Professional status as an emergency care provider is maintained and enriched by the willingness of the individual practitioner to accept and fulfil obligations to society, other medical professionals, and the emergency care profession as a whole.
Emergency care providers’ objectives include:
- Conserving life;
- Alleviation of suffering;
- Promoting health;
- Doing no harm; and
- Encouraging the quality and equal availability of emergency medical care services.
These professionals must be able to provide care based on a patient’s needs with compassion and respect for human dignity, unrestricted by consideration of nationality, race, creed, colour, or status; to not judge the merits of the patient’s request for services, nor allow the patient’s socio-economic status to influence the performance of the care that must be provided.
Emergency care providers may not use their professional knowledge and skills in any enterprise that will be detrimental to the well-being of the public that they serve. They must respect and hold in confidence all information of a confidential nature obtained in the course of professional service and duties unless required by law to divulge such information. Where emergency care providers choose to engage on social media, they must utilise these platforms in a responsible and professional manner that does not discredit nor dishonour the profession, co-workers, other healthcare practitioners, patients, individuals or the communities they serve.
Emergency care providers should assume responsibility in upholding standards of professional practice and education as well as uphold the laws which affect the practice of emergency medical services. To uphold professional conduct, practitioners must be able to work with concerned communities and other healthcare professionals in promoting high standards of medical care services to all. Emergency care providers must be aware of and participate in matters of legislation and regulation affecting the delivery of emergency care. This will empower them to be able to accept responsibility for their individual professional actions and judgment at both independent and interdependent emergency care functions.
Emergency care providers must be able to work cooperatively with other emergency and healthcare associates as well as other allied healthcare professionals in the best interest of patient care and outcome. They are encouraged to comply with the laws of the Republic and refuse participation in unethical procedures, and assume the responsibility to expose incompetence or unethical conduct of others to the appropriate authority in a proper and professional manner.
Last Updated on 27 January 2017 by HPCSA Corporate Affairs