One can be the master of what one does, but never of what one feels. ― Gustave Flaubert

As we were approaching the end of the day I hastily made my way to the wards to see the last patient on my list. When reading the file, I noticed he is a substance abuser and that his current condition is due to his lifestyle choices. This was quite evident after meeting the patient due to his physical appearance. If I’m being really honest, “What is the point of seeing this patient and treating him?” was one of the thoughts that crossed my mind. These negative thoughts were based on my first impression of him, as well as past experiences with substance abusers (in and out of the clinical setting). I felt that he didn’t deserve the same kind of treatment simply because my efforts would be in vain, I disagreed with his lifestyle choices and it contradicted my morals and beliefs.

I know that I am supposed to treat the patient to the best of my ability despite my emotions, but this is easier said than done. Professionalism versus my morals and beliefs was a major ethical issue at play in this situation. I had to be professional despite what I felt. There are guidelines to professionalism in the workplace specific to the physiotherapy field. According to The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), one should demonstrate one’s professionalism by:

• working within the defined regulatory framework of personal and professional standards
• adhering to a moral, ethical and professional code of practice
• demonstrating autonomous practice within the scope of the profession
• maintaining an awareness of individual limitations to the scope of practice
• maintaining and developing professional expertise
• delivering a safe and effective service that is caring and compassionate

(The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), 2018)

The above criteria should be met with the treatment of every patient, and my interaction with the patient lacked many of these aspects. Furthermore, we are required to meet the above criteria by law. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No 108 of 1996) states that each patient is protected by the right to a positive disposition displayed by health care workers that demonstrates courtesy, human dignity, patience, empathy, and tolerance (Medical Practice Consulting, 2019). However, he or she has a responsibility to take care of his or her health (Medical Practice Consulting, 2019).

Within the four years of learning, students are reared in the direction of suppressing their emotions to do what is ethically acceptable all for the sake of doing what’s right or what is required of them. Realistically, this is impossible. According to literature, a great deal of your decisions and actions are informed by your emotional responses because that is what emotions are designed to do: to appraise and summarize an experience and inform your actions (Lamia, 2019). In other words, what we feel toward the patient reflects on the quality of treatment they receive. Now a big question that I pose to myself is “how do I control my emotions?”. 

You cannot master your feelings, but you can learn to regulate them. By doing so you would need a mature emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence refers to the capability of a person to manage and control his or her emotions and possess the ability to control the emotions of others as well (Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 2019). In other words, they can influence the emotions of other people as well.

I am sure every person has felt that someone wasn’t as deserving of the best care at least once in their career. We are all faced with this ethical dilemma more often than we’d like to think. Gangsters, rapists, murderers, thieves… These are the kinds of patients we deal with regularly; and unfortunately, this is the reality of working in government institutions. Whether we like it or not, treating patients who’s lifestyle choices and morals my contradict ours on a personal level and as a health care worker is something we will battle with going forward. A possible solution to the problem would be to focus on emotional intelligence with students, where they are equipped with skills of improving it. This could perhaps be integrated into the curriculum of the course.

We need to find the balance between emotion and being professional and requires a mature emotional intelligence to be better in the workplace and a better person. 

References 

Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (2019). What is Emotional Intelligence? Definition of Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Intelligence Meaning. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/definition/emotional-intelligence.

Lamia, M. C. (2019). Like it Or Not, Emotions Will Drive the Decisions You Make Today. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201012/it-or-not-emotions-will-drive-the-decisions-you.

Medical Practice Consulting. (2019). South African Medical Association. Retrieved from https://www.samedical.org/links/charte.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). (2018). What is professionalism? Retrieved from https://www.csp.org.uk/professional-clinical/professional-guidance/professionalism.