Professional identity is defined as “the attitudes, values, knowledge, beliefs, and skills shared with others within a professional group” (Adams et al., 2006). The development of our professional identity is a continuous process, and it is impacted by several factors including our experiences and professional networks (Ashby et al., 2016). As a recent Kinesiology graduate and only having three years of experience in the professional workforce, I find myself to be in the beginning stages of exploring my own professional identity. In the past three years, I found myself working for a not-for-profit organization focused on family and community health and wellness, and recently working for an Inuit land claim organization. I believe that my previous experiences and professional connections have led me to where I am right now.
I identify myself as a health promoter and a health researcher that focuses on a client-centered and collaborative approach to everything that I do. I value providing a sense of autonomy to community members that I work with and empowering them to create an environment where they can safely thrive and express their own health and wellness goals. My degree in Kinesiology did open a lot of opportunities in the health and wellness promotion and research field. I found myself working with vulnerable populations which influenced my targeted approach to health promotion projects and research. As a recent immigrant myself and a minority, resources do not come delivered in a silver platter rather it takes effort to access them. I did recognize that challenge in accessing targeted health services and health promotion initiatives early on, which motivated me to be part of the solution.
Health promotion involves working with diverse groups and individuals across different possible settings (Montgomery & Jones Schubart, 2009). As a health promoter, it is implied in my work that I value equity, empowerment, and social justice. For instance, I often tell my clients that the best exercise is something that they enjoy doing. This applies to both my health promotion projects and research where I aim to avoid imposing my personal values on the communities that I work with because I believe that they know what is “best” for their communities and they have the “wisdom” for having the lived experience to put forward their own values. Depending on the individual or community’s culture and life experiences, I understand that people may hold various beliefs about the things that might contribute to their health or cause illness.
My current position in the Health and Wellness department in an Inuit land claim organization in the Northwest Territories allows me to be an active health promoter as well as a researcher. My work involves collaborating with national and local organizations involved in Inuit Health and Wellness and working with local communities. Advocacy and respect are key to my professional values. I make sure that these values are reflected in how I collaborate with stakeholders and community members. The strengths-based approach that we apply in our project planning and delivery allows us to work together with communities and leadership founded on respect and advocacy.
Indeed, identifying my professional identity is exploratory work and is ever-changing. This reflective process has been beneficial to my professional development since it allows me to empower myself to continue obtaining new experiences and expanding my networks while maintaining my values and gaining more as I go.
References
Adams, K., Hean, S., Sturgis, P., & Clark, J. M. (2006). Investigating the factors influencing professional identity of first-year health and Social Care Students. Learning in Health and Social Care, 5(2), 55–68. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1473-6861.2006.00119.x
Ashby, S. E., Adler, J., & Herbert, L. (2016). An exploratory international study into occupational therapy
students' perceptions of professional identity. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 63(4), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12271
Montgomery, K. S., & Jones Schubart, K. (2009). Health promotion in culturally diverse and vulnerable
populations. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 22(2), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822309347342
Comments