Socialization of Caregivers

Week 3 Assignment: The Socialization of Caregivers

HCA 230

November 20, 2010

Socialization is a process of “learning to behave appropriately within a specific community.” (du Pré, A., 2005, p.85). However, socialization is never complete because “people and communities change, requiring constant adaptation, and there is no such thing as being perfectly appropriate.” (du Pré, A., 2005, p.85).

Newcomers to a community may not fit in. They typically learn the rules of what is expected of them but still remain to have their own individuality. Some may fit in better than others and receive rewards or be penalized if they do not fit in. This could make or break a persons reputation. They could be popular among the community or be expelled. No one person is perfect and neither are physicians or doctors with the situations they handle daily. (du Pré, A., 2005, p.85).

A main part of socialization is the way doctors and students communicate to their patients. In studies it was shown that students are uncomfortable with uncertainties of medicine but the doctors were comfortable admitting to the uncertainties. The doctors seemed to present themselves in a more confident and tolerant manner than the students did. The students also seemed to take what the patients and parents said at face value and the doctors still displayed skepticism. (du Pré, A., 2005, p.86, 87).

As the students became more experienced in the medical field their communication skills improved by sounding more confident, qualifying information conveyed by nonmedical sources, filtered information and relayed their interpretations, and acknowledged uncertainty without losing confidence. (du Pré, A., 2005, p.87).

The implications that may be derived from patients about their health care professionals could be that they are arrogant or bossy, the physicians’ authority is unquestionable, and from the physicians that the people around them are subordinate. Schooling prepares them in...