Christine Longman1, Meredith Temple-Smith2. 1. MBBS, MMed, FRACGP, General Practitioner and Medical Educator, Murray City Country Coast GP Training, Parkville, Vic. 2. BSc, MPH, DHSc, Deputy Head of Department and Director of Research Training, Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: General practitioners (GPs) are required by the Australian professional colleges of general practice - The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine - to practise a high standard of professional behaviour. General practice registrars (GPRs) learn this in their training practices not only from their general practice supervisors, but also the practice managers (PMs). Little is known of PMs' views of the meaning of the term 'professional behaviour' and how they view their role in GPR education. METHOD: Nineteen semi-structured interviews with PMs were conducted. Saturation was reached and consensus achieved on the analysis. RESULTS: PMs held nuanced views on the meaning of the term 'professional behaviour' and actively promoted and modelled this to their staff, including GPRs. PMs believed they had a role in GPR education. DISCUSSION: Practice managers are well placed to model and teach professional behaviour, and their skills should be further used to educate GPRs.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: General practitioners (GPs) are required by the Australian professional colleges of general practice - The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine - to practise a high standard of professional behaviour. General practice registrars (GPRs) learn this in their training practices not only from their general practice supervisors, but also the practice managers (PMs). Little is known of PMs' views of the meaning of the term 'professional behaviour' and how they view their role in GPR education. METHOD: Nineteen semi-structured interviews with PMs were conducted. Saturation was reached and consensus achieved on the analysis. RESULTS: PMs held nuanced views on the meaning of the term 'professional behaviour' and actively promoted and modelled this to their staff, including GPRs. PMs believed they had a role in GPR education. DISCUSSION: Practice managers are well placed to model and teach professional behaviour, and their skills should be further used to educate GPRs.