Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
Disabled healthcare professionals' experiences of altruism: identity, professionalism, competence, and disclosure. |
| Authors: |
Sibbald, Kaitlin R.1 (AUTHOR) Kaitlin.sibbald@dal.ca, Beagan, Brenda L.1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Disability & Society. 2024, Vol. 39 Issue 1, p174-191. 18p. |
| Subject Terms: |
*Disclosure, *Altruism, *Occupational therapy, Medicine, Interviewing, Impaired medical personnel, Income, Psychosocial factors, Professional competence, Professional identity, Research funding, Professionalism, Thematic analysis, Social case work |
| Geographic Terms: |
Canada |
| Abstract: |
In the health professions, altruism is a foundational value upon which professional privilege is built. This imperative towards self-sacrifice for the benefit of others is a key component of what it means to be professional. This paper explores how altruism operates as a coded mechanism of exclusion and oppression for disabled health professionals. Analysis is based on interviews with fifteen Canadian disabled healthcare professionals in medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and social work about their experiences of inclusion and exclusion. Themes including the disproportionate sacrifice of time, resources, and income emerged, as did the need to manage political disclosure, often embodying the role of the 'super-crip' with patients/clients and colleagues so as to maintain others' faith in their professional competence and their professional privilege. Further discussion includes questions of how to 'crip' altruism as a professional value and the role of altruism as an ableist force within the health professions. Altruism, the idea of helping others even at cost to oneself, is an important value for health professionals. Disabled health professionals sacrifice more than non-disabled healthcare professionals to meet this obligation. Disabled healthcare professionals may work without accommodations, putting in extra time and effort to prove their altruism. Disabled healthcare professionals experience that disclosing disability may mean their colleagues will treat them as patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|
Copyright of Disability & Society is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Education Research Complete |
