specific actions would you need to take?

Barriers to change?

As a final part of the exercise, consider what might be in your favour. What would enable, and what would act as a barrier? How might you overcome the barriers and add more weight to the factors that enable?

Again, consider this as a team and agree some specific actions that will help you further develop patient-centred professionalism in your pharmacy. Deal with any potential barriers. Review regularly and use this as part of an ongoing dialogue with your people.