Certifications and Continuing Education Medicine Research Paper (Research Paper Sample)

Professional Development for Respiratory Therapists
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Professional Development for Respiratory Therapists
It is common for individuals practicing in the healthcare sector to belong to one or more professional associations. In her article titled ‘Professional Associations: Ethics, Duty, and Power’, Marilyn Dollinger highlights the significance of belonging to professional organizations. To begin with, such organizations provide healthcare professionals with a supportive forum on which they can develop as well as discuss appropriate standards while also sharing experiences that enable them to implement sustainable change and deliver the best to patients. Secondly, healthcare professionals today operate in an environment where their power together with authority has been somewhat subordinated to that of third parties such as insurance companies (Dollinger, 2000). As a result, insurance companies are now in a position to set practice standards and reimbursement rates while also controlling patients’ ability to access treatment. To safeguard their role as gatekeepers, healthcare professionals are compelled to belong to professional associations, which have the power to influence policies governing practice.
Membership to professional associations also gives individuals a voice through which they can influence or have a say on policies affecting them. With specific reference to the healthcare sector, professional organizations typically comprise professional lobbyists as well as legislative departments that have the capability and expertise of tracking vital issues that affect healthcare providers. Inasmuch as federal regulations largely determine the criteria by which healthcare providers must operate, individuals who belong to professional organizations have more political clout as compared to individuals who do not belong to any professional organizations at all (Dollinger, 2000). The benefit comes in when it is considered that professional organizations have more numbers, greater lobbying skills and impacts as compared to individuals. In light of this, therefore, membership to such organizations is advantageous as it helps individuals to articulate their needs and concerns in a way that is more vocal and impactful. It also gives members a bigger platform for networking and get diverse information and experience from other members.