Professionalism: Values and competences in specialized medical training

© 2016 SECA Objective To determine the perception of healthcare professionals (tutors, residents and teaching collaborators) involved in specialist medical training on the core values and skills to develop their tasks. Methods A tailor-made questionnaire aimed at healthcare professionals in 9 health care centres and a referral hospital. Questionnaire: 4 sections and 51 variables (scale 1-10). Results A total of 287 professionals participated, which included 97% tutors (n = 59), 38% residents (n = 61), and 56% others (97 teaching collaborators and 70 not associated with teaching). The alfa Cronbach coefficient was 0.945. Best rated values were work compliance (8.7 points), ethics in professional practice (8.6 points), and respect for their team (8.3 points). The best rated competence was communication with patients and families (8.1 points), followed by self-motivating leadership (7.9 points), and the practical application of medical and healthcare theoretical knowledge (7.8 points). The values received, on average, 0.7 points above competences (95% CI: 0.5-0.9). There were no differences between tutors and residents, although differences were found between doctors and nurses, and between males and females. Conclusion Most of the professionals (tutors, residents, and teaching collaborators) share the same perception of the values and competencies that influence their professional development. This perception was influenced by the professional category and gender, but not age or working in a hospital or primary health care.