The practice of medicine today faces unprecedented challenges linked to profound societal changes: digitization of information, development of new expertise in healthcare, aging population, ever-increasing demand for care, hyper-specialization, proliferation of knowledge, exponentially growing number of scientific publications…

In his book *The Medical Profession*, sociologist Elliot Freidson develops the concept of professionalism, particularly in the medical field.

Until now, healthcare activity has essentially relied on the acquisition of knowledge, know-how, and skills specific to each profession. However, while these elements are essential, they are not always sufficient to demonstrate "professional practice." In healthcare, interpersonal skills, moral values, and ethical values ​​are integral to the definition of professional practice. To develop professional practice in healthcare, it is essential to define what professionalism truly is. The "good" healthcare professional: Professionalism refers to professional practice, which combines the specific knowledge of each profession with the expected behavior of the professionals involved towards society as a whole. A “professional” can be defined as follows: A person who belongs to a group (a profession) and who possesses the knowledge, skills, and attitudes acquired through training, which are specific to their profession and which are used to serve other members of society. In healthcare, professionalism encompasses both the technical and scientific dimensions of care, as well as the moral, ethical, and relational aspects. According to the University of Montreal, as a professional, the physician (and healthcare provider more generally) is committed to promoting the well-being of patients and communities while respecting individuals, standards of practice, and the norms governing their profession, in the sense of collaborative practice. Accountable for his actions, he assumes responsibility for his conduct and professional activities.

To reflect on the attributes that characterize a “good” healthcare professional, it is helpful to put yourself in the patient's shoes and ask the following question: “What attributes foster a climate of trust when I consult a healthcare professional?”

Through this reflection, Professor Thierry Pelaccia defined five attributes that characterize a healthcare provider demonstrating professionalism:

• The development and maintenance of skills throughout one's career, through continuing professional development
• Interpersonal skills
• Collaborative practice skills
• Professional integrity and ethics
• Partnership with the patient

Professionalism therefore refers to the attitudes and values ​​on which clinical practice is based, during the encounter between the patient and the caregiver. For clinical practice that respects the codes of professionalism, it is essential to base it on non-judgmental observation, attentive listening, an examination encompassing physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects, and a reasoning and decision-making process oriented towards the patient, and not solely towards the disease. More concretely, the attributes of professionalism rest on a set of elements that cannot be separated from one another. In a medical context, these attributes refer to the values ​​and attitudes upon which clinical practice is based, during the encounter between the caregiver and the patient. ‍SafeTeam Academy and Professionalism

To train healthcare teams and support their professional development, it is necessary to train them in non-technical skills through an approach that emphasizes human factors.

The SafeTeam Academy, through its immersive video training, allows for the development of non-technical skills such as teamwork, workload management, communication, situational awareness, and self-awareness (stress and fatigue management). This investment, necessary for our patients, also meets a need of caregivers, who are always striving to improve the quality of their care.

Reflectiveness is also one of the important elements for developing professionalism. This reflective practice is stimulated through situations that prompt healthcare professionals to question their actions. Perceived authenticity is key to enabling this reflective practice and its transfer to real-life situations. The SafeTeam Academy's immersive video experiences offer a very high level of perceived authenticity, which is why our training programs promote the analysis of practices, the acquisition of new skills, and the transfer of knowledge into practice… ultimately leading to improved quality and safety of care. If you too would like to contribute to making healthcare more reliable, come and discover SafeTeam Academy's training programs! To learn more about our training programs, please write to us at: contact@safeteam.academy. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to the work of Professor Thierry Pelaccia and thank him for his participation on the SafeTeam Academy's scientific advisory board.