Creating Professional Identity

486 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Examples of professional identity

Being able to create a professional identity is unique to each individual that experiences it. A professional identity, when working in human services, is one that can be quite complex. One needs to take into great consideration the different factors that come into play when developing a state of professionalism. These factors including: being unbiased, having the knowledge of poverty and oppressed individuals, creating a positive atmosphere for clients, serving clients with their basic human rights, achieving social justice to the best of your ability and keeping complete confidentiality. There are many different factors to list, but one may believe that the six factors mentioned are definitely most important. As a human services worker in Canada, it is extremely crucial to create a professional identity that future employers, coworkers and clients are comfortable with. …show more content…

I want to inhabit a professional identity that portrays confidence, maturity and knowledge, Louise Harms and Joanna Pierce (2011) mention that “From the outset, it is important for workers to consider the larger ideological framework in which their practice is embedded” (p. 2). Creating a professional identity for myself is a factor in my life that I will take very seriously. In chapter one, Harms and Pierce explain the six core values of social work which I have already identified myself with. Even though these values are quoted under the Social Workers Code of Ethics (p. 8-10), I strongly agree that it should apply to anyone working within the human services sector. It is my goal to continue to create a professional identity for myself that takes into great consideration the oppression of vulnerable

Show More
Related

  • Professionalism In Social Work

    1458 Words  | 3 Pages

    Professionalism in the social work field goes beyond licensure and expertise (Cournoyer, 2014). According to Cournoyer (2014), social work professionalism encompasses the concepts of integrity, self-efficacy and knowledge, self-understanding and self-control, and social support (Cournoyer, 2014). Embedded in social work professionalism is the person-environment perspective, which posits that our personal attributes, interactions and relationships with others, and environment influence a social worker’s practice. Cournoyer stresses that it is a social worker’s responsibility to acknowledge and regulate his or her personal biases, ideologies, and beliefs when working with clients in order to prevent them from negatively impacting the therapeutic

    Read More

  • Australian Social Workers Must Uphold Ethics and Values

    2031 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) Code of Ethics (2010) proposes three core values of Social Work, respect for persons, social justice and professional integrity (pp.12). These core values establish “ethical responsibilities” for the social worker (AASW, 2010, pp.12), specifically, the value of respect for persons, which sustains the intrinsic worth of all human beings as well as the right to wellbeing and self determination consistent with others in society (AASW, 2010,p.12). This Code of Ethics stipulates the duty of care a social worker must provide, a...

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues in Social Work

    4625 Words  | 10 Pages

    Ethical Issues in Social Work I will provide practical help for new social workers to help them understand and deal with ethical issues and dilemmas which they will face. There are many ethical issues which are important to social work, but I feel that these are all covered by the care value base. The care value base Was devised by the care sector consortium in 1992, this was so that the workers in health and social care had a common set of values and principles which they would all adhere to. It is important because for the first time the social care sector had a clear set of guidelines from which ethical judgements could be made. The care value base is divided into 5 elements - The care value base covers - Equality and Diversity - Rights and responsibilities - Confidentiality - Promoting anti Discrimination - Effective communication Equality and Diversity Carers must value diversity themselves before they can effectively care for the different races, religions and differently abled people they will come across in their caring profession.

    Read More

  • The National Assocation of Social Workers Code of Ethics

    955 Words  | 2 Pages

    The National Association of Social Workers, NASW, considers the following as its six most core values; service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. The value of service is considered to be a core value because offering help to those in need is a crucial goal for all of those looking to practice in the field of Social Work. These services can include, but are not limited to, addressing social problems, helping those in need, and volunteering their knowledge to those who cannot otherwise afford such help. Social Justice is also an important core value for a Social Worker to develop. As a Social Worker one will encounter many people from several different walks of life, no two cases will ever be exactly the same. Some of these walks of life can leave a client vulnerable, defenseless, exploited, oppressed, and troubled. Therefore it is important to learn what Social Justice is, and how to help people from falling victim to injustice. Dignity and Worth of the Person is one of the most important values that one should uphold. People who need the help of a Social Worker many, but not all, times feel powerless, embarrassed, and worthless because they feel as though they cannot control aspects of their life an...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Professional Identity In Nursing

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Professionals are people who have equipped themselves with the knowledge and skills in a given field. The interest of improvement of the professional identity is an evidence of how high standards are placed upon the professionals in the community (Johnson et al., 2012). Each profession creates its norms, values and scope of practice that distinguishes it from any other profession. Different legal ethics are upheld and everyone needs to work as per the stipulated ethics in the field to be part of the profession. People in the field are expected to be knowledgeable and independently use decision

    Read More

  • Examples Of Personal Values In Social Work

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    As a social work professional, you must take into account your own personal values before you can be an effective worker in this field. Social workers sometimes need to put their own values aside when working with clients who don’t share their same ideals. Clients are diverse and are not going to always have the same values that the worker has. Social workers need to be professional and adhere to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) guidelines when working with any client.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Professional Identity In Nursing

    1516 Words  | 4 Pages

    Professionals are people who have equipped themselves with the knowledge and skills in a given field. The interest of improvement of the professional identity is an evidence of how high standards are placed upon the professionals in the community (Johnson et al., 2012). Each profession creates its norms, values and scope of practice that distinguishes it from any other profession. Different legal ethics are upheld and everyone needs to work as per the stipulated ethics in the field to be part of the profession. People in the field are expected to be knowledgeable and independently use decision making in solving various problems that may arise. The decisions made should be within the norms and values stipulated for a profession.

    Read More

  • My Personal And Professional Values In Social Work

    2120 Words  | 5 Pages

    The following paper aims to discuss and analyze the way in which my personal values intersect with the values I hold as most important within the profession of social work. It would stand to reason that these values would stand on common ground; however, there are places where my personal and professional values diverge. These conflicts may prove to be problematic within my chosen career unless I find a way to prioritize my values, or find ways for them to work harmoniously with each other.

    Read More

  • Reflection On Social Work Values

    894 Words  | 2 Pages

    Among an array of Values from The Code of Ethics (TCE) of social work Value 1 dictates that as social workers we must respect the dignity of our clients and refrain from passing judgement onto them (Canadian Association of Social Work, 2005, pg.7). As a social worker, it is important to follow this value as it prevents the distancing of the client from the worker as the client will have a better chance of opening up to someone who does not instantly tell them what to do or reprimand them for their actions or non-action in their lives. Oppression relates to the TCE in that it says the social work profession’s main purpose is to raise their clients who are vulnerable, oppressed and/or living in poverty (CASW, 2005, pg.7). Taking this into account

    Read More

  • Values & Ethics in Social Work

    1288 Words  | 3 Pages

    Social work practice is a profession where it works alongside the ‘code of ethics’, these consist of formal statements which represent values of the professional community. The national associations such as Britain state the core values within this field are human dignity and worth, social justice, service to humanity (human rights), integrity and competence. The professional field is regulated by the ‘British Association of Social Work’ (BASW). The core values within social work are huma...

    Read More

  • Essay On Professional Identity

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    After pondering over the specific meaning behind professional identity and how I should answer this question, I realized that my professional identity is how I perceive myself within my occupational context. I was also going to mention some exact words that described me, however, I believe that a professional identity is not permanent. It is a concept that continues developing throughout our lives. I would like to refer to my professional identity as a process that is constantly influenced by my professors and their teaching style, by my interactions with my peers, and by the way I communicate with others. One of the things that I think is really important to me as a counselor in training, which I learned in my Master’s program, is the ability to empathize with people who come with a problem. I think empathy is a key element in the helping profession, and I enjoy learning how to do it the best possible way. Another factor that is very important to me is providing a sense of autonomy to clients and create an environment for them to feel safe to express what they are going through in life.

    Read More

  • Social Work Code Of Ethics

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    The six core values of social work should guide and impact how social workers act and treat their clients. A social worker must show anyone who they come in contact with that they are valued by serving, standing up against injustices, letting them know they have inherent worth, teaching them the importance of healthy human relationships, having integrity, and being competent. These values are necessary to apply not only to the professional areas but in our daily

    Read More

  • Theories Of Professionalism In Social Work

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, the most crucial part of maintaining a professional work ethic within this field is to keep information confidential. Confidentiality can make or break your professional reputation due to the fact that it is crucial when gaining trust of not only the individuals who are your patients but also of your boss. Another crucial aspect of this career is objectivity, you must put all internal biases away in order to help individuals who need you. If an individual is racist then there is no way for them to maintain an objective outlook if they were to take a job in a urban setting. This happening can lead to a disconnect between coworkers who are not racially bias being treated badly by the population they are helping with simply due to the fact that the racist social worker caused a negative stigma of the career as a whole in the patient's eyes. This shows how much one social worker can either make or break the relationships between the community they serve and the social workers themselves. Overall, I feel like professionalism is a very biased way to look at individuals, it is a way to judge others while hiding behind the universal norm as a rationalization for your

    Read More

  • The Reflection Of Professional Values And Ethics

    1466 Words  | 3 Pages

    Prior to having the class of Professional Values and Ethics, I assumed I understood the basic concepts of what defines a professional who has competence of values and ethics. Nevertheless, by being enrolled in this course, I have gained great knowledge of which professional values and ethical principles must be held by a social worker, which I did not know before. Progressively in this class, by learning professional values and ethics, my motivation to succeed as an upcoming social worker has gotten stronger.

    Read More

  • Importance of Social Work

    1403 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are certain ethics that social workers must follow and is a guidance for professional standard of work. However sometimes people are not aware of their own values, though the more fully conscious someone is about their values, the more people are able to ensure that their actions are consistent with the values. As a social worker it is vital to know the dangers of not taking account of values and the ethical dimension of practice. A social worker should see their client for who they are and not just another object that is unclear by their own emotions hence why self-awareness is a key to

    Read More

More about Creating Professional Identity

Open Document