Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Healthcare practitioners’ personal and professional values

  • Published:
Advances in Health Sciences Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Personal and professional values of healthcare practitioners influence their clinical decisions. Understanding these values for individuals and across healthcare professions can help improve patient-centred decision-making by individual practitioners and interprofessional teams, respectively. We aimed to identify these values and integrate them into a single framework using Schwartz’s values model. We searched Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL and ERIC databases for articles on personal and professional values of healthcare practitioners and students. We extracted values from included papers and synthesized them into a single framework using Schwartz’s values model. We summarised the framework within the context of healthcare practice. We identified 128 values from 50 included articles from doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. A new framework for the identified values established the following broad healthcare practitioner values, corresponding to Schwartz values (in parentheses): authority (power); capability (achievement); pleasure (hedonism); intellectual stimulation (stimulation); critical-thinking (self-direction); equality (universalism); altruism (benevolence); morality (tradition); professionalism (conformity); safety (security) and spirituality (spirituality). The most prominent values identified were altruism, equality and capability. This review identified a comprehensive set of personal and professional values of healthcare practitioners. We integrated these into a single framework derived from Schwartz’s values model. This framework can be used to assess personal and professional values of healthcare practitioners across professional groups, and can help improve practitioners’ awareness of their values so they can negotiate more patient-centred decisions. A common values framework across professional groups can support shared education strategies on values and help improve interprofessional teamwork and decision-making.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aguilar, A., Stupans, I., Scutter, S., & King, S. (2012). Exploring professionalism: The professional values of Australian occupational therapists. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 59(3), 209–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alfred, D., Yarbrough, S., Martin, P., & Garcia, C. (2011). Gender and professional values: A closer look. Nursing Management, 42(1), 34–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altun, I. (2002). Burnout and nurses’ personal and professional values. Nursing Ethics, 9(3), 269–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altun, I. (2003). The perceived problem solving ability and values of student nurses and midwives. Nurse Education Today, 23(8), 575–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, L. (2002). Assessing professional behavior: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Academic Medicine, 77(6), 502–515.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bang, K. S., Kang, J. H., Jun, M. H., Kim, H. S., Son, H. M., Yu, S. J., et al. (2011). Professional values in korean undergraduate nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 31(1), 72–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchamp, T. L. (2007). The ‘four principles’ approach to health care ethics. In R. E. Ashcroft, A. Dawson, H. Draper, J. R. McMillan & M. R. Tonelli (Eds.), Principles of Health Care Ethics (2nd ed., pp. 3–10). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons.

  • Becker, B. W., Kaldenberg, D. O., & Connor, P. E. (1996). Dentists’ personal values: An exploratory investigation. Journal of the American Dental Association, 127(4), 503–509.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beisecker, A. E. (1990). Patient power in doctor–patient communication: What do we know? Health Communication, 2(2), 105–122.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergman, M. M. (1998). A theoretical note on the differences between attitudes, opinions, and values. Swiss Political Science Review, 4(2), 81–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berwick, D., Hiatt, H., Janeway, P., & Smith, R. (1997). An ethical code for everybody in health care. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 315(7123), 1633–1634.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borgstrom, E., Cohn, S., & Barclay, S. (2010). Medical professionalism: Conflicting values for tomorrow’s doctors. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 25(12), 1330–1336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braithwaite, V. A., & Law, H. (1985). Structure of human values: Testing the adequacy of the Rokeach Value Survey. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 49(1), 250.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brunton, G., Oliver, S., Oliver, K., & Lorenc, T. (2006). A synthesis of research addressing children’s, young people’s and parents’ views of walking and cycling for transport. London: EPPI-Centre.

  • Cadge, W., Ecklund, E. H., & Short, N. (2009). Religion and spirituality: A barrier and a bridge in the everyday professional work of pediatric physicians. Social Problems, 56(4), 702–721.

  • Carroll, C., Booth, A., & Cooper, K. (2011). A worked example of “best fit” framework synthesis: A systematic review of views concerning the taking of some potential chemopreventive agents. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11(1), 9–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, P. G. (1997). Values in health care professional socialization: Implications for geriatric education in interdisciplinary teamwork. The Gerontologist, 37(4), 441–451.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, H. A. (1981). The nurse’s quest for a professional identity. Reading: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Committee on Quality Health Care in America, I. o. M. (2001). Report brief: Crossing the quality chasm. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Congress, E. (1992). Ethical teaching of multicultural students: Reconsideration of social work values for educators. Journal of Multicultural Social Work, 2(2), 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coulehan, J., & Williams, P. C. (2001). Vanquishing virtue: The impact of medical education. Academic Medicine, 76(6), 598–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coulehan, J., & Williams, P. C. (2003). Conflicting professional values in medical education. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 12(01), 7–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deber, R. B. (1994). Physicians in health care management: 7. The patient–physician partnership: Changing roles and the desire for information. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, 151(2), 171.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLisa, J. A., Foye, P. M., Jain, S. S., Kirshblum, S., & Christodoulou, C. (2001). Measuring professionalism in a physiatry residency training program. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 80(3), 225–229.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Diaz, J. A., & Stamp, M. J. (2004). Primer on medical professionalism. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 94(2), 206–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiGiacomo, M. (2004). Professionalism: Values in action. PT: Magazine of Physical Therapy, 12(12), 44–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixon-Woods, M. (2011). Using framework-based synthesis for conducting reviews of qualitative studies. BMC Medicine, 9(1), 39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dose, J. J. (1997). Work values: An integrative framework and illustrative application to organizational socialization. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 70(3), 219–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dossetor, J. B. (1997). Human values in health care: Trying to get it right. 12. Retrieved 9711805, 157, from http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=med4&NEWS=N&AN=9418662.

  • Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (1993). The psychology of attitudes. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eddy, D. M., Elfrink, V., Weis, D., & Schank, M. J. (1994). Importance of professional nursing values: A national study of baccalaureate programs. Journal of Nursing Education, 33(6), 257–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, R. M. (1999). Mindful practice. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 282(9), 833–839.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fagermoen, M. S. (1997). Professional identity: Values embedded in meaningful nursing practice. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(3), 434–441.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fahrenwald, N. L., Bassett, S. D., Tschetter, L., Carson, P. P., White, L., & Winterboer, V. J. (2005). Teaching core nursing values. Journal of Professional Nursing, 21(1), 46–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Frankel, M. S. (1989). Professional codes: Why, how, and with what impact? Journal of Business Ethics, 8(2–3), 109–115.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallagher, A. (2004). Dignity and respect for dignity—Two key health professional values: Implications for nursing practice. Nursing Ethics, 11(6), 587–599.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillon, R., & Lloyd, A. (Eds.). (1994). Principles of health care ethics. Chichester: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glen, S. (1999). Educating for interprofessional collaboration: Teaching about values. Nursing Ethics, 6(3), 202–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goslin, D. A., & Aldous, J. (1969). Handbook of socialization theory and research. Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, D. R., & Robinson, S. E. (1987). Ethics, violence, and counseling: Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil? Journal of Counseling & Development, 65(7), 340–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hartung, P. J., Taber, B. J., & Richard, G. V. (2005). The physician values in practice scale: Construction and initial validation. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 67(2), 309–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede, G. (1998). Attitudes, values and organizational culture: Disentangling the concepts. Organization Studies, 19(3), 477–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyuelos, S. B., Fraile, C. L., Weis, D., Urien, E. L., Elsden, C. A., & Schank, M. J. (2010). Nursing professional values: Validation of a scale in a Spanish context. Nurse Education Today, 30(2), 107–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hussey, T. (1996). Nursing ethics and codes of professional conduct. Nursing Ethics, 3(3), 250–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly, B. (1991). The professional values of English nursing undergraduates. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 16(7), 867–872.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kenny, N. P., Mann, K. V., & MacLeod, H. (2003). Role modeling in physicians’ professional formation: Reconsidering an essential but untapped educational strategy. Academic Medicine, 78(12), 1203–1210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkevold, M. (1992). Balance values and norms in the nursing care of stroke patients. Rehabilitation Nursing Research, 1(1), 24–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kluckhohn, F. R., & Strodtbeck, F. L. (1951). Values and value-orientations in the theory of action: An exploration in definition and classification. In T. Parsons & E. Shils (Eds.), Toward a general theory of action. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Langille, A. D., Catano, V. M., Boran, T. L., & Cunningham, D. P. (2010). The dental values scale: Development and validation. Journal of Dental Education, 74(12), 1282–1293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leners, D. W., Roehrs, C., & Piccone, A. V. (2006). Tracking the development of professional values in undergraduate nursing students. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(12), 504–511.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leung, W.-C. (2001). How to design a questionnaire. Student BMJ, 9(11), 187–189.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levy, C. S. (1976). Personal versus professional values: The practitioner’s dilemmas. Clinical Social Work Journal, 4(2), 110–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y. H., & Wang, L. S. (2010). A Chinese version of the revised nurses professional values scale: Reliability and validity assessment. Nurse Education Today, 30(6), 492–498.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y. H., Wang, L. S., Yarbrough, S., Alfred, D., & Martin, P. (2010). Changes in Taiwanese nursing student values during the educational experience. Nursing Ethics, 17(5), 646–654.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lui, M. H., Lam, L. W., Lee, I. F., Chien, W. T., Chau, J. P., & Ip, W. Y. (2008). Professional nursing values among baccalaureate nursing students in Hong Kong. Nurse Education Today, 28(1), 108–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, D. C., Surdyk, P. M., & Eiser, A. R. (2004). Assessing professionalism: A review of the literature. Medical Teacher, 26(4), 366–373.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markakis, K. M., Beckman, H. B., Suchman, A. L., & Frankel, R. M. (2000). The path of professionalism: Cultivating humanistic values and attitudes in residency training. Academic Medicine, 75(2), 141–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, P., Yarbrough, S., & Alfred, D. (2003). Professional values held by baccalaureate and associate degree nursing students. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 35(3), 291–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCabe, D. L., Dukerich, J. M., & Dutton, J. E. (1992). Values and ethical decision-making among professional school students: A study of dental and medical students. Professional Ethics, 1(3/4), 117–136.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McNair, R. P. (2005). The case for educating health care students in professionalism as the core content of interprofessional education. Medical Education, 39(5), 456–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Medicine, A. F. A. B. o. I. (2002). Medical professionalism in the new millennium: A physician charter. Annals of Internal Medicine, 136(3), 243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meglino, B. M., & Ravlin, E. C. (1998). Individual values in organizations: Concepts, controversies, and research. Journal of Management, 24(3), 351–389.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(4), 264–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moore, S. M. (2000). Telehealth. A challenge to preserve nursing values. Nursing Leadership Forum, 5(2), 41–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murry, J. W, Jr, & Hammons, J. O. (1995). Delphi: A versatile methodology for conducting qualitative research. Review of Higher Education, 18(4), 423–436.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, S. R., Rees, R. W., Clarke-Jones, L., Milne, R., Oakley, A. R., Gabbay, J., et al. (2008). A multidimensional conceptual framework for analysing public involvement in health services research. Health Expectations, 11(1), 72–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oskamp, S. (2005). Attitudes and opinions (3rd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pang, D., Senaratana, W., Kunaviktikul, W., Klunklin, A., & McElmurry, B. J. (2009). Nursing values in China: The expectations of registered nurses. Nursing & Health Sciences, 11(3), 312–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parsell, G., Spalding, R., & Bligh, J. (1998). Shared goals, shared learning: Evaluation of a multiprofessional course for undergraduate students. Medical Education, 32(3), 304–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paterson, R. (2012). The good doctor: What patients want. Auckland: Auckland University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrino, E. D. (2001). The internal morality of clinical medicine: A paradigm for the ethics of the helping and healing professions. Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, 26(6), 559–579.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peloquin, S. M. (2007). A reconsideration of occupational therapy’s core values. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 61(4), 474–478.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pendleton, D., & King, J. (2002). Values and leadership. BMJ. British Medical Journal, 325(7376), 1352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pipes, R. B., Holstein, J. E., & Aguirre, M. G. (2005). Examining the personal–professional distinction: Ethics codes and the difficulty of drawing a boundary. American Psychologist, 60(4), 325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope, K. S., & Bajt, T. R. (1988). When laws and values conflict: A dilemma for psychologists. American Psychologist, 43(10), 828.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raatikainen, R. (1989). Values and ethical principles in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 14(2), 92–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabow, M. W., Remen, R. N., Parmelee, D. X., & Inui, T. S. (2010). Professional formation: Extending medicine’s lineage of service into the next century. Academic Medicine, 85(2), 310–317.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rassin, M. (2008). Nurses’ professional and personal values. Nursing Ethics, 15(5), 614–630.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rassin, M. (2010). Values grading among nursing students—Differences between the ethnic groups. Nurse Education Today, 30(5), 458–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robins, L. S., Braddock, C. H., & Fryer-Edwards, K. A. (2002). Using the American Board of Internal Medicine’s “Elements of Professionalism” for undergraduate ethics education. Academic Medicine, 77(6), 523–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rohan, M. J. (2000). A rose by any name? The values construct. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(3), 255–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1968). The role of values in public opinion research. Public Opinion Quarterly, 32(4), 547–559.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum, J. R., Bradley, E. H., Holmboe, E. S., Farrell, M. H., & Krumholz, H. M. (2004). Sources of ethical conflict in medical housestaff training: A qualitative study. The American Journal of Medicine, 116(6), 402–407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley, B. D., Baldwin, D. C, Jr, Bay, R. C., & Karpman, R. R. (2000). Professionalism and professional values in orthopaedics. Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 378, 90–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Savulescu, J. (2006). Conscientious objection in medicine. BMJ, 332(7536), 294–297.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schank, M. J., & Weis, D. (1989). A study of values of baccalaureate nursing students and graduate nurses from a secular and a nonsecular program. Journal of Professional Nursing, 5(1), 17–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25(1), 1–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1994). Are there universal aspects in the structure and contents of human values? Journal of Social Issues, 50(4), 19–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1999). A theory of cultural values and some implications for work. Applied Psychology, 48(1), 23–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (2012). An overview of the Schwartz theory of basic values. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H., Melech, G., Lehmann, A., Burgess, S., Harris, M., & Owens, V. (2001). Extending the cross-cultural validity of the theory of basic human values with a different method of measurement. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(5), 519–542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H., & Sagiv, L. (1995). Identifying culture-specifics in the content and structure of values. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 26(1), 92–116.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seedhouse, D. (2002). Commitment to health: A shared ethical bond between professions. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 16(3), 249–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shahriari, M., Mohammadi, E., Abbaszadeh, A., Bahrami, M., & Fooladi, M. M. (2012). Perceived ethical values by Iranian nurses. Nursing Ethics, 19(1), 30–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, H. K., & Degazon, C. (2008). Integrating the core professional values of nursing: A profession, not just a career. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 15(1), 44–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheldrake, P. (2010). Spirituality and healthcare. Practical Theology, 3(3), 367–379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shinyashiki, G. T., Mendes, I. A. C., Trevizan, M. A., & Day, R. A. (2006). Professional socialization: Students becoming nurses. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem (RLAE), 14(4), 601–607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sine, D. M., & Northcutt, N. (2007). A qualitative analysis of the central values of professional paramedics. American Journal of Disaster Medicine, 3(6), 335–343.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, T. S., McGuire, J. M., Abbott, D. W., & Blau, B. I. (1991). Clinical ethical decision making: An investigation of the rationales used to justify doing less than one believes one should. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 22(3), 235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stern, D. T. (1996). Values on call: A method for assessing the teaching of professionalism. Academic Medicine, 71(10 Suppl), S37–S39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swick, H. M. (2000). Toward a normative definition of medical professionalism. Academic Medicine, 75(6), 612–616.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thurston, H. I., Flood, M. A., Shupe, I. S., & Gerald, K. B. (1989). Values held by nursing faculty and students in a university setting. Journal of Professional Nursing, 5(4), 199–207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toit, D. (1995). A sociological analysis of the extent and influence of professional socialization on the development of a nursing identity among nursing students at two universities in Brisbane, Australia. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21(1), 164–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tompkins, E. S. (1992). Nurse/client values congruence. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 14(2), 225–236.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tong, A., Howard, K., Jan, S., Cass, A., Rose, J., Chadban, S., et al. (2010). Community preferences for the allocation of solid organs for transplantation: A systematic review. Transplantation, 89(7), 796–805.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Touchstone, M. (2010a). Professional development. Part 5: Core humanistic values. EMS Magazine, 39(5), 29–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Touchstone, M. (2010b). Professional development. Part 6: Core humanistic values, part 2. EMS Magazine, 39(6), 27–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Valdés, L. S., Prilleltensky, I., Walsh-Bowers, R., & Rossiter, A. (2002). Applied ethics in mental health in Cuba: PART I—Guiding concepts and values. Ethics and Behavior, 12(3), 223–242.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van De Camp, K., Vernooij-Dassen, M. J., Grol, R. P., & Bottema, B. J. (2004). How to conceptualize professionalism: A qualitative study. Medical Teacher, 26(8), 696–702.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vezeau, T. M. (2006). Teaching professional values in a BSN program. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 3(1), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weis, D., & Schank, M. J. (1997). Toward building an international consensus in professional values. Nurse Education Today, 17(5), 366–369.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weis, D., & Schank, M. J. (2000). An instrument to measure professional nursing values. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 32(2), 201–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weis, D., & Schank, M. J. (2009). Development and psychometric evaluation of the nurses professional values scale—revised. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 17(3), 221–231.

  • Weis, D., Schank, M. J., Eddy, D., & Elfrink, V. (1993). Professional values in baccalaureate nursing education. Journal of Professional Nursing, 9(6), 336–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, S. M., & Carrese, J. A. (2001). Which values do attending physicians try to pass on to house officers? Medical Education, 35(10), 941–945.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yousuf, M. I. (2007). Using experts’ opinions through Delphi technique. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 12(4), 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, Level 2, School of Population Health, Tamaki Innovation Campus, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Mpatisi Moyo & Felicity A. Goodyear-Smith

  2. Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Jennifer Weller

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Gillian Robb

  4. Office of Medical Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Boaz Shulruf

Authors
  1. Mpatisi Moyo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Felicity A. Goodyear-Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jennifer Weller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gillian Robb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Boaz Shulruf
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mpatisi Moyo.

Appendices

Appendix 1: Mapping example: mapping extracted values into Schwartz tradition and conformity values

Tradition and conformity values share a motivational emphasis of subordinating one’s needs in favour of socially imposed expectations. Schwartz (1992) found these values hard to separate in structural analysis studies. The values commonly located intermixed in the structural analysis (Fig. 1). This intermixing of values because of shared motivation is also apparent in the healthcare morality and professionalism values that we derived from the two Schwartz values.

We mapped duty and integrity onto the Schwartz value type of tradition, and professionalism and accountability, which are closely related to duty and integrity, onto Schwartz value type of conformity. The theoretical justification we give is that: subordination in tradition values is to time-honoured or customary beliefs (Schwartz 1992)—duty and integrity in healthcare have transcended time and hence, fitted better into the tradition value type than the conformity one. In contrast subordination in conformity values is to contemporary rules and structures (Schwartz 1992) such as ethical codes and organisation rules—hence professionalism and accountability fitted better into conformity value type than the tradition one.

Appendix 2: Deriving healthcare practitioner value types for the healthcare practitioner values framework

Schwartz groups for healthcare values

Overall rank

Healthcare practitioner value type

Power

 

Authority

Authority

1

 

Power

1

 

Social recognition/status/image

2

 

Leadership

3

 

Achievement

 

Capability

Capability/competency/effectiveness

1

 

Achievement/accomplishment

2

 

Excellence

3

 

Hedonism

 

Pleasure

Pleasure/enjoyment

  

Stimulation

 

Intellectual stimulation

Intellectual stimulation

1

 

Personal stimulation

2

 

Excitement

3

 

Self-direction

 

Critical-thinking

Critical thinking/problem solving

1

 

Decision making

2

 

Freedom/autonomy/independence

3

 

Universalism

 

Equality

Equality/equity/equanimity

1

 

Justice/rights/fairness/ethical

1

 

Dignity

2

 

Activism/advocacy

3

 

Benevolence

 

Altruism

Altruism

1

 

Empathy

2

 

Benevolence

3

 

Reliability/dependability

3

 

Spirituality

 

Spirituality

Spirituality

1

 

Optimism

2

 

Faith

3

 

Tradition

 

Morality

Integrity

1

 

Morality

1

 

Beneficence

2

 

Nonmaleficence

3

 

Tradition/culture

3

 

Conformity

 

Professionalism

Professionalism

1

 

Duty/service/obligation

2

 

Conformity

3

 

Security

 

Safety

Safety

1

 

Confidentiality

2

 

Security/prudence

3

 

Protection

3

 

For each set of value items extracted into each Schwartz’s value type, four members of the group independently ranked the value items to identify the item that was most characteristic of the set within the context of healthcare practice. Individual rankings were collated, and the top ranked healthcare practitioner values within each value set was chosen as the healthcare practitioner value type for the set. Ties were resolved by team discussion.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Moyo, M., Goodyear-Smith, F.A., Weller, J. et al. Healthcare practitioners’ personal and professional values. Adv in Health Sci Educ 21, 257–286 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-015-9626-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-015-9626-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation